Wrong.
The judge’s presence did nothing to alter the general demeanor of the assistant auditor, whom she recognized as one of the minions that had descended upon the courthouse the day of the Big Stink. The auditor was wholly unimpressed by Brady’s identity. Nor was he visibly perturbed when the sheriff showed up. Kyle Sammons was the other helper CiCi had called to her aid.
The entire file room had been divested of every court record, then they’d cleaned (not that great, but enough to say they’d done something), and now it was time for the files to be returned to the shelves. Brady and Kyle, bless ’em, had moved almost every box. CiCi had moved a few boxes but had to stop because she was starting to have cramps. Between the audit and BourbonDaze, she’d suffered increasingly painful cramping episodes; too much stress and work was not conducive to keeping the condition at bay. Brady and Kyle had seen her distress, told her to take it easy, and had the boxes moved in no time.
The auditor gave the all clear, and the men began moving the boxes of files from the hall outside the clerk’s office back into the filing room as CiCi immediately got to work on getting the files back on the shelves. The auditor made absolutely no move to help them, claiming that he could not do so because regulations didn’t allow it.
“Walker chose a hell of a time to move,” Kyle grumbled, wiping the back of his neck with a bandana.
“He’d already picked his date when they dumped this little project into my lap,” CiCi explained and looked around to make sure the auditor was not in their midst. “At least he’s doing something that has a purpose. This is a complete waste of time.”
She wished she were with Walker to experience the excitement he was feeling as he moved into his new home. And she was so anxious to meet his family. Instead she was stuck doing the public’s business by cleaning out a file room.
Walker surely was having a better day than she was.
* * *
“Damn!”
He’d missed the last step coming down the front steps of his house and was sprawled on the ground, his knee and arm badly scraped.
Nina and Evelyn helped pull Walker to his feet, and his mother immediately started asking whether he knew where a first aid kit might be.
“Just unpacked it and put it in the bathroom and—ow!”
He’d tried to put his weight on his left ankle and cried out in pain.
“You’ve sprained it.” Nina sighed and had Walker put his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get you inside.” Evelyn nodded in agreement with her daughter and went ahead of them to get the first aid kit.
Nina deposited her brother on his couch in the middle of the living room next to the kitchen, and their mother returned from the bathroom with a box of bandages, cotton balls, and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.
Walker held his left leg straight out and tried to rotate his ankle. But he winced as he did it. Likely sprained.
Now what?
There were still boxes to open and unpack, and stuff to get out of his car and the small trailer he’d rented to supplement the moving van and keep his moving costs down. It wasn’t fair to make his mother and Nina try to move that stuff. He knew they couldn’t.
His mother attended to his knee while he dabbed at his arm. She then handed the box of bandages to him and went to the kitchen to wash her hands.
“If you can’t walk, how are we gonna get this move done?” Nina asked, stuffing a pillow behind his back.
“You’re going to have to call someone for help,” his mother declared as she returned to the living room.
“Bo, Hannah, Lila, and Goose are all busy at the distillery,” he said, “and Brady and Kyle are helping CiCi at the courthouse.” Walker pulled out his phone. Nothing from CiCi.
“We need help, Walker. Or can you leave that rented trailer full for a few days?” his mother asked.
“No, gotta return it tonight or I’ll pay a huge fee.”
“There has to be someone else we can call,” Nina said. “What about Jana?”
“Good one, sis,” he joked.
“She’s serious, Walker,” his mother informed him. And the two women, one on each side of him, gave him the same look.
“First, I’m not calling her over to my new house,” Walker said, thinking but not saying aloud especially since my girlfriend hasn’t even seen my new place. “Second, Jana’s probably as busy as everyone else at the distillery.”
“What time does she get off work?”
“On Saturdays, I think the last tour starts at three,” Walker said. “But that doesn’t mean—”
“Call her,” Evelyn demanded. She pointed to the cell phone Walker still held in his hand. “Or call this new girlfriend of yours and see if she can help.”
“She can’t help,” Walker whined. “She’s got an auditor, a circuit judge, and the sheriff with her right now.”
“Then you’re only left with Jana, unless you have any better ideas.”
He didn’t, and gave in.
“Walker?” Jana answered after the first ring.
“Hi, sorry to bother you. I’m afraid I need a favor,” he said. Both Evelyn and Nina were watching and listening as he made the call.
“Anything.” Her tone was just a little too eager, which didn’t surprise him and set him on edge.
Walker explained his predicament and how he couldn’t get anyone else to help. “Although I’m sure you’re busy at the distillery today,” he added.
“I’ll be there shortly after three,” Jana declared and ended the call.
Walker announced that Jana would be there to help, but not for a few more hours. Since it was already past noon, Nina volunteered to go get something to eat since Walker had tossed most of his food, and what he did bring with him from his apartment wasn’t nearly enough to feed himself, much less three people. While Nina went to The Windmill to pick up sandwiches, Walker was alone with his mother. And as he expected and dreaded, she brought up the confrontation he’d had with his father nearly a week earlier.
“I’m tired of all the sniping comments, Mom,” Walker said after his mother’s mild rebuke at how he’d gotten angry and left. “I don’t owe him an explanation. He owes me one for all the crap he keeps giving me.”
“I agree with you.” Evelyn took a seat in the chair next to the couch where Walker remained with his leg elevated. “Just remember that he has his own reasons like you have yours. Now tell me about your girlfriend,” she said, and he was happy she’d changed the subject.
Walker knew he was babbling, but he didn’t care. He loved to talk about CiCi. He told his mother how long they’d known each other, how they’d gone on all those little dates at The Windmill before their “real” date, and how he’d eaten so much pie he thought he’d burst. He even found himself going on about CiCi’s hair and her house, noting it was nearby on Main Street and how she walked to work nearly every day.
“So you’ve known CiCi for half a year?”
“I guess,” he said. He tended to date his relationship with CiCi from their first lunch together at The Windmill. But it had all started that day back in December. And continued with every committee meeting, every little encounter, every lunch at The Windmill.
Evelyn grinned. “Are you in love?”
No fooling your own mother.
“Yes,” he said in a low voice as he felt a blush creep up his neck to his face. “And just why am I telling you all these things?” His mother had pulled his feelings out of him in just a few minutes.
“Because you like to talk about her. You love her,” Evelyn said. “Have you told her?”
“Not yet.”
“You mean you two haven’t said it yet,” Evelyn said. “Because if she’s only half as gone for you as you are for her, she’s in love with you.”
Nina returned within the next few minutes with lunch. Sitting around his kitchen table, the trio ate burgers and fries, and Nina, being the brilliant woman she was, had picked up slices of bourbon pecan pie.
“Had this flavor before?” Evelyn asked, winking at her son.
After eating, there were still two more hours until Jana’s arrival. Evelyn told her son to take a nap and that she and Nina would go downtown and do some window shopping to pass the time.
“Besides, I want to get some bourbon balls,” Evelyn announced. “You told me that they had really good ones at a little place down there.”
“Over a Barrel.”
“Cute name. I can remember that,” she said, picking up her purse. “We’ll be back soon. You get some rest. That ankle needs it.”
* * *
“Thanks, guys,” CiCi said.
She gave Brady and Kyle quick hugs.
They were standing outside the front doors of the Craig County Courthouse. It was nearly three, and they were done.
“Glad to help,” Kyle said and checked his watch. “Better get home and get showered. Hannah wanted to go out tonight.”
“Might see you if you end up at The Windmill,” CiCi told him.
He bade CiCi and Brady good-bye and headed for his sheriff’s cruiser, parked in front of the building.
“Tell Rachel hello for me,” CiCi said, but Brady didn’t hear her, looking very preoccupied.
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “Sorry, just wanting to get home. We finally got the pool ready for the season. Anxious to finally start enjoying it this year. Getting ready for the baby slowed us down.”
CiCi kissed him on the cheek. “You are so sweet. Go home to that wife of yours. I’m sure she’s fine.”
“Yeah, she is… I mean, sure, yes. I… um… have a nice evening.” Brady waved good-bye and walked to the back of the courthouse to find his SUV.
CiCi smiled and watched as Brady disappeared around a corner of the courthouse, then turned to face Main Street. She wanted to go straight home—no, she wanted to go straight to Walker’s place. She knew he could use a hand, and she wanted to meet his mom and sister. CiCi called Walker’s cell; no answer. She sent him a quick text, telling him she was on her way and would be there after dropping by her house.
But instead of turning right and toward her house, she spotted Over a Barrel across the street. Now CiCi had bourbon balls on her mind; a short detour before heading to Walker’s place wasn’t unreasonable.
There was indeed a line at the deli, and she was the fourth or fifth person in it. There were two women who were together ahead of her, a mother and daughter judging from how they spoke to each other, and she couldn’t tell at a glance whether they were going to order together or separately. As it turned out, the mother only ordered bourbon balls.
“Half dozen bourbon balls, please,” the woman requested.
“Sorry, ma’am, we’ve only got four left,” said the clerk.
“Then I’ll take them all.”
As she pulled out her wallet, CiCi let escape a disappointed whimper. The woman and her daughter turned in unison as CiCi started to leave.
“Is this why you were here?” the woman asked as she took the bag from the clerk and handed him her money.
“Yeah,” CiCi said. “I’m surprised they had any left at this time of day.”
“Here,” the woman said, reaching into the bag. She took a bourbon ball and a small piece of wax paper the clerk had stuffed into the bag and offered the candy to CiCi. “I feel bad that I swooped in and took them all.”
“No, no,” CiCi said, backing away. “Take them. You’re probably from out of town and can’t get those just any old day. I live here, and I can get my bourbon ball fix whenever I want—provided I get here before they sell out.”
“Are you sure?” The woman still held out the bourbon ball as her daughter watched the exchange with interest.
CiCi nodded. “Absolutely. What kind of Bourbon Springs girl would I be if I took bourbon balls out of the mouths of tourists?”
The woman smiled and put the candy back in the bag as the trio stepped away from the counter so the person behind CiCi could move up and place his order.
“We are from out of town, but not exactly tourists. Here to visit family.”
“That’s nice,” CiCi said absentmindedly while she checked her phone. No messages from Walker. The trio exited the deli, turned left, and headed north up Main Street.
“This is such a lovely little town,” the younger woman said.
“Lived here all my life except for going to college. I’m a native,” CiCi said.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” the older woman joked.
By the time they’d reached the sidewalk in front of CiCi’s house, CiCi had learned the women were from Frankfort and outside Louisville.
“Um, you’ve walked beyond any of the shops,” CiCi advised them, thinking they were looking for more places to peruse.
“Oh, we know,” said the younger woman, “but this is the way to our relative’s house.”
CiCi stopped in front of her house. “Well, here we are at my place. Have a nice time while you’re here.”
She waved and walked up the front walk of her house to the porch but turned when she sensed that the women were looking at her.
She nodded, waved again, and went into her house. Not home for more than a minute, she heard the doorbell.
“Hello again,” CiCi said when she answered her door and saw her recent companions standing there. “Are you lost? Need help?”
“No, just curious,” the older woman said, smiling. “Are you CiCi Summers?”
“Why, yes, I am.” CiCi opened the door a little wider and tilted her head in confusion.
“I’m Evelyn Cain.”
Evelyn extended a hand as CiCi’s eyes grew wide.
“Oh! You’re here to help Walker!” CiCi shook Evelyn’s hand, then Nina’s, as they all got introduced. CiCi insisted they come into the house. “I stopped here to go to the bathroom and get a drink of water before I headed to Walker’s new place,” CiCi explained as the women followed her into the kitchen.
“You wouldn’t happen to have any crutches or a cane, would you?” Nina asked.
“Um, no, I wouldn’t,” CiCi replied. “Why?”
24
“We need to warn her about Jana,” Nina said.
After Evelyn had told CiCi about Walker’s twisted ankle, CiCi quickly excused herself to the bathroom before they walked the short distance to Walker’s house.
“Or maybe call Jana and tell her we’ve got it under control?” Evelyn suggested.
“But I don’t have her number,” Nina said, taking a seat on the couch as she continued to check out CiCi’s house and its somewhat eclectic décor. She especially liked the old movie posters hung next to the fireplace and the brightly colored pink and purple pillows in a nearby chair.
“Neither do I,” admitted Evelyn, her phone in her hand. “Deleted it when she and Walker broke up.”
“This could get awkward fast,” Nina said. “Better call Walker and tell him to call Jana.”
“I think not,” Evelyn said, slipping her phone into her purse.
“What?” Nina looked at her mother as though she’d started speaking gibberish.
Evelyn nodded, a faraway look on her face. “This is going to be very interesting.”
“You’re courting trouble, Mother,” Nina said disapprovingly and got up from the couch to examine the framed photos along the mantel.
“I don’t think so. We’re talking about grown adults, after all. Besides, we’ll get to see how this dynamic works.”
“That’s not something we need to see,” Nina protested and turned away from the fireplace.
Evelyn rose to examine the same photos Nina had been inspecting. “We’ll have to disagree on that point.”
“Didn’t CiCi pass some little test back there in the deli? She had no idea who we were and was perfectly charming,” Nina pointed out.
“That was awfully gracious of her,” Evelyn acknowledged. “But she’s not the only one who bears watching in this situation.”
* * *
CiCi
returned from the bathroom, and Evelyn told her that they’d called Jana to help since Walker had been reluctant to call any of the Davenports away from the distillery. While the development was dismaying, CiCi tried to mask her disappointment by noting she’d been at the courthouse with the two people who would have been perfect candidates to call for assistance.
As they left her house, CiCi extolled the virtues of the sheriff and circuit judge, informing her new acquaintances that they’d probably meet Kyle someday since he was married to Hannah. CiCi then proceeded to grumble about the audit, mostly to explain her absence at Walker’s new home earlier in the day. Even though she knew she was babbling about her problems, she needed to vent. She also felt like she owed these women a damn good reason for her absence on Walker’s moving day.
As they drew nearer to Walker’s house, CiCi saw a sedan parked on the street and suspected the vehicle belonged to Jana. The driveway was choked with Walker’s car, the trailer, and another car which CiCi reasoned belonged to either Evelyn or Nina.
CiCi followed her new acquaintances through the open front door and back into the house.
“We left him as he was about to take a nap,” Nina whispered to CiCi when they were in the front hall. “Hope he got some rest,” she said, and her mother nodded in agreement.
When the three walked into the living room with Evelyn in the lead, Jana was bending over a still-sleeping Walker with her hand outstretched, as though she were about to touch his face. Jana’s head snapped to the side upon Evelyn’s appearance, causing her long red hair to whip around her head. Withdrawing her hand, Jana stood up straight and turned to greet the new arrivals.
“Oh… oh, hi,” Jana stammered, immediately turning extremely pink. Her pleasantly embarrassed smile vanished as her eyes moved from Evelyn to Nina to CiCi.
Walker grunted, roused awake.
Bourbon Springs Box Set: Volume II, Books 4-6 (Bourbon Springs Box Sets Book 2) Page 22
