might have come from the same mold, you know.” She grunted her disgust and then murmured, “Kristina Papien and Bill Mutton have secrets. You don’t think they’re involved in this, do you?”
I opened my mouth when a knock came on the door. We jumped at the same time, looked at one another, and giggled over our nervousness. BettyJo sauntered to the front door.
I heard BettyJo say, “Come in, we were just having a glass of wine. Join us, Mr. Sinclair, please.”
My heart simultaneously raced and plummeted. First off, I was excited at seeing him, this man of my dreams. My second issue was the fact that he’d hovered in the shadowed parking area. That had sent my nerves jangling like old tin pots crashing together.
A smile plastered on my face, I greeted Aidan when he walked into the card reading area. He returned the greeting and sat on a nearby chair.
“How did your meeting go, lass?” Aidan asked me.
“We didn’t learn anything of value. The group has agreed to help in any way possible, but frankly, I’m not hopeful.”
BettyJo gave me a wide-eyed look, but kept her comments to herself. She poured a glass of wine for Aidan and handed it to him. He sniffed the bouquet and swirled the wine in the glass. I wondered if he thought it was a collector’s wine instead of a recent vintage. I hid my smile and waited.
“Good wine. Nice bouquet,” Aidan said teasingly.
“I only buy the best, Mr. Sinclair.” BettyJo laughed and asked if I wanted more. I shook my head and covered the glass with my hand when she attempted to refill it.
“Too bad you couldn’t get the information you so badly sought, lass. I did hope you’d have success, even though it could be dangerous for you both,” Aidan remarked.
I asked, “You didn’t happen to notice anything out of the ordinary the night I found Mrs. Peterson, did you, Aidan?”
His brows drew together. He considered the question, then shook his head. “No, sorry, I didn’t see anything. I was late for class, anyway, my business meeting lasted longer that I’d anticipated, and there wouldn’t have been the chance.”
My cell phone rang. With a nod at Aidan’s reply to my query, I answered the call.
“Do you want to talk about what I saw tonight while I have you on the phone?” Seanmhair asked. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you. Everything all right?”
“If you give me a second, I’ll answer your questions,” I said and chuckled at her rapid-fire questions. “BettyJo and I are having a chat, and Aidan just stopped by. Why don’t we talk in the morning?”
“Sure, if you want to wait that long. I noticed a couple things of interest, so if you’re not too much longer, call me back and we’ll talk. My old bones are tired, but there are things you need to know.”
“Right, well, I’ll be in touch, then,” I answered.
BettyJo and Aidan turned as I ended the call. I smiled, but didn’t offer an explanation concerning the caller. Instead, I stared at Aidan. A few things about him had started to bother me. Now was as good a time as any to find out more about him.
“The other day, Seanmhair said she saw you leaving Sharpner’s. Will you be doing business with them?” I wanted to know.
His eyes steady, Aidan never flicked an eyelash or blinked. Instead, he covered his yawn and then smiled.
Answering my question with one of his own, he asked, “What was your gran doing down there? It’s not the best neighborhood.”
“She’d had to take a detour in order to get home,” I remarked. “When she stopped at the traffic light, she saw you.”
“Ah.” Aidan grinned, that gorgeous way he had. He fairly oozed charm and sexuality. I heard BettyJo’s sharp intake of breath. He’d won her over with a single smile. Crap. “I’m in the alcohol business, lass, and in search of American distributors. This is the first city on my list of possible places where I’d like to see my beer sold.”
“That mystery is solved, then. I’ll be sure
I opened my mouth when a knock came on the door. We jumped at the same time, looked at one another, and giggled over our nervousness. BettyJo sauntered to the front door.
I heard BettyJo say, “Come in, we were just having a glass of wine. Join us, Mr. Sinclair, please.”
My heart simultaneously raced and plummeted. First off, I was excited at seeing him, this man of my dreams. My second issue was the fact that he’d hovered in the shadowed parking area. That had sent my nerves jangling like old tin pots crashing together.
A smile plastered on my face, I greeted Aidan when he walked into the card reading area. He returned the greeting and sat on a nearby chair.
“How did your meeting go, lass?” Aidan asked me.
“We didn’t learn anything of value. The group has agreed to help in any way possible, but frankly, I’m not hopeful.”
BettyJo gave me a wide-eyed look, but kept her comments to herself. She poured a glass of wine for Aidan and handed it to him. He sniffed the bouquet and swirled the wine in the glass. I wondered if he thought it was a collector’s wine instead of a recent vintage. I hid my smile and waited.
“Good wine. Nice bouquet,” Aidan said teasingly.
“I only buy the best, Mr. Sinclair.” BettyJo laughed and asked if I wanted more. I shook my head and covered the glass with my hand when she attempted to refill it.
“Too bad you couldn’t get the information you so badly sought, lass. I did hope you’d have success, even though it could be dangerous for you both,” Aidan remarked.
I asked, “You didn’t happen to notice anything out of the ordinary the night I found Mrs. Peterson, did you, Aidan?”
His brows drew together. He considered the question, then shook his head. “No, sorry, I didn’t see anything. I was late for class, anyway, my business meeting lasted longer that I’d anticipated, and there wouldn’t have been the chance.”
My cell phone rang. With a nod at Aidan’s reply to my query, I answered the call.
“Do you want to talk about what I saw tonight while I have you on the phone?” Seanmhair asked. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you. Everything all right?”
“If you give me a second, I’ll answer your questions,” I said and chuckled at her rapid-fire questions. “BettyJo and I are having a chat, and Aidan just stopped by. Why don’t we talk in the morning?”
“Sure, if you want to wait that long. I noticed a couple things of interest, so if you’re not too much longer, call me back and we’ll talk. My old bones are tired, but there are things you need to know.”
“Right, well, I’ll be in touch, then,” I answered.
BettyJo and Aidan turned as I ended the call. I smiled, but didn’t offer an explanation concerning the caller. Instead, I stared at Aidan. A few things about him had started to bother me. Now was as good a time as any to find out more about him.
“The other day, Seanmhair said she saw you leaving Sharpner’s. Will you be doing business with them?” I wanted to know.
His eyes steady, Aidan never flicked an eyelash or blinked. Instead, he covered his yawn and then smiled.
Answering my question with one of his own, he asked, “What was your gran doing down there? It’s not the best neighborhood.”
“She’d had to take a detour in order to get home,” I remarked. “When she stopped at the traffic light, she saw you.”
“Ah.” Aidan grinned, that gorgeous way he had. He fairly oozed charm and sexuality. I heard BettyJo’s sharp intake of breath. He’d won her over with a single smile. Crap. “I’m in the alcohol business, lass, and in search of American distributors. This is the first city on my list of possible places where I’d like to see my beer sold.”
“That mystery is solved, then. I’ll be sure
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