Carter asked.
Ida Belle shrugged. Gertie did the same. I hit mute and whispered, “For heaven’s sake. He can’t see you.”
“And he can’t hear you when the call is muted.” Ida Belle smirked and punched the button once more. “I don’t know what to tell you, Carter. We were as surprised as you are.”
“I’m not surprised, exactly.”
“Just disappointed?” Gertie was phishing for information.
I grabbed the phone, hit mute again, and mouthed, “Stop.”
Gertie snatched the phone, held it against her chest and mouthed, “You’re dead. Remember?”
“Just MIA,” Ida Belle said.
“Spoken like a true covert operative,” Gertie stated proudly.
“Shh!” Ida Belle hit the speaker-option again. “Carter, she left most everything here. She’ll probably return for her belongings… someday .”
Gertie snickered. I narrowed my eyes. I understood what was going on now. They were using their situation with the new television show to find out my situation with Deputy Carter LeBlanc.
“All right then. I guess that’s that.”
“What is it exactly, Carter?” Gertie asked, her eyes twinkling.
“I don’t know and I can’t worry about it. Have you seen Main Street?”
Carter was resilient. I liked that about him.
“No.” Gertie frowned. “What’s going on downtown?”
“If you’re canning like everyone else in Sinful, set it aside for another day. Meet me at the General Store. You’ll want to see this.”
“The General Store?” Anytime Walter’s General Store was mentioned, Ida Belle perked up. “What’s going on over there?”
“You’ll have to see it to believe it,” Carter replied. “Meet me in thirty, ladies.”
“Bye Carter,” Gertie said, shaking her finger at Ida Belle. “See there. You should’ve filled me in the second you heard about the Bayou Babes .”
“What does that show have to do with Walter’s store?”
I shared a laugh with Gertie before she said, “If I were producing that particular show, I’d start at the General Store, too.”
“Well why on earth would you do that?” Ida Belle grunted and crossed her arms. “Walter is a decent man but he doesn’t exemplify star power.”
“Did you hear that, Gertie? He’s a decent man.”
“Wait until I tell him,” Gertie teased.
Ida Belle turned red and clumsily snatched her keys. “Let’s go see what the commotion is all about.”
“Sounds like a fine plan.” I dramatically pulled a chair from the table and took a seat. Smiling up at my aging friends, I couldn’t help but revel in the moment. Since my arrival in Sinful, Gertie and Ida Belle had gone out of their way to embrace me as part of the community, but after they figured out I was a wanted woman—and not in a sexy-kind-of-wanted way—they hovered.
“Now look what you’ve done.” Ida Belle bumped Gertie with her elbow and grabbed her mint green sweater from the coat tree. “Fortune, we’ll come up with something better. We can’t leave you alone like this.”
“Why not?” Perhaps I should’ve reminded them that I was once considered a skilled CIA agent.
“We’ll work on a disguise,” Gertie suggested, turning to Ida Belle and ignoring me.
“I’ll be fine.” Better than fine.
“Without us, you’ll feel like you’re in solitary confinement,” Ida Belle said.
“But I’ll manage.”
“We’re abandoning you in your time of need,” Gertie said.
It was all I could do to keep from doing a jump-split and celebrating. “I’ll let you know if I need anything.”
“Promise to call if you do,” Gertie said, not waiting for my response.
Ida Belle followed Gertie to the porch. I couldn’t help but rejoice with a couple of arm-pumps.
“I saw that!” Ida Belle reached inside the front door and grabbed her small red purse from the table. It was tacky and didn’t look like something Ida Belle would carry but it had been a gift from a secret admirer so she rarely left home without it. “Gertie and I will come
Ida Belle shrugged. Gertie did the same. I hit mute and whispered, “For heaven’s sake. He can’t see you.”
“And he can’t hear you when the call is muted.” Ida Belle smirked and punched the button once more. “I don’t know what to tell you, Carter. We were as surprised as you are.”
“I’m not surprised, exactly.”
“Just disappointed?” Gertie was phishing for information.
I grabbed the phone, hit mute again, and mouthed, “Stop.”
Gertie snatched the phone, held it against her chest and mouthed, “You’re dead. Remember?”
“Just MIA,” Ida Belle said.
“Spoken like a true covert operative,” Gertie stated proudly.
“Shh!” Ida Belle hit the speaker-option again. “Carter, she left most everything here. She’ll probably return for her belongings… someday .”
Gertie snickered. I narrowed my eyes. I understood what was going on now. They were using their situation with the new television show to find out my situation with Deputy Carter LeBlanc.
“All right then. I guess that’s that.”
“What is it exactly, Carter?” Gertie asked, her eyes twinkling.
“I don’t know and I can’t worry about it. Have you seen Main Street?”
Carter was resilient. I liked that about him.
“No.” Gertie frowned. “What’s going on downtown?”
“If you’re canning like everyone else in Sinful, set it aside for another day. Meet me at the General Store. You’ll want to see this.”
“The General Store?” Anytime Walter’s General Store was mentioned, Ida Belle perked up. “What’s going on over there?”
“You’ll have to see it to believe it,” Carter replied. “Meet me in thirty, ladies.”
“Bye Carter,” Gertie said, shaking her finger at Ida Belle. “See there. You should’ve filled me in the second you heard about the Bayou Babes .”
“What does that show have to do with Walter’s store?”
I shared a laugh with Gertie before she said, “If I were producing that particular show, I’d start at the General Store, too.”
“Well why on earth would you do that?” Ida Belle grunted and crossed her arms. “Walter is a decent man but he doesn’t exemplify star power.”
“Did you hear that, Gertie? He’s a decent man.”
“Wait until I tell him,” Gertie teased.
Ida Belle turned red and clumsily snatched her keys. “Let’s go see what the commotion is all about.”
“Sounds like a fine plan.” I dramatically pulled a chair from the table and took a seat. Smiling up at my aging friends, I couldn’t help but revel in the moment. Since my arrival in Sinful, Gertie and Ida Belle had gone out of their way to embrace me as part of the community, but after they figured out I was a wanted woman—and not in a sexy-kind-of-wanted way—they hovered.
“Now look what you’ve done.” Ida Belle bumped Gertie with her elbow and grabbed her mint green sweater from the coat tree. “Fortune, we’ll come up with something better. We can’t leave you alone like this.”
“Why not?” Perhaps I should’ve reminded them that I was once considered a skilled CIA agent.
“We’ll work on a disguise,” Gertie suggested, turning to Ida Belle and ignoring me.
“I’ll be fine.” Better than fine.
“Without us, you’ll feel like you’re in solitary confinement,” Ida Belle said.
“But I’ll manage.”
“We’re abandoning you in your time of need,” Gertie said.
It was all I could do to keep from doing a jump-split and celebrating. “I’ll let you know if I need anything.”
“Promise to call if you do,” Gertie said, not waiting for my response.
Ida Belle followed Gertie to the porch. I couldn’t help but rejoice with a couple of arm-pumps.
“I saw that!” Ida Belle reached inside the front door and grabbed her small red purse from the table. It was tacky and didn’t look like something Ida Belle would carry but it had been a gift from a secret admirer so she rarely left home without it. “Gertie and I will come
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