John is a genius.”
“Not with business though,” Edna quipped.
Someone snorted, and Allie Kate reddened. I looked around at the faces, angry that they could joke about her situation. No one met my gaze, and Edna poked her lips out, apparently ashamed at her quick tongue. She hadn’t meant any harm.
I turned back to Allie Kate. “Inna is pretty driven. I’m sure she’ll get back on target soon enough. What’s got her so distracted?”
Allie Kate huffed. “Her new boyfriend.”
“Brandon?”
“You knew about him?” Allie Kate glared at me accusingly as if I had anything to say about an eighteen-year-old’s heart.
“I knew she liked him. I wasn’t sure, um, what direction it would go in.” By direction I meant my other friend, David, was also interested in Brandon, and it looked like poor David was out in the cold with this one. I hoped a new prospect would come along for him to find love.
“Well, he’s not the best influence,” Allie Kate said. “Just the other day, she was out all night with him. I don’t like it!”
“She’s a legal adult,” Louisa pointed out. “Get used to it, Allie Kate. There’s nothing you can do about it from now on.”
“I know, but I still lectured her because I won’t be there to watch over her when she’s in New York. Oh, that awful city! Sorry, Makayla.”
I held up my hands. “Don’t worry about me, honey. I know how bad it can be, but like you said, Inna’s intelligent, and she’s tough. She’ll do fine out there. Just you wait and see.”
Allie Kate didn’t look convinced.
“So, I’m wondering,” Pattie said into the lull in conversation, “why no one has mentioned that the sheriff’s wife is in town.”
“ Ex -wife,” I snapped before I could catch myself.
Gasps went up all around the room, and gazes swiveled to me. I sat like a statue as if that would make them think it was nothing to me if Spencer’s ex-wife, who he still called wife was staying with him, and he didn’t tell me about it. Me, his friend . Not that I expected him to introduce me as his girlfriend or even his lover. I don’t know what I expected, just not that .
Edna touched my hand and then balled up a knobby little fist. “I’ll make him sorry he used my granddaughter.”
“Used her?” Louisa said. “Isn’t she just in town? Did something happen?”
“No, no,” I rushed to say. “Spencer and I were not serious.”
“The ex was at his house,” one of the stylists put in unhelpfully. “I don’t think she’s there now.”
“No,” Pattie agreed. “She’s staying at the inn.”
The inn, they always said. There was more than one in Briney Creek, well two, but the one, I had heard, was better than the other—far better.
“Oh, your place?” Allie Kate said.
I looked at Pattie. “Your place?”
“Makayla, don’t you know by now?” Louisa met my gaze in the mirror as she worked dye through my hair. “Pattie owns the inn.” There was that emphasis again. Now I knew what Pattie did. Good to know. I pressed my lips into a thin line and held my hands together in my lap. Aware I looked bothered, I couldn’t help myself. Yet, the ladies seemed unable to resist continuing to gossip around me.
“Well what does she look like?” Louisa wanted to know.
“A doll,” Allie Kate piped up. Look who was more animated now that the conversation wasn’t centered on her finances. Okay, I was being petty. “She’s incredibly beautiful and moves with grace, as if she took classes at some point on how to move. She—oh what’s that word?”
I ground my teeth and gave a slow blink. “The word is sashay. She sashays when she walks.”
“Yes! That’s it, ladies. With her hands raised like this.” Allie Kate demonstrated, and the women chuckled.
“You know, ladies, you really shouldn’t talk about people who are absent this way.” Wow, was I the hypocrite.
“Oh, Makayla.” Allie Kate tapped my arm. “We’re just being silly. No harm in it, and
“Not with business though,” Edna quipped.
Someone snorted, and Allie Kate reddened. I looked around at the faces, angry that they could joke about her situation. No one met my gaze, and Edna poked her lips out, apparently ashamed at her quick tongue. She hadn’t meant any harm.
I turned back to Allie Kate. “Inna is pretty driven. I’m sure she’ll get back on target soon enough. What’s got her so distracted?”
Allie Kate huffed. “Her new boyfriend.”
“Brandon?”
“You knew about him?” Allie Kate glared at me accusingly as if I had anything to say about an eighteen-year-old’s heart.
“I knew she liked him. I wasn’t sure, um, what direction it would go in.” By direction I meant my other friend, David, was also interested in Brandon, and it looked like poor David was out in the cold with this one. I hoped a new prospect would come along for him to find love.
“Well, he’s not the best influence,” Allie Kate said. “Just the other day, she was out all night with him. I don’t like it!”
“She’s a legal adult,” Louisa pointed out. “Get used to it, Allie Kate. There’s nothing you can do about it from now on.”
“I know, but I still lectured her because I won’t be there to watch over her when she’s in New York. Oh, that awful city! Sorry, Makayla.”
I held up my hands. “Don’t worry about me, honey. I know how bad it can be, but like you said, Inna’s intelligent, and she’s tough. She’ll do fine out there. Just you wait and see.”
Allie Kate didn’t look convinced.
“So, I’m wondering,” Pattie said into the lull in conversation, “why no one has mentioned that the sheriff’s wife is in town.”
“ Ex -wife,” I snapped before I could catch myself.
Gasps went up all around the room, and gazes swiveled to me. I sat like a statue as if that would make them think it was nothing to me if Spencer’s ex-wife, who he still called wife was staying with him, and he didn’t tell me about it. Me, his friend . Not that I expected him to introduce me as his girlfriend or even his lover. I don’t know what I expected, just not that .
Edna touched my hand and then balled up a knobby little fist. “I’ll make him sorry he used my granddaughter.”
“Used her?” Louisa said. “Isn’t she just in town? Did something happen?”
“No, no,” I rushed to say. “Spencer and I were not serious.”
“The ex was at his house,” one of the stylists put in unhelpfully. “I don’t think she’s there now.”
“No,” Pattie agreed. “She’s staying at the inn.”
The inn, they always said. There was more than one in Briney Creek, well two, but the one, I had heard, was better than the other—far better.
“Oh, your place?” Allie Kate said.
I looked at Pattie. “Your place?”
“Makayla, don’t you know by now?” Louisa met my gaze in the mirror as she worked dye through my hair. “Pattie owns the inn.” There was that emphasis again. Now I knew what Pattie did. Good to know. I pressed my lips into a thin line and held my hands together in my lap. Aware I looked bothered, I couldn’t help myself. Yet, the ladies seemed unable to resist continuing to gossip around me.
“Well what does she look like?” Louisa wanted to know.
“A doll,” Allie Kate piped up. Look who was more animated now that the conversation wasn’t centered on her finances. Okay, I was being petty. “She’s incredibly beautiful and moves with grace, as if she took classes at some point on how to move. She—oh what’s that word?”
I ground my teeth and gave a slow blink. “The word is sashay. She sashays when she walks.”
“Yes! That’s it, ladies. With her hands raised like this.” Allie Kate demonstrated, and the women chuckled.
“You know, ladies, you really shouldn’t talk about people who are absent this way.” Wow, was I the hypocrite.
“Oh, Makayla.” Allie Kate tapped my arm. “We’re just being silly. No harm in it, and
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