by Dawn Kirby
That, even I understood.
“Honey, you know as well as I do that’s not a good sign.” Mom patted her hand gently and gave her a warm smile before heading towards the back of the store.
“So what happens now?” I asked after Mom disappeared back into the storeroom.
“You know something, babe? I really don’t have a clue. He and that oaf are gonna be working on some big deal for the next few days. I doubt he’ll be in the mood to talk about it when we go out tomorrow night. According to Mark,” her voice took on a deep, masculine tone, “ ‘crucial research must be done’ before they can proceed.” She cleared her throat and sighed. “The case fell in their laps late Tuesday and whatever it is, it’s big.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a lot of thinking to do.” I leaned against the counter beside her; sorry I couldn’t offer a better piece of advice.
“Sure do,” she agreed. “I don’t know how we’re gonna work this out, Leah. I really can’t see us staying together if Pops has a hand in everything Mark does.” She straightened up and looked around the store. “You better put me to work before I start throwing things.”
“You do the front windows,” I said handing her a rag. I tossed a can of glass cleaner from underneath the counter and gestured behind me. “I’ll dust the shelves in the back.”
“Deal. You got your glasses?”
“They’re in the car,” I admitted. “I thought I left a pair around here for emergencies, but I can’t find them.”
“In that case, don’t turn around until I tell you I’m done.”
I grabbed a couple of dust rags for myself and walked to the back of the store. Four rows of shelves weren’t much, but at least I had something to keep me busy. As I cleared off the top row, Mom’s cell phone rang. Since dusting doesn’t require a lot of brainpower, I decided to listen in. It was impossible for me not to hear her side of the conversation anyway. Maybe I’d get lucky and it would be somewhat interesting.
“Hello, May. It’s been a while,” Mom said pleasantly. “How are you and the boys?”
No such luck— “May” was calling from a land-line Those may as well be dead zones as far as my hearing goes, though I’ve never been able to figure out why.
“Really? How’s that going?” Mom asked, pausing for an answer. “I know what you mean. I am so glad to hear they’ve been able to do something positive with their lives. I have to admit I had my doubts, their daddy being who he is and all.” Silence filled the little room again. “Oh yes, Leah’s doing great. She graduated back in December,” she said proudly. “That’s right! Two degrees. One in accounting and another in business.” Mom’s ‘uh-huhs’ and ‘I sees’ went on for a few minutes while the lady on the other end dominated their conversation.
“I’m sure. She gets it from him you know,” Mom said happily. “David was always good with numbers. Look at what all he’d accomplished before that horrible night.” Hold up! Why couldn’t we talk about him as easily? Was it because May had apparently known him as well? Was there some bond the two had that made it hurt less? Before I could contemplate a moment more, Mom changed the subject. “Now, what can I do for you? I won’t be able to bring anything out today, but I can put you on the top of my list for tomorrow morning. I’d love to catch up with you more.”
Suddenly, her heartbeat quickened. Her breath caught in her chest. Either she was getting really good news or there was something seriously wrong.
Inch by inch I slowly slipped toward the doorway. She knew I could hear extremely well, but I’ve never let her know, whether out of boredom or curiosity, I’ve been guilty of eavesdropping from time to time. This wasn’t the time to give it away either. Mom’s pleasant rosy scent was gone and that wasn’t good. What I saw when I peeked through the doorway didn’t make me feel any better. For the first time in my life I saw a haze blazing around her. And blue, from what I could tell from past experience signaled worry. That’s something Mom rarely does.
“How long ago?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Any lingering hope for good news went right out the window. Mom sounded scared. After a short pause, her heart began to slow down slightly. “Oh May, that’s more than enough time. She’s probably already used the information to her advantage.” I waited anxiously to find out who she was and what her information was being used for. “I guess it really was just a matter of time, wasn’t it? Thank you so much for calling. Will you please let him know I’ll be here when he’s ready?” Silence again. “I will. Y’all stay safe too.”
Mom snapped her cell phone shut. Her heart was still racing, though it had slowed considerably. She took slow, deliberate breaths trying to regain some sense of control. As soon as I heard her phone crash against the wall by her desk, it was clear her calming technique had failed miserably. Whoever she was managed to take Mom from worried to mad in a five-minute phone call. The sad part being, the woman wasn’t even the one on the phone.
“I’m done now, sweetie,” Drew said, brushing past me.
I hurried back to my station and finished dusting in a matter of minutes. When I walked into the storeroom, dirty dust rags in hand, Mom’s mood had completely changed. Her sweet scent of roses and Drew’s burst of citrus mingled together pleasantly creating an atmosphere of pure calm and sunshine. It was as if the call never happened. Maybe I should do the same.
“I hope this guy is worth all your trouble,” Drew said. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” Mom said sweetly. “I guess you’ll get to see for yourselves later on. David will be here sometime after eight o’clock to pick me up.”
Drew and I were shocked. We could only stand there, looking at each other, open mouthed and wide eyed. Mr. James has always been more of an enigma than a real live person. For twenty-two years their meetings have consisted of the two of them meeting up at one restaurant or another, going over the financial aspects of the store and parting ways as soon as the check was paid.
“Wow, what’s the occasion?” Drew asked curiously.
“I think it’s time he met Leah,” Mom answered, suddenly finding a blank piece of paper on her desk quite interesting. “David knew her father and I know he wouldn’t mind helping her in whatever way he could. He’s got a lot of good connections and now that she’s finished with school, I thought she might want to get her feet wet. The quicker she puts her skills to use, the better her life will be later.”
“Mom, I’m standing right here,” I reminded her. “I’ve already told you I don’t want to go to work in some overcrowded office with a bunch of stuffy people.” I knew my reluctance to fall in line with her way of thinking made her mad, but I didn’t care. That poor man was going to be ambushed. “Does he know you’re planning on using him?”
“He’ll be happy to help.” The shaky tone in her voice didn’t sound at all convincing. “Weatherford doesn’t offer the same kind of opportunities the bigger cities can. Honey, there is so much more you could be doing.”
“I’ve only been out of school for three months, Mom,” I argued. Drew quickly ducked out of the room to wait on some customers who had walked in. “I’m not ready to jump into a big corporation yet.”
“Yes, you are. You’ve got a brain like your father’s. Use it.” I squirmed as her eyes bored holes into me.
“Not that I would know,” I shot at her.
“Well I do and I’m telling you, you can accomplish anything. Your dad was the smartest man I’ve ever known. Don’t waste what he gave you.”
“I don’t plan to, but I really am happy here,” I told her. “If Mr. James knows of something here in Weatherford I promise I’ll look into it, but I’m not leaving town.”
“Why? Why not go somewhere and get a fresh start?”
“A fresh start?” I asked. “What in the world do I need to get a fresh start from?”
“I just meant that it might be an adventure to go somewhere where nobody knows who you are.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a blast.” I shook my he
ad and fell against the doorway. “Listen to me, Mom. I’m willing to find a job here. I’m willing to move out and be on my own. I’m not willing to move to some overcrowded town, work in some stuffy office and make my so-called fresh start a miserable one.” She opened her mouth to speak, but I didn’t want to hear anymore. “Mom, I said I’d look into it. Isn’t that enough? For now?”
“For now,” she said firmly. “But I won’t stand by and watch you lose yourself on my dream. You’re meant for so much more than this store.”
With her mind at ease for the time being, she began packing up her briefcase. I tried to brush off our conversation and went back up front. Drew needed the help and I needed something else to think about. While Drew tended to a couple looking for a little extra help in the romance department, I helped a woman find a cheery scent to start her day with. Too bad we can’t bottle Drew, I thought.
After working through the longest ten minutes of the day, it was obvious “slow” would be the word of night. Drew passed some time by cleaning the candle display beside the counter and re-organizing oils, while I made a list of the scents the shelves were running low on. I kept my fingers crossed as I grabbed the box I’d emptied earlier and headed back to the storeroom. Maybe, just maybe, Mom had remembered the labels.
Not surprisingly, she hadn’t.
“Mo—ia,” I said quickly correcting myself. No way was I going to let ‘mom’ slip out again. “Where are the labels?”
“I forgot again, didn’t I?” She handed me a manila folder from the top drawer of her desk without even glancing up. “They’re in the front. Sorry about that.”
“It’s alright. It’ll keep us busy,” I said, trying not to sound put off. I filled up the box with several bottles of bubble bath and dropped the folder inside. Just before I walked back through the doorway Mom grabbed my arm. Intensity burned in her eyes.
“What’s up?”
“Leah, I need to ask you a question and I want you to be completely honest with me. In the last few days, has anyone come in looking for my daughter?”
“I hate to tell you this, but most of your customers already know who I am.”
“I know that,” she said impatiently. “I’m talking about people you’ve never seen before.”
“Not that I know of,” I said shrugging my shoulders. “Why?”
Before she answered, she took a firmer hold of my forearm. “If anybody does ask, do not tell them who you are. Do you understand me?”
“What’s going on Mom?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. I placed the box on the floor and pulled the stool over to sit down beside her.
“All I can say for sure is that you may not be safe,” she whispered. “We’ll know more over the next few days, but for now I want you to be careful.”
“Why wouldn’t I be safe?” I asked curiously. “And who is we?”
“I can’t tell you that right now, Leah,” she answered softly. “Please don’t push me on this. I promise I’ll tell you more when I can. Just do what I said and keep your name to yourself.”
“You’re scaring me,” I said. “You act like there’s a boogie man out there somewhere waiting to pounce on me.”
“Listen to me. What may be after you, I’ve already seen. And it’s not something I can run from anymore.” Her voice was calm, like she’d already made peace with whatever she was warning me about. “Now, because of some serious lack of judgment, you’re in trouble. From this point on keep an open mind and be willing to accept the impossible. Accept it and move on. Don’t dwell. There won’t be time.”
I put my hand on hers and looked at her. I could see the worry, the anger, and the determination in her eyes. Something told me I should feel the same. But then, she had an advantage I didn’t. “Mom, what’s with all the secrecy? How am I supposed to protect myself when I don’t even know what to look out for?”
“Trust me, honey,” Mom said patting my hand firmly. “If it finds you, I pray it doesn’t, you’ll know.”
Great, if that’s all I had to go on I didn’t stand a chance against this foe she insisted on being so elusive about. An open mind only gets one so far. How was I supposed to fight or even run with what little information she’d given?
Geez, even the lady on the phone appeared to know more than I did, and all this had started after she called. I tried to make sense out of all the bits and pieces of their conversation. The thing was, I’d only heard one side. I rolled Mom’s part over and over in my mind trying to read between the lines until my head started to pound.
Judging by the tone Mom took while talking to May, I could assume they were friends. I could assume that she’d more than likely known my dad while he was alive. Mom had mentioned him. Even made a reference to his intelligence. If that was the case, maybe the whole situation had something to do with his disappearance. Then again, I couldn’t be sure about that either.
“Does this have anything to do with my dad?” I asked quietly. “It does, but that’s all I can tell you right now. Use every sense you have to feel people out,” she said, looking directly at me. “I know you can.”
If you only knew, I thought. One day I might decide to tell her. “Just stay alert and keep yourself safe. I can handle my end,” she said fixing her eyes intently on mine.
“Handle what?” I asked, pushing for more. “You can’t give me bits and pieces and expect me to automatically understand.”
“Yes, I can,” she said flatly. She kissed me on the cheek and waived her hand towards the front, gesturing me away. End of discussion. Conversation over.
Dazed and completely confused, I picked up the box and went back to Drew. She was waiting on another customer when I walked up behind her. At first she was happy to see me. Then I pulled out the folder. After seeing that, my friend and helper deflated before my very eyes.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she groaned after the indecisive customer finally left.
“I’ll sniff, you label,” I suggested.
“Sounds like a plan,” she said, plopping down on the floor behind the counter. “After a while they all smell the same to me.”
Chapter Two
“What now?” I asked when Drew stepped back inside the store after having a rather heated phone conversation with Mark. The red haze was back and it was blazing. “You look like you’re ready to pull out your hair.”
“Dinner’s off,” she quickly informed me. “His royal highness needs Mark to chase down another lead.”
Drew ran her hand through her silky blond hair and leaned her long, perfect frame against the wall by the counter, sulking. I knew she was upset, but at the same time I couldn’t help but be impressed with Mr. Logan’s drive. I’d heard he was thorough, but this bordered on obsessive. If he worked this way for all his clients, his comprehensive reputation was well deserved.
“No wonder he’s so successful,” I said to myself. Obviously I wasn’t thinking clearly. Drew shot me the evil eye. “Come on! He’s like a dog with a bone. You have to hand it to him, Drew. He knows how to get things done.”
“You don’t have to tell me sweetie, I already know,” Drew said. “I bet if his clients knew what he was really like they’d be surprised.”
“As long as he does his job, I don’t think they’d care if he had horns and a tail,” I said with a smile. “What exactly are they working on?”
“No idea,” she answered. “Did I tell you Mr. Man actually asked me a personal question today?” Her soft blue eyes brightened. “That’s how distracted he is. He completely forgot he hated me! Well, for a few minutes anyway.”
“What’d he ask?”
“It was odd. He wanted to know where I work and who I work for.”
“Why not ask Mark?” I asked her. “He knows you work for my mom.”
“You’d think,” she snorted. Obviously he hadn’t been hanging on her every word.
“Why’d he want to know?”
“I don’t know.” She stood up and started to rearrange the scent
sachets on the shelf on the other side of the wall. “Maybe a client of his wants to buy some property and put everybody associated with me out of business. Who knows? Whatever the plan, I’m not gonna be a part of it,” she said, shaking her head defiantly. “I told him it was none of his damn business where or who I worked for.”
“Good for you,” I said. Suddenly a thought ran through my mind. “Now was this before or after the payoff discussion?” I smiled, already knowing the answer.
“Right before,” she grinned. “Are you hungry?”
“Honestly I’m bored,” I said glancing at the clock on the register. Seven already. “But if you’re offering, I’ll cover mine.”
“Do you think it will get busy?”
“Not likely. Thursday’s are never busy. Where are you going?” I handed her some money from my pocket and pulled her purse out from under the counter.
“What do you feel like?” she asked, digging around for her keys.
“Surprise me. You know what I like.”
“Suit yourself,” she said. She gently kicked the door open with her foot and waved. “Be right back.”
When her radio faded away I sat at the counter, flipping through a scent supply catalog I found stuffed under the counter, thinking about Drew and the miserable relationship she’s in. I’ve never met Mark’s dad, but after listening to her stories and the rumors circulating around town about him my whole life, I really don’t want too.
There are so many mysteries surrounding Mr. Logan’s past. The worst part is nobody seems to know anything about him before he moved to Weatherford.
According to the rumor mill he’d been married twice. His first wife had been found shortly after their divorce dead inside her parents’ house. Unfortunately, her father had been there with her at the time and lost his life as well. The police believed her death was a simple case of murder-suicide.
