Ladd Fortune by Dianne Venetta

boy may know about Ernie. And if he does, there’s no reason to
believe he wouldn’t share it with a woman asking the right
questions.”
    “ Trust me, Nick. This lady
doesn’t even have to ask. She’ll whisper in his ear and he’ll bark
like a dog.”
    Nick nodded with a smirk. “Don’t we
all?”
    At the approach of Delaney and
Felicity, the men quieted. Delaney, carrying a plate piled with
barbecue pulled pork, handed it to Nick. “This should hold you over
for a while.”
    “ God, I love you,” he said
to her.
    The comment marshaled a wry smile to
her mouth. “You’re easy.”
    “ I know.” He winked. “Lucky
for you.”
    “ Though one more serving of
that and you’ll be splayed out on the couch for the
duration.”
    “ Not a bad way to spend an
afternoon.”
    Delaney grunted in response. In the few
short weeks Malcolm had known her, he had been surprised by her
domestic inclinations. To meet her outside of her family, you’d
think Delaney couldn’t locate the first pot or pan, let alone know
what to do with them. But he’d learned otherwise. The woman could
cook like nobody’s business and seemed to enjoy waiting on Nick and
Felicity.
    “ You don’t look like you’re
having fun, Felicity,” Malcolm said, reflecting on the dull look in
otherwise bright features. Fair-skinned, freckle-faced, the teen
was a pretty girl, reminding him of a waif model he knew in Los
Angeles.
    “ I’m good.” She gave a quick
nod, brushed fine strands of strawberry blonde hair behind an ear.
“I’m worried about Travis and Troy.”
    “ Why?”
    “ They’re mad at each
other.”
    “ Is that unusual?” He
glanced to Nick and Delaney as he said, “I don’t know about them,
but my early days with my brother were loaded with
fights.”
    “ Oh, they fight, but usually
it’s no big deal. They’ve never been to the point where they’re not
speaking to each other.”
    “ Don’t worry, honey,”
Delaney said and rubbed her daughter’s back. “They’ll be fine. It’s
just a rough patch of trouble, but they’ll get over it.”
    Malcolm glanced at Nick and asked for
silent permission to broach the subject of Troy and Loretta. Nick
cocked his head. Why not?
    “ I wonder if it has anything
to do with the woman I saw Troy with the other night,” Malcolm
offered, “over at Whiskey Joe’s?”
    “ Whiskey Joe’s?” Felicity
asked, surprised by the mention of the local lounge.
    Malcolm nodded. “He was there with an
older blonde. They seemed kinda friendly.”
    Shock would have been a mild
description for the girl’s reaction. He flicked a glance toward her
mother. Did she not know that a teenage boy had desires?
    “ I don’t know who it could
be...” Felicity said, absorbed by the revelation.
    “ I heard it was Jeremiah’s
girlfriend,” Malcolm said and braced himself for the
fireworks.
    Felicity freaked, spots of freckles
reddening against her skin. “What?”
    Delaney gawked.
“ Jeremiah’s girlfriend?”
    Nick stood passive while Malcolm
elaborated, “That’s what I understand.” He looked between the
women. “Any reason why those two would know each other?”
    “ None,” Delaney remarked.
“Except one.” She turned slowly to her daughter and lightly grasped
her arm. “Felicity,” she said, urging the girl to look into her
face. She did so, but it was clear she feared what came next. “Did
you tell Travis and Troy about Ernie? About him being
sick?”
    Felicity’s lips began to
quiver.
    “ We need to know. It’s
important,” Delaney said gently but sternly.
    The girl went pale. “I did.”
    At the admission, Malcolm, Nick and
Delaney stilled.
    “ Is that a problem?” she
cried, comprehending that somehow she may have thrown the match
into the tinder box.

 
     
     
     
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Sitting alone on the front
porch, Casey Owens could hear the band banging out an old country
song, probably packing the dance floor with old people. The songs
they played were ancient