Before Clarissa could answer him, someone entered the room.
When Clarissa broke into a wide smile, Katie thought she was getting ready to meet the woman’s husband and the two foster children he’d taken for ice cream. She, too, smiled in anticipation of the meeting as she swiveled in her chair.
Katie’s smile froze as she recognized the newcomer.
“Connor, this is Nick Ferrell and Katie Bonner,” Clarissa said. “Nick is interested in becoming a foster father. Nick, Katie, this is my brother, Connor.”
Chapter 30
Nick had been uncharacteristically quiet on the drive back to McKinlay Mill. When Katie tried to talk, he cut her off, saying he “just can’t right now.” When he dropped Katie off at her apartment, she wasted no time before calling Seth. She felt panicky and needed his wise counsel.
“Hey, pseudo sis,” he answered, his words slightly slurred.
“Are you all right?” she asked. “Have you been drinking?”
“Just tossing back a couple after a long day at work—is that okay with you, Mom?” There was a thread of steel woven into his teasing.
He was right. Given what Seth had been through, he was entitled to “toss back a couple.” That didn’t keep her from being concerned.
“Have you eaten?” Maybe she could intervene…in the nicest possible way.
“No.”
“Neither have I,” she said. “How about I bring over Chinese food?”
“Jamie loved Chinese food,” Seth said, sounding maudlin.
“I can bring something else,” she suggested. Anything but an Angelo’s pizza, she thought.
“No, I’d like Chinese food…in honor of Jamie.”
“All right. I’ll be there soon.” Katie wanted to beg him not to have anything more to drink before she got there, but she didn’t dare. He was absolutely right—she wasn’t his mother.
When she arrived at Seth’s house half an hour later and knocked on the door, he called, “Come on in.”
Sure enough, the door was unlocked. She walked inside and locked the door behind her. Seth slouched on the couch with a highball glass in his hand.
Pretending everything was hunky-dory, Katie held up the big brown paper bag. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Not really.” He stood. “But I’ll have some since you’ve gone to all this trouble.”
In the kitchen, Katie set the scotch bottle aside and got out plates and silverware before unpacking the Hunan pork, fried rice, and eggrolls. She filled two tall glasses with water, hoping to encourage Seth to lay off the booze. His eyes were bloodshot, and she wondered if his condition was from drinking or weeping—or both.
He sat at the table, avoiding her gaze. “Thank you for this.”
Katie felt a pang of guilt. She should’ve been paying more attention to her friend’s emotional state. She’d been in a similar situation and could well imagine how he felt. Instead, she’d called to ask him for his advice on her problems.
In her defense, she hadn’t known who else to talk with. Ray would have been the obvious choice to discuss their blown covers—apparently, Phyllis had known all along—but they’d made the mutual decision to step away from each other. She couldn’t continue to go running back to consult with him at the first sign of trouble.
They ate in silence for several minutes, with Katie castigating herself for being so selfish when Seth was still in such obvious pain and vowing to be a better friend.
Eventually, Seth put down his fork and asked, “Are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?”
She looked up into his beautiful, sincere face, and her eyes filled with tears. “I missed Jamie’s funeral for nothing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I went to lunch with Gina Solero because we couldn’t risk Connor Davis learning who I was and blowing my cover to the poker game attendees. But it was all for nothing. Phyllis from the medical examiner’s office knew who I was all along.” She explained about her phone call earlier that day.
“It could have been a mistake.” His tone belied his words.
“That’s not all. Nick and I were at Connor’s sister’s house this evening. We didn’t know she was his sister, of course, until he arrived, and she introduced us.”
“Did Connor confront you about your deception?” Seth asked.
“I told his sister we’d met previously, and I asked to speak with him outside,” Katie said. “I led Connor to believe that I hadn’t wanted to reveal my true identity at the poker game because of the controversy surrounding Tealicious. I went on to say I had pretended to be married because I’d recently gotten out of a long-term relationship and didn’t want to encourage any of the poker players who might want to ask me out.” She spread her hands. “That makes me sound like I’m vain, but so be it. Better that than to tell the truth—that I’d brought along an ex-cop thinking he might be able to help me discover who’d poisoned Jamie but instead he acted like a frat boy who thought he was on a date.”
Seth took a sip of his water. “Do you think Connor bought it?”
“I’m not sure, but I doubt it matters much at this point.” She sighed. “If Phyllis knew who I really was all along, then I made a fool of myself all the way around.”
Seth gave a feeble laugh. “Katie, you won over twenty grand at that game. I doubt anyone thought you looked foolish. Lucky, more like.”
There was that.
“Why were you and Nick at Connor’s sister’s house?” Seth continued.
“She wants to surprise her parents with a gift package for a stay at Sassy Sally’s for the holidays,” Katie said. “Nick wanted me to go with him to Clarissa’s house because she fosters children—including a gorgeous baby boy—and Nick wanted more information about fostering.”
“And how did that go?” he asked.
Katie giggled. “He absolutely refused to talk about it with me on the way home.”
“Nick? Refused to talk?” Seth asked, sounding incredulous.
Nodding, Katie said, “He quickly learned that caring for a baby isn’t all sunshine and teddy bears. The baby threw up on Nick the minute we arrived.”
Seth’s jaw dropped, and then he started to laugh. “Are you serious?”
“Oh, yes. Then after the baby gave Clarissa’s hair a mighty yank, she handed off the boy to Nick again. Shortly thereafter, Nick got to change a particularly stinky, poopy diaper.”
Wiping tears from his eyes, Seth said, “I’d have loved to have seen that.”
“I’m guessing the clothes he was wearing will go straight into the garbage…or the fireplace,” she said, joining in Seth’s laughter.
“So, he’s over his desire to foster a baby?” Seth asked.
“At least for the time being.” As she sipped her water, she had a deliciously wicked thought. “We should tell Don to inform Nick that he’s changed his mind and is all-in on adopting a baby.”
He shook his head. “You are a cruel, cruel woman.”
Was she? Katie pushed a clump of rice around her plate and decided to test that theory. “Did you and Jamie ever talk about having children?”
Seth shook his head sadly. “We never even talked about marriage, that’s why it was such a shock to learn he wanted to make such a grand gesture with a proposal and a flashy wedding ceremony.” He looked down at his plate. “We did talk about getting a dog—a rescue.” He looked thoughtful. “Maybe I should consider it more seriously now.” His voice cracked. “I absolutely hate being alone.”
Tears sprang to Katie’s eyes, and she got up from the table and moved to stand behind Seth, wrapping her arms around him and resting her chin on the top of his head. She didn’t know what to say, how to comfort him, so she just hung on. He raised a hand to pat her arm and they clung together for a long moment. Then, finally, Seth cleared his throat. “Do you think I could have another helping of that pork?”
Katie pulled away. “You sure can.”
She sat back down and doled out another por
tion of the meat and vegetables, nestling them beside the rice and half-eaten eggroll on his plate. “So, what kind of dog were you thinking of getting?”
Katie drove the dark streets along McKinlay Mill’s main drag and returned to her apartment over Tealicious on Victoria Square. With all she’d endured that day, to say she felt emotionally exhausted was putting it lightly. What she needed was a long soak in a fragrant, hot tub of water. Probably the best perk about her new, but smaller digs was the soaker tub she’d determined would be essential to her mental health.
She ran the bath, poured herself a generous glass of wine, lit a couple of vanilla-scented candles, and sank into her tub while the cats tentatively dipped their paws into the bubbles. Her body was stiff and sore from staining the Alley’s second floor, and she decided she would definitely have to include some extra cash in Vance’s Christmas bonus this year.
One of the subjects she finally allowed herself to consider was the new situation with her former mother-in-law. Katie hadn’t mentioned Margo’s move to Seth, although she was certain he was the one Margo would hire for the closing once she found the perfect property. Although she wondered if he and Margo had already discussed the move. Katie hadn’t wanted to spoil the evening by bringing up yet another serious topic of discussion after she had Seth laughing about Nick and his eye-opening experience with little Sebastian. It felt good to see the man laugh, especially given the condition she’d found him in when she’d first arrived at his house.
Katie couldn’t quite decide how she felt about Margo’s impending move. With a jolt, Katie realized she was probably the only “family” Margo had left. The poor woman’s parents were gone, her son was gone, and now she was reaching out to the daughter-in-law she’d never fully accepted before her son had died. It was sad really. Like Seth, Katie knew no one wanted to be alone, especially as they grew older.
Other than her friends and the odd cousin across the pond, Katie didn’t have family either. Maybe having Margo in McKinlay Mill wouldn’t be so bad.
She got out of the tub, wrapped a bath sheet around herself to dry off, donned her flannel pajamas and robe, and retrieved her phone.
“Hello, darling girl,” Margo answered. “Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine,” Katie said. “I was just wondering if you’d like me to go with you to look at some of these houses you’re considering.”
“I’d absolutely love it,” Margo said, sounding delighted. “Are you free tomorrow?”
Chapter 31
The next morning, after feeding the cats and getting ready for the day, Katie headed downstairs to Tealicious to give Brad a hand with the tea shop’s desserts and was surprised to find Margo already there.
“Margo, what are you doing here?” she asked.
“She’s baking,” Brad said, widening his eyes at Katie behind Margo’s back. “Isn’t that marvelous?”
“That’s right,” Margo said, wiping her hands on the bib apron that covered her pink silk blouse and dark slacks. “I’ve been a silent partner long enough. I’ve realized you’ve been doing all the work, Katie, while I’ve done nothing more strenuous than open a checkbook and pick up a pen. I’m here to roll up my sleeves and help.”
Brad’s eyes silently pleaded with Katie to help him out. “I’ve tried to assure her that isn’t necessary.”
Katie felt a twinge of pride that Margo apparently wasn’t as talented in the kitchen as she was—after all, the woman seemed so accomplished in everything else—but she was also pleased that Margo was trying.
In order to get Margo out of Brad’s way, she asked, “Margo, is there any way Brad could take over for you? Brad, I hate to drag Margo away, but I need to get to Artisans Alley soon and wanted to talk with her about some of the properties she’s considering.”
“Oh, yes, Brad,” Margo said, excitedly, handing him the wooden spoon she’d been using to stir the dough. “You can finish up here, can’t you?”
“Yes, I’ll manage,” he said. Behind Margo’s back, he mouthed thank you to Katie and then smiled broadly at Margo when she turned.
“Thanks, darling.” She patted his cheek. “You’re doing a fabulous job with this place. Isn’t he, Katie?”
“Absolutely.” Katie prepared a pot of tea, as Margo got her laptop bag off a shelf in the kitchen.
By the time Katie joined Margo in the dining room with their tea, Margo had pulled up a browser window with four tabs, each with a property she was considering.
The first screen showcased a beautiful three-bedroom, two-bath ranch house with an airy, open floor plan. Katie especially loved the white country kitchen with its marble counters, subway tiles, and big island perfect for rolling out pastry and making cut-out cookies; but given Brad’s reaction to having Margo’s help that morning, she realized that particular feature might not be as important to her former mother-in-law as it would be to her. Katie poured their tea and tried to be noncommittal about the property.
The second home was slightly smaller, and it had a home office with a gorgeous view of the lake.
“I love that office,” Katie said. “I can easily imagine you ensconced in that room, surrounded by books on the floor-to-ceiling shelves, your reading glasses perched on your nose as you study your laptop screen.”
Margo leaned back so she could peer at Katie. “Since when do I perch my reading glasses on my nose?”
Laughing, Katie said, “Never. I doubt you even need reading glasses, but if you did, you wouldn’t be a percher.”
Margo grinned. “I plead the fifth.” She sipped her tea.
The third was a huge Victorian home with turrets and spires.
“That’s breathtaking,” Katie said, “but it seems to be rather large for just one person…unless, of course, you plan on turning it into a bed and breakfast one of these days.”
“Well, you never know.” She opened the last tab. “What do you think of this one?”
The fourth home was a mock-Tudor, originally built in the 1920s but completely remodeled just the year before.
“That’s beautiful. It could be a showplace.” She smiled at Margo. “I can just see you sweeping down that staircase.”
“Yes.” Margo sighed. “That staircase is a consideration as I get older. But I’m touring the Victorian this afternoon if you’d like to join me.”
“I’d love to,” Katie said, “but I have a meeting at Seth’s office about the warehouse property this afternoon.”
“All right. I’ll call the realtor and reschedule for tomorrow morning. Does that work for you?”
“It does.” Katie wondered why Margo would be so accommodating for her. “But you don’t have to change your plans on my account.”
“Of course, I do,” Margo said. “I know you were responsible for a lot of the furnishings at Sassy Sally’s, and I’d love to make my home comfy but as stylish as that. Besides, you know all the local antique shops so well.” She added a splash of milk to her tea. “I know you’re swamped, Katie, but I’d truly appreciate your input with regard to decorating and making the house a real home. After all, it’ll be yours someday.”
Katie froze, her teacup halfway to her mouth, her stomach doing a somersault. Although her mouth had gone dry at Margo’s words, she put the cup back down on the table. “What do you mean?”
“Who else do I have to leave all my worldly goods to?” Margo asked.
A myriad of emotions flooded through Katie: shock, for one and an unexpected flush of affection for another. “You’d better not be leaving anything to anyone for a very long time,” she said, her tone light if a little wobbly. “And don’t even think of leaving me with an undecorated house. I’ve had it up to here—” She raised her hand to chin level. “—with renovations lately.”
They shared a hearty laugh.
“I won’t, dear. Now, shall we look at some other listings?”
Katie found herself humming a cheerful tune as she walked across the parking lot to Artisans Alley. Despite t
he nip in the air, which made her pull her coat more tightly about her, it was a beautiful, clear morning, and Katie crossed her fingers that things were finally looking up. Unfortunately, that feeling was not destined to last.
The lights were on in the vendors’ lounge, and the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air. Katie had just fished her key from her pocket to unlock her office when she noticed she didn’t need it. Someone had already been there and had jimmied the door, its casing splintered.
Not wanting to jump to conclusions but not wanting to be reckless, Katie backed off, retreating to a far corner of the vendors’ lounge and called Vance’s cell phone.
“Good morning, Katie!” he said. “The vendors are delighted that they’ll be able to move back to their usual booths tonight after hours.”
“That’s great, Vance. Could you come down to the vendors’ lounge for a moment please?”
“Sure. Is there anything wrong?”
“I don’t know, but I’ve got a bad feeling,” she said.
“I’m on my way,” he said and abruptly ended the call.
When Vance arrived in the vendors’ lounge, Katie quickly told him what had happened.
“Could it have been someone we know?” she asked. “A handyman, maybe?” She knew it was unlikely, but it didn’t hurt to inquire.
“You know better.” He puffed out his chest. “I’ll go check it out.”
“We’ll both go,” she said. “Two are always better than one—that’s why I called you.”
Katie went ahead of Vance and flung open the door. The tiny room was dark and appeared to be empty. She flipped on the light and poked her head inside, taking in the tidy desk, the computer, and file cabinets.
“It doesn’t look to me like there’s anything out of place,” Vance said. “What do you think?”
Shaking her head, Katie said, “No. Maybe the intruder got interrupted before he or she did anything more than pry the door open.”
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