time in a while. “That’s great. Moms need that.”
“Dads, too,” Davey answered. He nursed his beer, his eyes watching Nell in a way that made her nervous.
She was about to excuse herself when he cleared his throat. “I know Ben didn’t like that tiff I had with Finnegan the other night. You probably didn’t, either, him being a friend of yours. I just want you to know it’s no big deal. I just wish the guy would wise up. We could make him rich.”
Nell nodded, unsure of where the conversation was going. “I think he feels rich already, Davey. Maybe it’s not to everyone’s liking, but he’s happy.”
Davey took a long swallow of beer, draining the bottle. “You think he’s happy living in a hovel?” He shrugged, his muscular shoulders straining against the fabric of a silky shirt open one button too many. “Maybe, maybe not. But it’ll get cleaned up one way or another.” He set his bottle down on a table and took another one from a passing waitress. Then he nodded once and wandered back to where his parents were standing.
Nell watched him for a minute, then walked away herself. Such a strange man.
She saw Izzy and Sam standing near the veranda doors, listening to Merry Jackson and Pete sing a medley of old tunes. Relieved to have a destination far away from Davey Delaney, she headed their way.
Izzy looked magnificent, a shimmering ice blue dress with tiny straps hugging her long, lean body. Nell’s breath caught in her throat as she watched the young woman whom she loved so fiercely it sometimes hurt. She would be grateful forever to her sister, Caroline, for sharing her only daughter so generously, without a trace of resentment. “She’ll always be my daughter,” Caroline had said to Nell the day of Izzy’s wedding a year before. “But she’s your soul daughter, and she’s a richer, fuller woman for it.” And then they had both shed copious tears and wrapped their arms around each other as Izzy walked down the garden path to her waiting bridegroom.
Tonight she was looking up at Sam as if he were the only person in the room. A year of marriage hadn’t tarnished the glow one single bit.
“What? What’s that look, Aunt Nell?” Izzy embraced her, then pulled away, rolling the edge of Nell’s shawl between her fingers. “It looks gorgeous on you. Just like I knew it would.”
“Yep, gorgeous.” Sam hugged them both. “My two gorgeous women,” he said. “How did I get so lucky? Every man in the room is looking at me right now with pure, unadulterated envy.”
“True,” Izzy said. “You’re a lucky man, Perry. And don’t ever forget it.” Two fingers crawled up his chest.
“Can’t you two keep your hands off each other?” Esther Gibson came up behind them and followed her words with a resounding chuckle.
“Not working today, Esther?” Nell asked the gray-haired police dispatcher.
“I told the chief I’d do the night shift tonight, so I’ll go in late. It’s such a lovely place to knit, and I sometimes get more sleep there than I do at home—my dear hubby’s snoring has gotten pretty bad.”
“Things are quiet at the police station? That’s a good thing.” Sam lifted several wineglasses off a passing tray and passed them around.
“That’s what I told Chief Thompson. ‘It’s going to be a calm summer,’ I told him. I feel it in my bones.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Nell lifted her glass and touched it to Esther’s. “Quiet is good.”
“Except for Finnegan, of course. He hasn’t been very quiet lately. Now he wants a restraining order.”
“Finnegan? Against whom?” Ben walked up behind Nell.
Esther chuckled again, a delightful rolling sound that made all those around her smile, too. “Oh, everyone in general. Certain people in particular. Developers, council members—particularly our Beatrice—and even her poor husband, Sal. Can you imagine? Shy Sal. And his wife couldn’t hurt a fly. I told Finnegan as much.”
“He’s just trying
“Dads, too,” Davey answered. He nursed his beer, his eyes watching Nell in a way that made her nervous.
She was about to excuse herself when he cleared his throat. “I know Ben didn’t like that tiff I had with Finnegan the other night. You probably didn’t, either, him being a friend of yours. I just want you to know it’s no big deal. I just wish the guy would wise up. We could make him rich.”
Nell nodded, unsure of where the conversation was going. “I think he feels rich already, Davey. Maybe it’s not to everyone’s liking, but he’s happy.”
Davey took a long swallow of beer, draining the bottle. “You think he’s happy living in a hovel?” He shrugged, his muscular shoulders straining against the fabric of a silky shirt open one button too many. “Maybe, maybe not. But it’ll get cleaned up one way or another.” He set his bottle down on a table and took another one from a passing waitress. Then he nodded once and wandered back to where his parents were standing.
Nell watched him for a minute, then walked away herself. Such a strange man.
She saw Izzy and Sam standing near the veranda doors, listening to Merry Jackson and Pete sing a medley of old tunes. Relieved to have a destination far away from Davey Delaney, she headed their way.
Izzy looked magnificent, a shimmering ice blue dress with tiny straps hugging her long, lean body. Nell’s breath caught in her throat as she watched the young woman whom she loved so fiercely it sometimes hurt. She would be grateful forever to her sister, Caroline, for sharing her only daughter so generously, without a trace of resentment. “She’ll always be my daughter,” Caroline had said to Nell the day of Izzy’s wedding a year before. “But she’s your soul daughter, and she’s a richer, fuller woman for it.” And then they had both shed copious tears and wrapped their arms around each other as Izzy walked down the garden path to her waiting bridegroom.
Tonight she was looking up at Sam as if he were the only person in the room. A year of marriage hadn’t tarnished the glow one single bit.
“What? What’s that look, Aunt Nell?” Izzy embraced her, then pulled away, rolling the edge of Nell’s shawl between her fingers. “It looks gorgeous on you. Just like I knew it would.”
“Yep, gorgeous.” Sam hugged them both. “My two gorgeous women,” he said. “How did I get so lucky? Every man in the room is looking at me right now with pure, unadulterated envy.”
“True,” Izzy said. “You’re a lucky man, Perry. And don’t ever forget it.” Two fingers crawled up his chest.
“Can’t you two keep your hands off each other?” Esther Gibson came up behind them and followed her words with a resounding chuckle.
“Not working today, Esther?” Nell asked the gray-haired police dispatcher.
“I told the chief I’d do the night shift tonight, so I’ll go in late. It’s such a lovely place to knit, and I sometimes get more sleep there than I do at home—my dear hubby’s snoring has gotten pretty bad.”
“Things are quiet at the police station? That’s a good thing.” Sam lifted several wineglasses off a passing tray and passed them around.
“That’s what I told Chief Thompson. ‘It’s going to be a calm summer,’ I told him. I feel it in my bones.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Nell lifted her glass and touched it to Esther’s. “Quiet is good.”
“Except for Finnegan, of course. He hasn’t been very quiet lately. Now he wants a restraining order.”
“Finnegan? Against whom?” Ben walked up behind Nell.
Esther chuckled again, a delightful rolling sound that made all those around her smile, too. “Oh, everyone in general. Certain people in particular. Developers, council members—particularly our Beatrice—and even her poor husband, Sal. Can you imagine? Shy Sal. And his wife couldn’t hurt a fly. I told Finnegan as much.”
“He’s just trying
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