shocker for her!” Adele was simply giddy with Christmas cheer.
“You really love the holidays, don’t you, Mom?” Addison said, laughing as her mother went crazy curling the ribbons.
“Oh, sweetie, I adore this time of year! And this year all of my kids are together which makes it even more special. Of course, next year we’ll have your little bundle and maybe we can get Brad a date,” she said.
“Hey!” Brad called from the kitchen where he was hanging garland across the breakfast area. “I heard that!”
“I was hoping you did,” she said sweetly as she continued wrapping. Brad had been the only one she could rope into helping on this day.
“Listen, Mom, I hope you don’t mind but I invited someone over for tea today. He’s a private investigator that a customer at Jolt recommended. He might be able to help me with my divorce case.”
“A private investigator? What’s he going to do?” she asked as she stopped wrapping and looked at her daughter.
“Well, I need to prove that Jim cheated first basically. Otherwise, I’m sunk. He’ll get everything because he knows I don’t want him spreading rumors all over town about me. Although I don’t know why I even care. I guess it’s the principle of the thing.”
“Then we’ll do what we need to do. If a P.I. is what you need, then I support that. Let’s sock it to him!” she said, holding her scissors in the air as if to signal the beginning of a battle.
Addison laughed. Her mother had always been her biggest cheerleader.
The doorbell rang about a half an hour later just as Addison finished helping her mother. She asked Adele to start some tea and opened the door to find a very handsome older man standing there. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Maybe some guy in a trench coat. But this guy was “dapper” with a nice suit and thick brown hair with specks of gray in it. He was broad shouldered and looked more like an elegant news anchor or Hollywood celebrity than he did an ex-cop.
“Addison?” he said, his voice as smooth as his appearance.
“That’s me. Nice to meet you,” she said, reaching out and shaking his hand. “Come on in.”
He entered the home and followed Addison into the breakfast area.
“Mom, I want you to meet…” Addison started.
“Harrison? Is that you? Harrison Gibbs?” Adele said, staring at him like she’d seen a ghost.
“Adele Parker? I thought you used to live around here, but I had no idea this was your house! I should’ve put two and two together, I guess,” he said laughing. Adele came from around the breakfast bar and embraced him tightly.
“It’s so good to see you!” she said looking up at him. “And how’s Elaine?”
“Oh, Elaine and I divorced years ago. It’s one of the reasons I like to help ladies in Addison’s situation. I hate cheaters,” he said, raising his eyebrow.
“I’m so sorry, Harrison,” Adele said frowning. “I always thought Elaine was a lovely woman.”
“I did too, and so did several other gentlemen,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s been many years ago, and I understand she’s on her fourth marriage now.”
“Wow,” Adele said, making a tsk tsk sound with her tongue. “I just can’t believe what a small world it is!”
“Um, excuse me, folks, but can someone explain… this?” Addison asked. Harrison and Adele laughed.
“Sorry, sweetie. Harrison and your father were dear friends a long time ago, but we haven’t seen each other in many, many years. When was the last time we saw each other?” she asked.
“I think it was about a year after he died. Elaine and I ran into you at Seewald’s before we moved,” he said, referring to the old grocery store that used to be in January Cove.
“That’s right. Wow, that’s a long time.”
“It is. You look wonderful, Adele. The years have certainly been kind to you,” he said, and
“You really love the holidays, don’t you, Mom?” Addison said, laughing as her mother went crazy curling the ribbons.
“Oh, sweetie, I adore this time of year! And this year all of my kids are together which makes it even more special. Of course, next year we’ll have your little bundle and maybe we can get Brad a date,” she said.
“Hey!” Brad called from the kitchen where he was hanging garland across the breakfast area. “I heard that!”
“I was hoping you did,” she said sweetly as she continued wrapping. Brad had been the only one she could rope into helping on this day.
“Listen, Mom, I hope you don’t mind but I invited someone over for tea today. He’s a private investigator that a customer at Jolt recommended. He might be able to help me with my divorce case.”
“A private investigator? What’s he going to do?” she asked as she stopped wrapping and looked at her daughter.
“Well, I need to prove that Jim cheated first basically. Otherwise, I’m sunk. He’ll get everything because he knows I don’t want him spreading rumors all over town about me. Although I don’t know why I even care. I guess it’s the principle of the thing.”
“Then we’ll do what we need to do. If a P.I. is what you need, then I support that. Let’s sock it to him!” she said, holding her scissors in the air as if to signal the beginning of a battle.
Addison laughed. Her mother had always been her biggest cheerleader.
The doorbell rang about a half an hour later just as Addison finished helping her mother. She asked Adele to start some tea and opened the door to find a very handsome older man standing there. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Maybe some guy in a trench coat. But this guy was “dapper” with a nice suit and thick brown hair with specks of gray in it. He was broad shouldered and looked more like an elegant news anchor or Hollywood celebrity than he did an ex-cop.
“Addison?” he said, his voice as smooth as his appearance.
“That’s me. Nice to meet you,” she said, reaching out and shaking his hand. “Come on in.”
He entered the home and followed Addison into the breakfast area.
“Mom, I want you to meet…” Addison started.
“Harrison? Is that you? Harrison Gibbs?” Adele said, staring at him like she’d seen a ghost.
“Adele Parker? I thought you used to live around here, but I had no idea this was your house! I should’ve put two and two together, I guess,” he said laughing. Adele came from around the breakfast bar and embraced him tightly.
“It’s so good to see you!” she said looking up at him. “And how’s Elaine?”
“Oh, Elaine and I divorced years ago. It’s one of the reasons I like to help ladies in Addison’s situation. I hate cheaters,” he said, raising his eyebrow.
“I’m so sorry, Harrison,” Adele said frowning. “I always thought Elaine was a lovely woman.”
“I did too, and so did several other gentlemen,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s been many years ago, and I understand she’s on her fourth marriage now.”
“Wow,” Adele said, making a tsk tsk sound with her tongue. “I just can’t believe what a small world it is!”
“Um, excuse me, folks, but can someone explain… this?” Addison asked. Harrison and Adele laughed.
“Sorry, sweetie. Harrison and your father were dear friends a long time ago, but we haven’t seen each other in many, many years. When was the last time we saw each other?” she asked.
“I think it was about a year after he died. Elaine and I ran into you at Seewald’s before we moved,” he said, referring to the old grocery store that used to be in January Cove.
“That’s right. Wow, that’s a long time.”
“It is. You look wonderful, Adele. The years have certainly been kind to you,” he said, and
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