Midnight Shimmer: A Toni Diamond Mystery (Toni Diamond Mysteries Book 3) by Nancy Warren Page B
Authors: Nancy Warren
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“Tiff, I know I embarrassed you yesterday and I’m real sorry about that. I needed to meet that young man and I was really hoping he’d let us get to know him by joining us for a meal.”
“And he will when he can. But today, he’s invited me to go on a shore excursion with him and I really want to go. Please, Mama?” Then she twinkled in the engaging way that reminded Toni of Dwayne. “I promise not to come back pregnant.”
“Tiffany!” Linda said, sounding shocked, but kind of faking it.
Tiff put her hands up like a gunfighter surrendering. “Kidding.”
She could rarely resist Tiffany when her daughter turned on the charm. Also, she’d had time to ponder Linda’s advice. She only wished Luke had got back to her with the results of the background check, but so far nothing.
She glanced at Linda, not exactly asking for advice, more gauging her expression, but her mother spoke up. “Grand Cayman’s a pretty safe island, from everything I’ve read.”
She looked to Tiffany and saw, not herself at that age, but her daughter as she was. Sensible, mature for her age, and beyond the stage where Toni could dictate her every move. She decided to trust her daughter’s instincts. “Okay. Have a wonderful time. But you make sure you’re back here by six o’clock, when the last tender comes back to the ship.”
Her daughter threw her arms around Toni in an impulsive hug. “I will, Mama. Thank you.” And then in an outburst that surprised them both, she said, “I love you.”
“Wait. Not so fast.”
Tiffany paused, her happy face getting ready to transition.
But Toni was still her mother and she had a lot of experience herself with dates who maybe weren’t as reliable or as full of integrity as she’d first thought. She had lived life as a single woman a lot longer than her daughter, and she’d developed a few tips of her own. “What are you wearing?”
“Really, Mother? Really? We’re going to the beach. What do you think I’m wearing?”
“A bikini. I’m guessing a bikini.”
“What? Are you going to forbid me to wear a bikini?”
Linda didn’t say anything, but she looked aghast.
“No. I have a little trick you should learn. Probably you’ll never need it, but a little extra safety is never a bad thing.”
Tiff glared at her, suspicion and a hint of embarrassment in her attitude.
Toni went to the table for her purse. Then turned to Linda. “Mama, do you have one of those little plastic bags? The ones we put the small moisturizer samples in?”
“Sure do.” Linda was as puzzled as Tiffany, but she went to her makeup kit and pulled out a small, resealable plastic bag.
“I also need a safety pin.”
That was easy. Linda went to the wardrobe where their clothes were hanging. She always kept a set of safety pins in case of mishaps, like high heels pulling out a hem, for instance.
Tiffany’s suspicion had muted to curiosity. Toni pulled out her wallet and retrieved a fifty-dollar bill. She folded it until the bill was tiny, pressed it as flat as it would go, then placed the bill into the tiny bag, squeezed out the air and pressed the seal tight. Linda passed her the safety pin. “I want you to safety-pin this money inside your bikini, somewhere where no one will be able to see it.”
“Why?”
“Just in case. Let’s say someone shoplifts your bag, or you forget your purse somewhere—”
Or you end up running from your date in nothing but bare feet.
“You can always get a cab back to the ship.”
Tiffany took the bag and the pin, but she shook her head too. “You are so psycho.”
“Do it for me, so I don’t worry.”
Tiffany disappeared into the bathroom and returned a couple of minutes later. “Okay? Anything else you want me to do? Implant a GPS in my arm so satellites can track me?”
“Not a bad idea. Glad you thought of it.”
Her daughter shook her head. “I am so out of here.”
When Tiffany waltzed out of their stateroom to meet Wade Templeton, Toni
“And he will when he can. But today, he’s invited me to go on a shore excursion with him and I really want to go. Please, Mama?” Then she twinkled in the engaging way that reminded Toni of Dwayne. “I promise not to come back pregnant.”
“Tiffany!” Linda said, sounding shocked, but kind of faking it.
Tiff put her hands up like a gunfighter surrendering. “Kidding.”
She could rarely resist Tiffany when her daughter turned on the charm. Also, she’d had time to ponder Linda’s advice. She only wished Luke had got back to her with the results of the background check, but so far nothing.
She glanced at Linda, not exactly asking for advice, more gauging her expression, but her mother spoke up. “Grand Cayman’s a pretty safe island, from everything I’ve read.”
She looked to Tiffany and saw, not herself at that age, but her daughter as she was. Sensible, mature for her age, and beyond the stage where Toni could dictate her every move. She decided to trust her daughter’s instincts. “Okay. Have a wonderful time. But you make sure you’re back here by six o’clock, when the last tender comes back to the ship.”
Her daughter threw her arms around Toni in an impulsive hug. “I will, Mama. Thank you.” And then in an outburst that surprised them both, she said, “I love you.”
“Wait. Not so fast.”
Tiffany paused, her happy face getting ready to transition.
But Toni was still her mother and she had a lot of experience herself with dates who maybe weren’t as reliable or as full of integrity as she’d first thought. She had lived life as a single woman a lot longer than her daughter, and she’d developed a few tips of her own. “What are you wearing?”
“Really, Mother? Really? We’re going to the beach. What do you think I’m wearing?”
“A bikini. I’m guessing a bikini.”
“What? Are you going to forbid me to wear a bikini?”
Linda didn’t say anything, but she looked aghast.
“No. I have a little trick you should learn. Probably you’ll never need it, but a little extra safety is never a bad thing.”
Tiff glared at her, suspicion and a hint of embarrassment in her attitude.
Toni went to the table for her purse. Then turned to Linda. “Mama, do you have one of those little plastic bags? The ones we put the small moisturizer samples in?”
“Sure do.” Linda was as puzzled as Tiffany, but she went to her makeup kit and pulled out a small, resealable plastic bag.
“I also need a safety pin.”
That was easy. Linda went to the wardrobe where their clothes were hanging. She always kept a set of safety pins in case of mishaps, like high heels pulling out a hem, for instance.
Tiffany’s suspicion had muted to curiosity. Toni pulled out her wallet and retrieved a fifty-dollar bill. She folded it until the bill was tiny, pressed it as flat as it would go, then placed the bill into the tiny bag, squeezed out the air and pressed the seal tight. Linda passed her the safety pin. “I want you to safety-pin this money inside your bikini, somewhere where no one will be able to see it.”
“Why?”
“Just in case. Let’s say someone shoplifts your bag, or you forget your purse somewhere—”
Or you end up running from your date in nothing but bare feet.
“You can always get a cab back to the ship.”
Tiffany took the bag and the pin, but she shook her head too. “You are so psycho.”
“Do it for me, so I don’t worry.”
Tiffany disappeared into the bathroom and returned a couple of minutes later. “Okay? Anything else you want me to do? Implant a GPS in my arm so satellites can track me?”
“Not a bad idea. Glad you thought of it.”
Her daughter shook her head. “I am so out of here.”
When Tiffany waltzed out of their stateroom to meet Wade Templeton, Toni
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