2 Maid in the Shade (4 page)

H
e looked at me, then studied the cell screen, flipping through the photos. “These are really good, it would have been better of course if you didn’t have your face hidden, but I never have any troubling recollecting that.”

“
Fine, fine, you’ve had your fun and redeemed your family treasure, all I ask is that you put the phone down on the floor and stay in the rocker.”

“I guess I can do that,” he
grinned magnanimously, “your house, your rules.” He placed the phone on the hardwood floor near his foot and settled back, the quilt elaborately tucked up to his chin.

“
Despite your many other character flaws you’re a man of your word?”

“Of course,” he said in an affronted tone.

“Good, obviously I need a robe so I’m getting up now.”

“Okay,” he said, his eyes blazing with amusement.

I rolled off onto the floor and walked toward him slowly then put one hand on each arm of the chair. Gently I toed the phone under the rocker on his right. “
You
are no gentleman.” I chided.

“I’m keeping my word,” he said mildly, studying me as though
I were a live model he was about to sketch.

I
glared at him a moment longer, then turned away, artlessly pulling off my top as I headed toward the bath. My back was to him as I opened the door and stepped out of my panties, then just as I locked the old door I heard a satisfying crunch.

I
pressed my forehead to the wood frame and grinned. “Why Jared, I swear that sounded suspiciously like a phone being crushed. Did you get up by any chance?” I pulled open the dresser I kept in the bathroom and searched frantically for my clothes. There were plenty of thongs, some old T-shirt’s and a sheer robe. No shorts, no jeans. Damn it.

I
covered up as best I could and slipped the robe on before I came back out, trying desperately not to look defeated.

“Hot in here now isn’t it
?” He asked throwing the quilt safely behind the rocking chair. “Nice of you to change into your company underwear, although I could just about swear they are the same except the color.”

“And I could just about swear you said you were going to keep your seat.”

“I am mortal, you undoubtedly noticed I didn’t charge across the room, pick you up and throw you down on the bed.”

“
You’re not the type of man to do that. And you’re not the type of man who needs to do it either. Besides I’ve depended on your word to keep you from getting frisky.”

“And now
?”

“I’ll depend on Mosey.”

He closed his eyes, smiled and shook his head. “Sometimes being a southern gentleman, which
I am
” he said with emphasis, “is highly overrated. And that dog is about as frightening as a duck.”

“Why are your eyes closed
?”

“Just imagining a beautiful vision.”

“Pity about the photos.”

H
e grinned. “Sure is.”

I
whistled loudly and Jared started as Mosey came galloping up into the room. I turned to him and knelt down, scratching him behind the ears, cooing and whispering as he grew more still until I let go of his collar.

“C’mere
fella,” Jared said enthusiastically. Mosey panted and gave his best happy smile as he approached Jared. I nudged the bathroom door open and flopped down on the bed facing them as Jared patted his knee and urged Mosey over. I sandwiched my hands under my chin and smiled at them.

“
He seems to like you.”

M
osey laid his massive jaw on Jared’s thigh and looked up at him.

“Why wouldn’
t he? The dog knows me,” he grinned and attempted to pat him on the head just as Mosey ducked then turned away and headed for the half-opened
door.

“
Where you heading buddy?” Jared called in amusement.

I winked.
“I think he needs his privacy.”

J
ared squinted his eyes and tilted his head quizzically at me.

Just then we heard a plop and a flush.

“Well that’s a disgusting little trick,” Jared said.

I smiled with satisfaction.
“Hardly took me any time at all to teach him. You know, the more you talk to dogs, the more words they understand. He was way ahead on that when I got him and he already knew how to manipulate simple items from his former training.”

“Ooookay.” Jared said as though he were talking to a backward child.

“Phone,” for instance, took very little time. He was probably already familiar with that word out in the field.”

J
ared glanced at the floor “Sonofabitch!” Jared yelled, then laughed.

“
I’d be offended on behalf of Mosey if he wasn’t technically the son of an actual bitch. Anyway, I am aware that photos can still be retrieved from a broken phone. That was just extra insurance against you keeping those or passing them on.”

H
e grinned, which made me a little uneasy. “Now I believe you are the one who will be phone shopping for me,” Jared said”

I
arched an eyebrow. “Make your case for that and I’ll get right on it.”

H
e settled back in the rocker. “My work phone is in the truck so you can owe me.” He flipped open his notebook and began.

“
Why don’t you tell me everything you know about Anita and Mae?”

“I thought I was going to get dressed and mee
t you in the kitchen,” I protested.

He laughed
“Maybe you should start leaving some actual clothing up here then.”

I
rolled my eyes. “It’s not like I’ve had male guests up here before.”

“Actually, you’re wrong there. I was an overnight guest
here once.”

“Oh yeah, excuse me for forgetting that. You were unremarkable.”

“I was unconscious,” he protested.

“L
ife is so unfair is it? Only time you’ll ever be in this bed and you dozed right through it. If I had feelings for you they’d be hurt.”

“Never say never,” he smiled confidently.

“Let me borrow your grandmother’s quilt?”

“What? Nana’s quilt? That will take longer than we have. I can’t be running back to the farm…” his eyes widened. “Oh you mean this
?” He reached behind the rocker and tossed it over me. “Upon closer examination I realized that is not, in fact made by anyone in my family.”

I
narrowed my eyes.

He grinned.
“I’m pretty sure that came from Pottery Barn or something.”

“Because
?”

“Oh, well, my g
randmother never quilted a day in her life—the only sewing she did was in a surgery. The only quilts she has were made by her friends. Besides, any Southerner worth his salt would see that one isn’t an actual pattern.”

“You really are quite an ass.”

“Some would argue I’m pretty charming,” he said.

I
stretched then shucked the robe slowly then lay back down and wrapped up in the quilt.

H
e shook his head, “You are a real piece of work.”

“Some might argue I have quite an ass though.”

“I have heard such an argument somewhere pretty recently,” he said.

“Pity there’s no proof.”

“Indeed,” he nodded sadly. “I guess the only satisfaction I’m going to get from you today is that information on Anita.”

I
stretched and smiled victoriously before getting back to business. “Anita is dispassionate on the exterior, very methodical, and she has the best stats on wildlife survival in our group. I always think of her as a strong advocate for the weak. Bridle Springs is so small I’m surprised you don’t know more about her.”

“
She isn’t a native of this county, so there’s no family gossip about her background. She’s a counselor at the school, but keeps mostly to herself.”

“Hmm
, wonder what brought her here?”

“Maybe the same thing that brought you
?”

I
shuddered, “I sincerely hope not.”

J
ared gave me a curious look so I forged on briskly. “As for Mae, you know her better than I do; you are a homeboy here after all. But I do know Mae was into the environment and writing those books and she and Herb were married once. Mae had quite an ego about being an author and I heard from Lucy they had a tight pre-nup before they married and divorced.”

“How’d she know a thing like that
?”

“You know Lucy, she’s a man eater
. I’m pretty sure she heard it from one of the deputies.”

J
ared frowned, “We just discovered they never officially filed. Rumor has it they were trying to wait each other out for some reason. Anita took Mae to the courthouse a couple of days ago at Bill’s request. He was getting frustrated and wanted to make sure Mae got it done, but Mae was missing part of the forms.”

“So..
. did she get around to changing her will?”

“Nope, Herb still is
the beneficiary.”

“Huh,
maybe she was subconsciously hoping to give it another shot? Yikes, that would have hurt Bill, I guess. Although, it's probably only natural since they were spending so much time together. She was working on one of her “how to” books with Herb about living off the land,” I said significantly.

“Or maybe she just forgot some paperwork,” he
said. “Remember, if you hear hooves pounding...”

“I know,” I said “Think horses not zebras.”

I started to mention the few pages of legal documents I had noticed in Anita’s car but thought better of it. Mae had probably left them there as an oversight and it would just focus unwanted and undeserved attention on Anita for her good deed of driving Mae to the courthouse. One thing I was certain of, Anita was above reproach.

“Didn’t you think it was odd that Mae and Herb spent so much time together
?” I asked.

H
e nodded, “The living off the land stuff; that’s in Herb's wheelhouse.” Jared said. “I guess even if Bill had been jealous he was logical enough to see it only made sense for them to work on that together.”

“Yeah,
I think Herb was teaching her the subject so she could write it. I imagine those books entail a lot of research.”

“
We’ll check on that,” Jared said flipping the small notebook shut.

J
ust then the doorbell rang. “I'll answer it,” Jared offered.

“Are you mad
?” I screeched. “It’s early morning. I am wearing practically nothing. I'm in my bed! Don't you move,” I warned, “and close your eyes.”

“
Oh you flaunt it fine when it’s your idea, so not a chance,” he laughed.

F
orgoing all modesty I jumped up and tied the sash on my wisp of a robe. I gave him a withering look before I raced down to the door.

“Your key is missing!” Lucy said accusingly. “And you locked the door? Jared's truck is here. What’s goin’ on
?” She was so hopeful I almost hated to let her down. 

“Much less than meets the eye.”

She gave me a long glance, head to toe, particularly taking in the sheer robe.

“I should hope not,” she said, smiling.

“Oh don’t get all atwitter; he stopped by to tell me we may be quarantined until they find out the cause of death on Mae. Then he thought I might be able to shed some light on Anita and Mae’s relationship.”

“Did he now
?” Lucy grinned and pushed past me.

S
he trotted off to the kitchen, tapped the button on the coffee machine, making a cup for each of us and an extra for Jared. While the machine ground away I sorted through the laundry and pulled a vintage pair of J Brand jeans from the stack and hurriedly struggled into them and pulled off the robe. Then she handed me my cup, and I helplessly followed her back up to my bedroom.

“Hi Jared,” she said brightly, “blonde and strong like your
women right?” She looked pointedly at me then handed him his cup and settled cross-legged on the bed, patting a place beside her for me to sit.

“Here to warn the citizenry are we?
Rumor has it there may be quarantine. My kids are at camp, spouse is in Singapore, and I couldn't think of a more entertaining place to be than Gretchen's house! And look! Double the fun! Can you imagine what double the fun might be like?”

J
ared closed his eyes and shook his head.

L
ucy spoke up again excitedly “Did you hear Bill and Anita had words at the Oasis?”

I
spoke up, “Maybe Bill had a roving eye and was trying to get something started with Anita?”