“Goodnight, you two,” Lisa said. “I’m going to bed.”
Lisa drove home on roads that felt slick. She was glad of the snow tires once again.
Arriving home at the Folly, she thought again of her mother’s smile. She hadn’t smiled like that since Lisa had been back in town. Could her parents actually be thinking of getting back together? And how would they get Jake Peterman out of the bathroom?
She went upstairs and shed her boots and clothes, glad to get back into a cozy set of flannel pajamas, perfect for a cold winter night.
Chapter 31
Lisa’s phone rang, waking her up from a dream about an exciting new type of muffins. In the dream, Mama Cat was advising her on the best type of fish to add to a muffin if you were also going to include dried fruit. She pulled the covers over her head to block out the morning light, wanting to slip back into the dream to get more of the cat’s culinary wisdom.
The phone’s ring grew more insistent, pulling Lisa out of the last wisps of sleepiness. She picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Turn on channel 2,” Penny commanded.
“What? Mom?”
“Channel 2. Hurry!”
Lisa padded into her living room and found the remote on the coffee table. She punched the button and the TV blared to life.
“...new footage of late actor Kaden Nicolini in his last hours. Here with us is correspondent Rosemary Thyme, coming to us from Moss Creek, Arizona, where Nicolini’s last film was shot. Rosemary?”
Rosemary’s sharp bob and slick outfit came on the screen, and she smiled her sharky grin.
“Thanks, Pamela. I’m here in Moss Creek, the sleepy little mountain town where budding star Kaden Nicolini was murdered by the director of his final film.”
The camera shot widened, and Lisa nearly dropped her phone when she saw where Rosemary was standing. She was in the courtyard, in front of the Folly. The sign for Lisa’s Last Chance Café was clearly visible in the shot.
Lisa rushed over to her window and looked outside. A white panel van was parked at the end of the driveway, blocking anyone else from entering. A cameraman stood in the yard, and Rosemary Thyme was in the middle of the courtyard. Lisa could have hit her with a snowball if she opened the window and tossed one just right.
After a second, she jumped back from the window and pulled the shade down. She didn’t want the camera to pick up movement inside and broadcast film of her in her jammies to the whole country.
She turned back to the TV to catch more of the broadcast.
“In an exciting development, the film will be finished by co-director Serena Rubinoff, for a summer release. Serena will be in the studio with us tomorrow morning to talk about Kaden Nicolini, Perdition’s Cowboy, and what it’s like to co-direct with an alleged murderer. Back to you, Pamela.”
The broadcast cut back to the hosts in the studio. Lisa turned the volume down and went to the window. Rosemary Thyme and her cameraman climbed into the white van. Moments later the van started up, belched a cloud of exhaust, and lumbered out of the driveway.
After staring out the window for a moment, Lisa realized she was still holding her phone in her hand. She put it up to her ear.
“Hello?” she said.
On the other end of the line, she heard giggling.
“Hello? Mom?”
The giggling stopped and Lisa could hear muffled voices in the background.
“Mom? Is someone else there?”
Penny came back on the phone. “I just thought you should see your little café getting national press. This could bring in a certain tourist element.”
“Ok. Well, thanks, Mom.”
Another voice said something in the background. A male-sounding voice. Lisa quirked an eyebrow.
“Who was that?” she said.
“I have to go now. Love you.” Penny hung up.
Lisa looked at the phone in her hand. It had definitely sounded like there was someone there with her mother, early enough in the morning to catch the entertainment segment on one of the early shows. She considered the scene at Penny’s house the night before and her heart skipped a beat. Had her parents decided to kiss and make up?
Her curiosity pricked at her as she showered and dressed for work. It needled her as she started the coffee and opened the café. It nagged at her as she smiled at her regular customers and brought them their usual orders.
When Jan arrived to work, Lisa was ready to grab her car keys and go satisfy her curiosity.
“Can you handle lunch by yourself?” she said, stuffing her arm into her coat sleeve.
“Sure,” Jan said. “But I’ll need to talk to you about scheduling for next month.”
Lisa stopped. “Oh?”
Jan blushed. “I’m going back to school. I was trying to do all night classes, but a spot opened up in this great seminar, and… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Your education is important.” Lisa wound her scarf around her neck. “We’ll figure it out, don’t worry.”
Jan’s face relaxed into its usual pleasant smile. “Thanks.”
In the car, Lisa gripped the steering wheel tightly. Jan might not need to worry about her changing schedule, but Lisa was worried. With Annette gone and Jan’s new schedule, Lisa was going to have to stop avoiding the issue and hire someone new.
She resolved to put a sign in the window as soon as she got back.
On the way to Penny’s house, Lisa saw a car by the side of the road with a woman standing next to it. The car’s tire was flat, and the woman appeared distressed. Lisa pulled up next to her and rolled down her window.
“Hey, are you ok?”
The woman looked at her, and Lisa was surprised to see it was Mrs. MacLean, Annette’s mother.
“I don’t have a jack, and I left my phone at home. I was just running out for a quick gallon of milk and— Oh, it’s you.”
Lisa gave her a half smile. “Hi,” she said, trying to coax her face into a friendly expression.
Mrs. MacLean stared at her, indecision in her face.
“Want me to call someone for you?” Lisa said. “Or I probably have a jack in the trunk.”
“If I could just call my husband, that would be a help.”
Lisa nodded and handed over her phone.
After Mrs. MacLean made her call, she gave the phone back with a sigh. “He’ll be here shortly. Thank you for stopping.”
“Of course.” She bit her lip, deciding whether to say more or just leave. “Annette’s a good kid. It’s not the same at the café without her. I wish you would reconsider letting her work.”
Mrs. MacLean sighed again. “In the end, it might be better for her to be working than to sit around all day obsessing about celebrities on her phone.” She pursed her lips. “I’ll talk to her father about it.”
“Thanks,” Lisa said. “Do you want me to stay with you until he arrives?”
Mrs. MacLean waved her off, so Lisa got back on the road. A hopeful feeling inside made her think that maybe Annette would be allowed to come back. She narrowed her eyes. Would it really be smart to rely on a maybe? No. The lump in her gut told her she should still hire someone else. If Annette came back, she would just have to take fewer hours.
Lisa pulled up in front of Penny’s house. There were no cars in evidence, so she drove back downtown to the real estate office.
Jake Peterman’s shiny truck was parked on the street a couple of doors down from the office. Lisa’s stomach clenched. What was he doing there? She looked for her father’s compact car, but didn’t see it anywhere along the street. Stupid, she chided herself, getting your hopes up like that. After everything that had happened with Lou and Aunt Olivia, of course her mother hadn’t taken him back. Still, the idea of her mother having anything to do with that crass developer Jake Peterman rankled. She pulled into a parking spot and walked into Baldwin-Chance Mountain Realty.
The new receptionist looked up at the opening door, her face a study in deer-in-th
e-headlights.
“Oh, um, hi there,” she said, scrabbling through the papers on her desk. “I, uh, welcome to Baldwin-Chance Mountain Realty?”
Lisa smiled at the girl, hoping to put her at ease. “Hi, I’m Lisa Chance. I’m just looking for my mom.”
The receptionist stared at her blankly. The fingers of her right hand picked at a pill on the sleeve of her reindeer-patterned sweater.
“Penny is my mom.”
The girl blinked twice as she assimilated the information. “Oh! Hi. Um, I’m Rachel. Uh. Would you like to have a seat?”
Not wanting to scare the poor thing any further, Lisa perched on the edge of one of the chairs in the waiting area and watched Rachel fumble with the phone before pushing the intercom button to announce Lisa.
Penny’s door opened. “Lisa?”
“Hey, Mom. Want to grab lunch? Maybe Nero’s?”
Penny gave a decisive nod, picked up her purse, and closed her office door. “Rachel, I’ll be about an hour.”
They walked out the door together and down the block to Nero’s. The sun was bright overhead, sparkling in a million mirrors in the snow. Penny slid a pair of oversized sunglasses on.
“You shouldn’t squint like that, darling. It’ll give you wrinkles,” she said.
Lisa sighed. “I know, Mom.”
At Nero’s, they went through the usual cheek-kissing routine at the door. Nero was all smiles on seeing Penny and Lisa together.
“Bella, bellissima, it has been too long since you have visited Nero.”
“Nero, how is business?” Penny said.
Nero spread his hands. “Quiet today, as you can see. But Nero has hope for the future. Always hope.”
He led them to their table and left them with their menus.
“Ok, Mom, I’m dying to know. What happened last night with Daddy?”
Penny studied her menu. “I believe you were there.”
“For part of it. But who was there with you this morning when you called me?”
Her mother lowered the menu and fixed Lisa with a stern eye. “Are you attempting to spread gossip about your own mother? Here, of all places?”
Lisa put her chin in her hand. “I notice you didn’t answer the question.”
Penny raised an eyebrow.
“Please tell me it wasn’t Mr. Peterman.”
A smiled floated across Penny’s lips. “Jake left just after you did. He assured me the circumstances would not interfere with our business relationship.”
“So you’re not dating him?”
“Lisa, do you enjoy it when I ask you about your dating prospects?”
“Not especially, no.”
“Hmm.” Penny raised her eyes to the server who’d materialized at her elbow. “I’ll have the soup of the day and a sparkling water.”
“The same,” Lisa said to the server, not taking her eyes off her mother.
She waited for the server to leave the table before continuing. “Are you and Daddy back together?”
Penny smoothed her hair. “I’ve known Lou a long time.”
Lisa nodded, not daring to speak or even breathe.
“He was the love of my life, my trusted partner. You saw how he betrayed that trust.”
The server brought out their drinks. Lisa and Penny sat in suspended animation, wearing polite smiles, until he left.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with us in the future,” Penny said. “It’s hard to kill a love of long standing, and even harder to kill old habits.” She shrugged one elegant shoulder and took a sip of sparkling water.
Lisa let herself breathe again. “So you might be getting back together?”
Penny waved a manicured hand. “That’s a question for the future.”
“But it is actually a question.”
Penny smiled. “But enough about me. How are you, my darling? Are you able to sleep? You look tired.”
“I’m fine, Mom,” Lisa groaned.
“You’ve had a traumatic experience. Two of them in a period of only a few months. That kind of thing can be very aging. How’s your skin? Are you breaking out?”
“I’m fine. My skin’s fine. Everything’s fine.”
“You don’t have to take that tone with me.”
“I’m not a teenager!”
Penny sipped her water and let the cool bemusement on her face answer that protest.
Lisa pushed down her irritation. She knew her mother cared about her, even if answering this kind of question put Lisa’s teeth on edge.
“I slept ok last night. I might not have slept as well if Mama Cat hadn’t been there with me.” Lisa took a drink. “She’s very cuddly at night.”
Penny nodded. “That’s good. But if you have any trouble, don’t keep it bottled up.”
Lisa’s eyebrows rose. Penny, telling someone not to bottle things up?
“There are professionals who can help,” Penny said. “I can give you a name if you need one.”
Lisa choked on her water. “A name? Of a professional?”
“Yes.”
“A therapist? You’re seeing a therapist?”
“You don’t have to yell it across the restaurant,” Penny said.
“Sorry.”
The server brought their soup, a hearty minestrone. Lisa inhaled the aroma of tomato, onion, garlic, and basil. It was the perfect soup for a cold day. She took a bite of soup, savoring the tang of the vegetables and the chew of the pasta.
Penny dipped a corner of bread into her soup, her face showing her pleasure in Nero’s hearty fare.
The front door opened, sending a tendril of cold air through the room. Lisa ignored the cold and tried to think of how to start her confession.
Penny’s face hardened.
“What’s wrong?” Lisa said.
“Nothing.” Penny took a bite of her soup, still looking across the restaurant toward the door.
Lisa put her spoon down and turned to look.
“Turn around,” Penny whispered.
Lisa craned her head to see who was silhouetted against the bright sunlight outside. The door swung closed, restoring the indoor dimness. One of the people at the door lifted an arm. Lisa spied fringe swinging off the sleeve.
“Aunt Olivia?” Lisa’s throat closed. Was her aunt seeing her father again?
Nero danced over to the door to welcome his customers, bringing them into the dining room where Lisa could see them properly. It was indeed Olivia, but she wasn’t with Lou. She was with Jake Peterman.
A frown of confusion creased Lisa’s brow like an accordion. She turned back to her mother.
“What are they doing here?”
“It seems my sister is feeling competitive again,” Penny said.
Lisa’s attention snapped to Penny’s face. A bitterness like old grapefruit pinched her mother’s features for a moment before she smoothed her face back to its usual equanimity.
“What do you mean?” Lisa said.
Penny sighed. “I used to feel guilty sometimes about you being an only child. As though I’d deprived you of a sibling. But perhaps you were the lucky one.”
“Oh, well, I had Toby.”
Penny smiled. “Yes, you and your cousin were always close.”
They ate their soup, trying to ignore Olivia and Peterman getting settled on the other side of the restaurant.
“And how is Carly?” Penny said after a while.
“Tired all the time, but things seem to be going well,” Lisa said.
“Are you going to throw her a baby shower?”
“Well, I don’t know if she wants one.”
Penny shook her head. “I know you’ve been busy with all that,” Penny waved her hand, “movie business. But really, you can’t just ignore this kind of thing.”
“Ok.” Lisa’s face burned with embarrassment. She should have thought of a baby shower herself. Carly was only her best friend.
“We’ll have it at the café. I’ll help you plan it,” Penny said. “
None of those silly games with the diapers or the toilet paper dress.”
“I think the toilet paper dress is a bridal shower thing.”
Penny dismissed the comment with a gesture. “We’ll have food and gifts, a layette. Do you know the baby’s sex?”
Lisa shook her head. “They’re letting it be a surprise.”
“Right. Neutral colors, then. Are you done with your soup? I have some time this afternoon. We can get this knocked out today.”
“Today?” Lisa squeaked.
“Not the party itself. The planning. We’ll plan today for a party this weekend. It’s not much notice for the gathering, but everyone has had months to buy a gift.”
Lisa trailed her mother out of the restaurant, trying to keep up with the ongoing stream of ideas for the baby shower.
She felt someone watching her and turned back to the restaurant. Olivia’s face gazed out the window at them. Lisa wondered if the two sisters would ever be reconciled, or if they’d have their push-pull of love and competition forever.
“Lisa? Keep up,” Penny ordered.
Lisa jogged a couple steps to catch up with her mother. She had a business to run and a baby shower to plan. And maybe, just maybe, two parents to help get back together. Life was full.
END
Author’s note
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story. You can get the next book by clicking here: books2read.com/u/3nOxB6
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Books by Estelle Richards
Lisa Chance Cozy Mysteries
Last Chance for Murder
Shooting on Location
Killer Campaign
March Street Cozy Mysteries
March Street Murder
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Shooting on Location (Lisa Chance Cozy Mysteries Book 2) Page 19
