of her sister’s tiny car the biggest box of chocolate-covered cherries that they stocked at the store. “For the last time, Ed came up with the whole idea.”
“He used to be such a reasonable man.” April shook her head. Her ponytail bobbed like a wagging finger to underscore her disbelief. “What happened?”
The car door fell shut. Sadie headed up the walk without a backward glance. “You didn’t have to come with me, you know.”
April, who had not spoken to Moonie since the day of his great escape, kept at Sadie’s heels. “Like I told you, I only came tonight out of loving compassion for Hannah and the desire to show support for and solidarity with her, as the one now responsible for the care of Daddy.”
“Uh-huh.” Sadie shot a look over her shoulder. “And?”
“And?” April blinked, her face pained like an innocent accused of high treason.
Sadie wasn’t buying it. She prodded again, “And?”
April opened her mouth, closed it, then winced. Then, her eyes alight, she indulged in a delightedly wicked grin. “ And because, if Daddy has got up to anything untoward or audacious, I want to see it with my own two eyes and not give that baby sister of ours a chance to put her goody-two-shoes spin on things.”
“She can spin until she falls down drunk with dizziness, that won’t change the reality. We know Daddy can make life very difficult. I mean, after what he pulled at your house.”
“Nice try, but you won’t get any information out of me that way.”
“Fine.” With a gentle but well-placed shove, Sadie propelled her older sister onto the long, narrow porch. “Just ring the doorbell.”
“Me?” April’s eyes grew wide. “Uh-uh. I refuse to leave my fingerprints at the scene of a crime.”
“Which crime?” Sadie had to smile. “Us dropping in unannounced or Hannah strangling us for doing it?”
“Oh, she won’t strangle us.”
“No?”
“Too easy to break a nail that way.” April crinkled up her nose. “She might, however, snatch those chocolates from your hands and crack them over your head.”
“The crime then being, what? Assault with a delicious weapon?”
“Don’t laugh.” April wagged one finger. “It could happen. Good thing you didn’t bring Daddy a sub sandwich. They’d have her for assault with a deli weapon.”
Sadie rolled her eyes but recovered from her aversion to the awful pun quickly enough to add, grinning, “Or a crocheted scarf—assault with a doily weapon.”
“Stop! I give up. I’ll ring the bell.” April depressed the lit button beside the wooden door with the leaded-glass panel in the center.
“Or a stuffed bear—assault with a teddy weapon.”
“Quit joking, will you? If Hannah opens the door and finds us snickering together, she’ll immediately assume we’ve cut her out of some family secret.”
“We’ll just tell her to be thankful we didn’t show up with a bicycle.”
April grimaced, then bit her lower lip. “Dare I ask?”
“Assault with a pedally weapon.”
April groaned, but that didn’t hide the fact that she did laugh at the horrible bit of wordplay. “Okay, now stop, I mean it. Someone’s coming, and we have to straighten up and stop—”
“Hello, ladies!” Payt flung the door open.
“—clowning around,” April managed to conclude despite her mouth hanging open in naked awe.
“How lovely of you to pay us a call.” Their brother-in-law stepped out onto the porch and greeted them with effortless and genteel aplomb. Not something one normally finds in a fair-haired, handsome doctor dressed in purple scrubs, green high-top sneakers and sporting a big red rubber ball on his nose.
“We interrupting something, sugar?” Sadie went on tiptoe trying to peer through the quickly closing doorway.
“Just preparing for the next phase of my career.” Payt held his arms wide.
April gave him a slow once-over. “Quitting medicine to go to clown college?”
“Not at all.” He pulled off the bulbous
“He used to be such a reasonable man.” April shook her head. Her ponytail bobbed like a wagging finger to underscore her disbelief. “What happened?”
The car door fell shut. Sadie headed up the walk without a backward glance. “You didn’t have to come with me, you know.”
April, who had not spoken to Moonie since the day of his great escape, kept at Sadie’s heels. “Like I told you, I only came tonight out of loving compassion for Hannah and the desire to show support for and solidarity with her, as the one now responsible for the care of Daddy.”
“Uh-huh.” Sadie shot a look over her shoulder. “And?”
“And?” April blinked, her face pained like an innocent accused of high treason.
Sadie wasn’t buying it. She prodded again, “And?”
April opened her mouth, closed it, then winced. Then, her eyes alight, she indulged in a delightedly wicked grin. “ And because, if Daddy has got up to anything untoward or audacious, I want to see it with my own two eyes and not give that baby sister of ours a chance to put her goody-two-shoes spin on things.”
“She can spin until she falls down drunk with dizziness, that won’t change the reality. We know Daddy can make life very difficult. I mean, after what he pulled at your house.”
“Nice try, but you won’t get any information out of me that way.”
“Fine.” With a gentle but well-placed shove, Sadie propelled her older sister onto the long, narrow porch. “Just ring the doorbell.”
“Me?” April’s eyes grew wide. “Uh-uh. I refuse to leave my fingerprints at the scene of a crime.”
“Which crime?” Sadie had to smile. “Us dropping in unannounced or Hannah strangling us for doing it?”
“Oh, she won’t strangle us.”
“No?”
“Too easy to break a nail that way.” April crinkled up her nose. “She might, however, snatch those chocolates from your hands and crack them over your head.”
“The crime then being, what? Assault with a delicious weapon?”
“Don’t laugh.” April wagged one finger. “It could happen. Good thing you didn’t bring Daddy a sub sandwich. They’d have her for assault with a deli weapon.”
Sadie rolled her eyes but recovered from her aversion to the awful pun quickly enough to add, grinning, “Or a crocheted scarf—assault with a doily weapon.”
“Stop! I give up. I’ll ring the bell.” April depressed the lit button beside the wooden door with the leaded-glass panel in the center.
“Or a stuffed bear—assault with a teddy weapon.”
“Quit joking, will you? If Hannah opens the door and finds us snickering together, she’ll immediately assume we’ve cut her out of some family secret.”
“We’ll just tell her to be thankful we didn’t show up with a bicycle.”
April grimaced, then bit her lower lip. “Dare I ask?”
“Assault with a pedally weapon.”
April groaned, but that didn’t hide the fact that she did laugh at the horrible bit of wordplay. “Okay, now stop, I mean it. Someone’s coming, and we have to straighten up and stop—”
“Hello, ladies!” Payt flung the door open.
“—clowning around,” April managed to conclude despite her mouth hanging open in naked awe.
“How lovely of you to pay us a call.” Their brother-in-law stepped out onto the porch and greeted them with effortless and genteel aplomb. Not something one normally finds in a fair-haired, handsome doctor dressed in purple scrubs, green high-top sneakers and sporting a big red rubber ball on his nose.
“We interrupting something, sugar?” Sadie went on tiptoe trying to peer through the quickly closing doorway.
“Just preparing for the next phase of my career.” Payt held his arms wide.
April gave him a slow once-over. “Quitting medicine to go to clown college?”
“Not at all.” He pulled off the bulbous
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