guard while you’re locked inside his place of employment.
I was halfway home before I began to see the humor in the situation. Jimmy Joe was a cocky little bastard. I began to chuckle at his positive attitude towardescape and his building of air castles about a future romance with yours truly. I decided right then and there that if he ever succeeded in making his way back to his beloved swamp, I just might not be the one to bring him back. I forgave him for warning me not to use my bloodhounds. I didn’t doubt his love of hounds for a minute.
I was feeling quite mellow when I arrived home. If I had known what was in store for me, I would have been wailing and gnashing my teeth. But, as they say around here when something is unexplainable, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows.”
8
“A Broken Promise”
August 25, Sunday, 7:00 P.M
.
J asmine and I decided to eat out, so we went to Pete’s Deli for baby-back ribs, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and beer. I had the beer; Jasmine drank iced tea.
We had chosen a booth on the right and I was sitting facing the doorway. When I saw Brian Colby enter, my gut began to clench even before I spotted Susan directly behind him.
“Susan just arrived with sleazebag Brian. Prepare to smile and make nice.”
“Lord, you were right. Behave…” Jasmine murmured.
A while back, Brian had been a bone of contention that almost ruined my friendship with Susan forever. My intuition—based on Colby’s possessive attitude toward Susan—made me suspect that Colby preyed on women. I had Hank check him out, and he confirmedmy suspicions—Brian had a history of cozying up to women, and then bilking them of their money. Hank had run him out of town and Susan was furious that I had interfered. Now he was back. I’d have to grin and bear it.
“Hey, if it isn’t the dog lady! Howdy, Jo Beth!”
“How are you?” I said as I shook his outstretched hand. I gave a startled Susan a warm smile and held it in place as I stared into Brian’s eyes.
“Oh, I just keep turning up like a bad penny.” He gave an affable chuckle as he placed his arm around Susan. “I bet you never expected to see me again!” He not only wanted to pour salt on the wound, he wanted to rub it in.
“I was sure you’d be back”—I leaned toward him as if I was delivering confidential information—“Susan’s too valuable.”
His eyes narrowed to conceal his hatred. He got my message, Jasmine got my message; in fact, all of God’s children got my message except Susan. Her face was flushed with pleasure that Brian and I had obviously buried the hatchet. Little did she know that we both wished we could bury it between each other’s shoulder blades.
“Join us?”
“Thanks, but not tonight.” Brian answered without consulting Susan. “We have so much catching up to do, but you be sure to call us, you hear?”
He turned Susan adroitly, heading for the rear diningroom where the tables had candles and were barely large enough for two.
“Take a deep breath,” Jasmine suggested, “you’re turning blue.”
“Did you hear that cocky bastard? ‘Call us.’ I’d like to ring his worthless neck!”
“Do you think she’s let him move in with her?”
“No way. Her parents are not only old-fashioned—they are positively Victorian. To them, their image is everything. They want her married and having grandchildren, not shacking up with a jerk who can’t commit. Thank God they still have control over the purse strings. They pay her credit card bills and receive copies of every charge. Brian could only take her for a few hundred before Daddy would tumble to it and go after him with tar and feathers as he had him ridden out of town on a rail.”
“He could still stay over on the sly.”
“Did I mention that Mommy hand-selects and pays for Susan’s daily maid, who cleans, does laundry, picks up dry cleaning, shops to stock refrigerator and larder, and probably listens
I was halfway home before I began to see the humor in the situation. Jimmy Joe was a cocky little bastard. I began to chuckle at his positive attitude towardescape and his building of air castles about a future romance with yours truly. I decided right then and there that if he ever succeeded in making his way back to his beloved swamp, I just might not be the one to bring him back. I forgave him for warning me not to use my bloodhounds. I didn’t doubt his love of hounds for a minute.
I was feeling quite mellow when I arrived home. If I had known what was in store for me, I would have been wailing and gnashing my teeth. But, as they say around here when something is unexplainable, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows.”
8
“A Broken Promise”
August 25, Sunday, 7:00 P.M
.
J asmine and I decided to eat out, so we went to Pete’s Deli for baby-back ribs, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and beer. I had the beer; Jasmine drank iced tea.
We had chosen a booth on the right and I was sitting facing the doorway. When I saw Brian Colby enter, my gut began to clench even before I spotted Susan directly behind him.
“Susan just arrived with sleazebag Brian. Prepare to smile and make nice.”
“Lord, you were right. Behave…” Jasmine murmured.
A while back, Brian had been a bone of contention that almost ruined my friendship with Susan forever. My intuition—based on Colby’s possessive attitude toward Susan—made me suspect that Colby preyed on women. I had Hank check him out, and he confirmedmy suspicions—Brian had a history of cozying up to women, and then bilking them of their money. Hank had run him out of town and Susan was furious that I had interfered. Now he was back. I’d have to grin and bear it.
“Hey, if it isn’t the dog lady! Howdy, Jo Beth!”
“How are you?” I said as I shook his outstretched hand. I gave a startled Susan a warm smile and held it in place as I stared into Brian’s eyes.
“Oh, I just keep turning up like a bad penny.” He gave an affable chuckle as he placed his arm around Susan. “I bet you never expected to see me again!” He not only wanted to pour salt on the wound, he wanted to rub it in.
“I was sure you’d be back”—I leaned toward him as if I was delivering confidential information—“Susan’s too valuable.”
His eyes narrowed to conceal his hatred. He got my message, Jasmine got my message; in fact, all of God’s children got my message except Susan. Her face was flushed with pleasure that Brian and I had obviously buried the hatchet. Little did she know that we both wished we could bury it between each other’s shoulder blades.
“Join us?”
“Thanks, but not tonight.” Brian answered without consulting Susan. “We have so much catching up to do, but you be sure to call us, you hear?”
He turned Susan adroitly, heading for the rear diningroom where the tables had candles and were barely large enough for two.
“Take a deep breath,” Jasmine suggested, “you’re turning blue.”
“Did you hear that cocky bastard? ‘Call us.’ I’d like to ring his worthless neck!”
“Do you think she’s let him move in with her?”
“No way. Her parents are not only old-fashioned—they are positively Victorian. To them, their image is everything. They want her married and having grandchildren, not shacking up with a jerk who can’t commit. Thank God they still have control over the purse strings. They pay her credit card bills and receive copies of every charge. Brian could only take her for a few hundred before Daddy would tumble to it and go after him with tar and feathers as he had him ridden out of town on a rail.”
“He could still stay over on the sly.”
“Did I mention that Mommy hand-selects and pays for Susan’s daily maid, who cleans, does laundry, picks up dry cleaning, shops to stock refrigerator and larder, and probably listens
Similar Books
