disappointed in Chovalo. Stephanie Knudson I know and she is, well, I've already said all I'm going to. This Bryce sounds as bad, and I've heard rumors about Wes Fowler.”
She unfolded my picnic cloth with a sharp crack before laying it on the table. “I feel sorry for his poor wife. Susannah needs to stay way away from him."
"Don't worry about Wes,." Neil told her grimly. "I've already strongly suggested he keep away from Susannah."
"You did?" There was an odd expression on Susannah's face, as if she wasn't too sure she liked, or needed, a white knight.
"What's all this about pirates?" Aunt Mary went on. "How do pirates fit?"
Pat laughed. "Ellen ran into one. Literally. She said his parrots were rude."
"Parrots?" Carl's professional interest perked up. "What parrots?"
"He was by the horse barns yesterday morning and he had no business there." I looked at Dan but he seemed to be busy shoving around coals.
"I didn't see a pirate." Susannah looked up almost accusingly. "He sounds like he’d be hard to miss."
"He was there. Dan knows him, only he won't admit it."
Dan started to laugh. "That pirate is a professional entertainer who’s paid by the fair to wander around and, well, entertain. He's likely to show up anywhere. I can assure you neither he nor his parrots ran the pitchfork through your friend Rusty."
"He was no friend of mine," I said strongly.
"Rusty wasn't anyone's friend. Whoever murdered him was someone none of us ever heard of. I’m sick of the subject. Let’s eat."
I wished I felt as sure about that as Susannah seemed to, but by mutual consent the conversation changed direction as we finished getting dinner on the table. Murder, drugs and pirates were not mentioned again, but the pirate sat in the back of my mind, refusing to go away.
It was close to ten o’clock when Aunt Mary yawned and stated she was heading for home. She started to gather her empty bowls and platters, packing them in a carton box.
"Where's your car, Mary?" Dan asked. "I don't remember seeing it."
"That's because it's home in my garage where it belongs. You don't think I'd get that thing out for only four blocks, do you?"
"You carried all this stuff over here?" Neil looked shocked.
He was rewarded with a pitying look.
"Well, you aren't carrying it back," Dan stated. "Come on. I'll drive you."
Pat and Carl gathered their things up as well and even Neil, who had driven over with his parents, got up to leave. He didn't seem too anxious to go, but Susannah looked as tired as I felt and tactfully shooed him toward the door.
"See you tomorrow, Ellie." It wasn't a question Dan asked as he balanced Aunt Mary's box, and the kiss he leaned down to deliver was more than a peck. Susannah raised one eyebrow on her way upstairs, leaving me to turn off porch lights and lock doors before following her. Jake hadn't waited for me either. He was already a yellow ball of fur curled up tightly on my pillow. I shoved him over when I was ready to crawl in, reached for my book, decided I was too tired and switched off the light. Only sleep didn't come. I realized I hadn’t quizzed Susannah about Neil, and wondered if I should do it now. Probably not a good idea. But tomorrow I would make time, just the two of us. I envisioned a nice mother/daughter talk, one where I did the talking and she did the listening. It might even happen.
My thoughts turned to Dan and our relationship. I knew, deep down, that Dan’s protective feelings, in my opinion his over protective feelings, weren’t misplaced male superiority. He truly cared, about me and about Susannah. Only, I wasn't sure that was what I wanted. No, that wasn’t right. I wasn’t sure I was ready for the commitment that kind of caring brought with it. For the first time I felt my life was my own. I called the shots, a feeling I was beginning to like. A lot. How I fit Dan, commitment, and independence together, or even if I wanted to try, I wasn't sure.
Now, of course, I was wide awake.
She unfolded my picnic cloth with a sharp crack before laying it on the table. “I feel sorry for his poor wife. Susannah needs to stay way away from him."
"Don't worry about Wes,." Neil told her grimly. "I've already strongly suggested he keep away from Susannah."
"You did?" There was an odd expression on Susannah's face, as if she wasn't too sure she liked, or needed, a white knight.
"What's all this about pirates?" Aunt Mary went on. "How do pirates fit?"
Pat laughed. "Ellen ran into one. Literally. She said his parrots were rude."
"Parrots?" Carl's professional interest perked up. "What parrots?"
"He was by the horse barns yesterday morning and he had no business there." I looked at Dan but he seemed to be busy shoving around coals.
"I didn't see a pirate." Susannah looked up almost accusingly. "He sounds like he’d be hard to miss."
"He was there. Dan knows him, only he won't admit it."
Dan started to laugh. "That pirate is a professional entertainer who’s paid by the fair to wander around and, well, entertain. He's likely to show up anywhere. I can assure you neither he nor his parrots ran the pitchfork through your friend Rusty."
"He was no friend of mine," I said strongly.
"Rusty wasn't anyone's friend. Whoever murdered him was someone none of us ever heard of. I’m sick of the subject. Let’s eat."
I wished I felt as sure about that as Susannah seemed to, but by mutual consent the conversation changed direction as we finished getting dinner on the table. Murder, drugs and pirates were not mentioned again, but the pirate sat in the back of my mind, refusing to go away.
It was close to ten o’clock when Aunt Mary yawned and stated she was heading for home. She started to gather her empty bowls and platters, packing them in a carton box.
"Where's your car, Mary?" Dan asked. "I don't remember seeing it."
"That's because it's home in my garage where it belongs. You don't think I'd get that thing out for only four blocks, do you?"
"You carried all this stuff over here?" Neil looked shocked.
He was rewarded with a pitying look.
"Well, you aren't carrying it back," Dan stated. "Come on. I'll drive you."
Pat and Carl gathered their things up as well and even Neil, who had driven over with his parents, got up to leave. He didn't seem too anxious to go, but Susannah looked as tired as I felt and tactfully shooed him toward the door.
"See you tomorrow, Ellie." It wasn't a question Dan asked as he balanced Aunt Mary's box, and the kiss he leaned down to deliver was more than a peck. Susannah raised one eyebrow on her way upstairs, leaving me to turn off porch lights and lock doors before following her. Jake hadn't waited for me either. He was already a yellow ball of fur curled up tightly on my pillow. I shoved him over when I was ready to crawl in, reached for my book, decided I was too tired and switched off the light. Only sleep didn't come. I realized I hadn’t quizzed Susannah about Neil, and wondered if I should do it now. Probably not a good idea. But tomorrow I would make time, just the two of us. I envisioned a nice mother/daughter talk, one where I did the talking and she did the listening. It might even happen.
My thoughts turned to Dan and our relationship. I knew, deep down, that Dan’s protective feelings, in my opinion his over protective feelings, weren’t misplaced male superiority. He truly cared, about me and about Susannah. Only, I wasn't sure that was what I wanted. No, that wasn’t right. I wasn’t sure I was ready for the commitment that kind of caring brought with it. For the first time I felt my life was my own. I called the shots, a feeling I was beginning to like. A lot. How I fit Dan, commitment, and independence together, or even if I wanted to try, I wasn't sure.
Now, of course, I was wide awake.
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