Never Mess with Mistletoe

by Edie Claire

  “Geez,” Warren commented. “I wonder what makes that guy so lucky.”

  The birds seemed, as one, to turn and stare at them. In the distance, a siren howled.

  “Weird,” Leigh agreed, resisting a slight prickle of the hairs on the back of her neck. “Very Hitchcock. Let’s go inside.”

  Warren made no argument.

  Leigh had barely cleared the entrance to the cozy little lobby when a familiar booming voice sounded from behind the counter. “There she is! Francie’s little Leigh! Why, I’d know you anywhere, darling! You haven’t changed a bit!”

  Hap Taylor scooted off his stool and strode toward Leigh with a surprising amount of agility for a man of his bulk. He wasn’t quite as tall as Leigh remembered, being a hair under six feet, but he was broad-shouldered and of ample girth. Even so, his head had always seemed overlarge for his body, with a wide, perpetually grinning mouth and sparkling light blue eyes. Leigh always thought he would make a fabulous Santa Claus, had he been able to grow a beard, but Hap was about as hairy as a naked mole rat. For as long as Leigh could remember he had sported only two brownish patches of hair, one over each ear. And both of those had now turned white.

  “Cousin Hap!” she said with delight, returning his crushing bear hug. “You always were a liar! I’ve had two kids since the last time you saw me!”

  “And it’s a crying shame it’s been so long, I know,” he said regretfully. “Your mother and the girls have been on me about that. But after Maureen passed, I just couldn’t bring myself to get back there.” He released Leigh, drank her in with a long, approving look, then turned to extend a hand to Warren.

  “Hap Taylor,” he said cheerfully. “They tell me we met way back at my mother’s funeral, but I’m afraid I can’t recall it. Francie’s been bragging on you for years, though! Bess and Lydie, too.”

  Warren shook the proffered hand and reintroduced himself. “It was a long time ago. And they all speak very highly of you, as well.”

  Hap snorted with laughter. “Well, I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder. Lord knows those three gave me a hard enough time growing up!”

  Leigh laughed with him, wondering how Hap’s perspective on the family history might differ from what she’d always heard. He was a couple years younger than her mother and Lydie, which made it entirely believable that “the girls” would pick on him. He retold an anecdote Leigh had heard before about his retaliating for some forgotten abuse by tying the sleeping sisters’ braids together. Then he swept a key from off the counter. “Well, don’t let me go on all night. Let’s get you two settled!”

  Leigh noticed that the noise outside had increased significantly. Now multiple siren wails cut through the air, and the birds had begun to squawk.

  “I hope that’s not your truck the crows have taken over out there,” Warren said lightly, voicing Leigh’s own thoughts.

  “You mean the grackles?” Hap waved a hand dismissively. “My truck’s at the RV park. I walk here. But I expect they’ll hit it when they’ve a mind to. Damn things roost wherever they please. They like to pick dead bugs off the front grills. But you leave half a bag of fries or some chips in the back of your truck — well, then you’re getting what you ask for!”

  He looked at Leigh conspiratorially. “Don’t tell Bev I said that, by the way. Cursing the birds. She’ll start lecturing me about how it’s not their fault because of ‘destruction of native habitat’ and whatnot — Lord knows I hear enough of that talk already!”

  Leigh smiled. “I’m looking forward to meeting Beverly.”

  Hap’s already ruddy face flushed with pleasure. “She’s looking forward to it, too. I’m supposed to invite the two of you over to dinner tomorrow. We would have done it tonight, but Bev had to be up at her sister’s place today, and we didn’t know for sure when you’d get in—”

  “Please,” Warren interjected. “Don’t put yourself out. You don’t have to feed us. Although of course we’d love to join you for dinner tomorrow. Don’t you need a credit card for check-in?”

  Warren already had his wallet out, but Hap waved the offer away and led them toward the door. “We’ll worry about that when you leave. You’re tired now, let’s just get your—” Hap stopped in midsentence as he pushed open the door and the sound of multiple screaming sirens filled the small lobby. Deep furrows crossed his brow as he stared out into the street. “Well now,” he said uneasily. “You don’t hear this much ruckus around here too often. I wonder what the devil’s going on?”

  The grackles squawked louder.

  Absolutely nothing, Leigh willed.

  Hap held open the door for them. They had just picked up their suitcases to follow when the hotel’s desk phone rang. “Oh, excuse me just a minute,” Hap said apologetically, darting back inside. “It might be one of the owners. I was expecting—” He cut himself off as he picked up the phone. “Silver King Hotel. What can I do for you?”

  Leigh felt Warren’s arm slip around her waist. “You okay?” he asked. “You look a little… uncertain.”

  “Of course I’m okay,” Leigh insisted, wishing for the thousandth time that her husband couldn’t read her so well. “I just have a thing about sirens.” She paused a moment. “And maybe about creepy black birds with yellow eyes that cluster in one spot and stare at me. But I’m still good. Texas is good. The sun will come out tomorrow.” She looked up into his handsome face and found her happy mood rekindling. “Nothing is getting me down this week, I promise you. I haven’t taken this much pure ‘me-time’ since before the kids were born. I intentionally didn’t bring any work along so that I wouldn’t even be tempted! I am on vacation with a capital V.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Warren said tenderly. His brown eyes sparkled, and he leaned down and kissed her. At some point, Hap hung up the phone with a bang, and the couple parted.

  “I don’t believe it,” Hap mumbled.

  “What’s that?” Leigh inquired, not particularly caring. She was eager to get to their room.

  “That was my buddy Carl,” Hap answered. “His daughter, Bobby Jo, works down at the police station.”

  Leigh was only half listening. But there was a word in there she didn’t like.

  Hap whistled. “Never in my life… other places, maybe. But little ol’ Port Mesten? Good Lord above, what’s the world coming to?”

  Warren looked up. He didn’t appear to have been listening, either. “What was that?”

  Hap cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to upset you. It’s just the darnedest thing…” He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his brow. Then he pointed one finger in the general direction of the ocean.

  “A body just washed up on the beach…”

  Buy now, and start reading from the prologue. Thanks so much!

  Edie