chopping their heads off and sticking them in vases around his house.’ I, for one, think flowers belong in and outside of the house. Thank you, again, Jack.”
He watched her for a moment and finally said, “What a desolate place would be a world without a flower. It would be a face without a smile, a feast without a welcome. Are not flowers the stars of the earth, and are not our stars the flowers of the heavens?’”
“ Wow. I love that. Who said it?”
“ A.J. Balfour. Don’t ask me who he is or how I remember it, I just do,” he laughed, giving her a smile that rattled her.
She set the vase down a little too forcefully in the center of her small kitchen table and stood back to admire the flowers, telling herself she was immune to Jack's smile.
“ I love sunflowers. They’re one of my favorite flowers. That was so nice of you. And totally unnecessary.”
“ Are you doing all right this morning?” His expression changed to one of concern.
“ Yes, I’m fine. I slept like a baby.” She made an attempt at a confident smile. “Well . . . “ she said, clearing her throat. “ . . . are you ready?”
As she locked the front door, he said, “I thought you weren’t goin’ to let Lou work you too hard. Here you are heading off to work again, first thing in the morning, two days in a row.”
“ Lou’s trying to catch up with all the work that’s backed up since her former employee left, so I offered to help out. I don’t mind. Yesterday was fun. I met a lot of people.” They stepped out onto the tree-lined sidewalk and started toward town in an amiable silence.
Finally Jack spoke. “So, Tess Tremaine, what’s your story?”
“ Mister, my story is longer and stronger than you have time for,” she said lightly, although she was totally serious.
“ Oooooh, a mystery, I like mysteries.”
“ Yes, I know. After all, you are a mystery writer. Unfortunately, my story isn’t a mystery, it’s just a mess.” She made a show of looking at the flower garden in the yard they were passing. She was uncomfortable talking about herself.
“ Ah, a woman with baggage.”
“ Baggage out the wazoo, mister.”
“ Wazoo. Define that term please.”
“ Oh, don’t get cute with me. You tell me your story.”
“ You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine,” he said in a Grocho Marx imitation.
“ Uh, I believe the saying is show. Show me yours and I’ll show you mine.”
“ Okay, we can do that too, if you want.” Their eyes met, and he held them, giving her a challenging smile.
He was embarrassing her. She couldn't hold his gaze. She gave him a wry smile, shook her head, and kept walking.
“ All right. I’ll quit teasing you. You’re just so much fun to tease.” His voice got serious and he said quietly, “I worried about you last night. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“ You worried about me? Aw, Jack, it was only a break-in. And I told you—I’m fine. Do you visit all of the home invasion victims in town?”
He laughed. “The easy answer is no, because we rarely have home invasions in Goose Pimple Junction. The totally honest answer is no, because you’re a special case, Tess Tremaine.”
When she blushed, he added kiddingly, “You’re new in town. I just want you to feel welcome.”
“ Of course. That’s very nice of you, Jack.” She tried to suppress a wide smile.
“ I noticed some photographs in your house yesterday but never got a chance to ask—you have a son?”
“ Yes, he’s twenty-five.”
“ You're not old enough to have a grown kid.”
“ Unfortunately, I am.”
“ Where does he live?”
“ Alabama. How about you? Kids?”
“ I have a daughter. She's twenty-five.”
“ Isn't that coincidental. Should we introduce them?”
“ Maybe,” Jack said, with the accent on be.
“ And how’s your book comin’ along?”
“ Oh, it’s coming I guess.”
“ And you still have my e-mail address, right?”
“ That I do.”
“ Well, I hope
He watched her for a moment and finally said, “What a desolate place would be a world without a flower. It would be a face without a smile, a feast without a welcome. Are not flowers the stars of the earth, and are not our stars the flowers of the heavens?’”
“ Wow. I love that. Who said it?”
“ A.J. Balfour. Don’t ask me who he is or how I remember it, I just do,” he laughed, giving her a smile that rattled her.
She set the vase down a little too forcefully in the center of her small kitchen table and stood back to admire the flowers, telling herself she was immune to Jack's smile.
“ I love sunflowers. They’re one of my favorite flowers. That was so nice of you. And totally unnecessary.”
“ Are you doing all right this morning?” His expression changed to one of concern.
“ Yes, I’m fine. I slept like a baby.” She made an attempt at a confident smile. “Well . . . “ she said, clearing her throat. “ . . . are you ready?”
As she locked the front door, he said, “I thought you weren’t goin’ to let Lou work you too hard. Here you are heading off to work again, first thing in the morning, two days in a row.”
“ Lou’s trying to catch up with all the work that’s backed up since her former employee left, so I offered to help out. I don’t mind. Yesterday was fun. I met a lot of people.” They stepped out onto the tree-lined sidewalk and started toward town in an amiable silence.
Finally Jack spoke. “So, Tess Tremaine, what’s your story?”
“ Mister, my story is longer and stronger than you have time for,” she said lightly, although she was totally serious.
“ Oooooh, a mystery, I like mysteries.”
“ Yes, I know. After all, you are a mystery writer. Unfortunately, my story isn’t a mystery, it’s just a mess.” She made a show of looking at the flower garden in the yard they were passing. She was uncomfortable talking about herself.
“ Ah, a woman with baggage.”
“ Baggage out the wazoo, mister.”
“ Wazoo. Define that term please.”
“ Oh, don’t get cute with me. You tell me your story.”
“ You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine,” he said in a Grocho Marx imitation.
“ Uh, I believe the saying is show. Show me yours and I’ll show you mine.”
“ Okay, we can do that too, if you want.” Their eyes met, and he held them, giving her a challenging smile.
He was embarrassing her. She couldn't hold his gaze. She gave him a wry smile, shook her head, and kept walking.
“ All right. I’ll quit teasing you. You’re just so much fun to tease.” His voice got serious and he said quietly, “I worried about you last night. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“ You worried about me? Aw, Jack, it was only a break-in. And I told you—I’m fine. Do you visit all of the home invasion victims in town?”
He laughed. “The easy answer is no, because we rarely have home invasions in Goose Pimple Junction. The totally honest answer is no, because you’re a special case, Tess Tremaine.”
When she blushed, he added kiddingly, “You’re new in town. I just want you to feel welcome.”
“ Of course. That’s very nice of you, Jack.” She tried to suppress a wide smile.
“ I noticed some photographs in your house yesterday but never got a chance to ask—you have a son?”
“ Yes, he’s twenty-five.”
“ You're not old enough to have a grown kid.”
“ Unfortunately, I am.”
“ Where does he live?”
“ Alabama. How about you? Kids?”
“ I have a daughter. She's twenty-five.”
“ Isn't that coincidental. Should we introduce them?”
“ Maybe,” Jack said, with the accent on be.
“ And how’s your book comin’ along?”
“ Oh, it’s coming I guess.”
“ And you still have my e-mail address, right?”
“ That I do.”
“ Well, I hope
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