enough that you’re keeping me in suspense,” Ella Mae said. “What happened at the Realtor’s?”
Her mother sprinkled pepper on the inside of her bun and reassembled her own catfish sandwich. “We left an offer, signed the papers, and wished the agent a nice day. Now we wait. Apparently waiting is our theme today. Where is Sissy?” she asked impatiently.
At that moment, Ella Mae spied Sissy at the far end of the block. Dressed in a creamy linen blouse and a sage green skirt of crinkled cotton, she floated up the sidewalk in her long-legged graceful stride, creating an image of a magnolia blossom being whisked off the branch by a strong breeze.
“We’ve got
trouble
,” she announced, squeezing Ella Mae’s shoulder before taking a seat. “Loralyn Gaynor’s fiancé made an offer on
our
pie shop site right after we left. Apparently, he’s planning to buy it for her as an engagement gift. She’d like to open a deluxe nail salon—one that includes tanning beds.”
Verena was aghast. “Tanning beds! We live in Havenwood, not South Beach! Can’t she just put an addition onto one of her other nail salons?”
Ella Mae no longer felt like eating. “Who’s her fiancé?”
“You could have knocked me over with a feather whenthe agent told me, but Loralyn is engaged to Bradford Knox.” Sissy took a long sip of sweet tea.
Adelaide put down her sandwich and scrutinized her sister. “Knox? Are you sure? Bradford isn’t Loralyn’s usual kind of…prey. He’s smart, savvy, and was utterly devoted to his late wife. Why would he want to marry such an overt—”
“Bloodsucker!” Verena bellowed.
“Phony?” Dee suggested quietly.
Shooting her sisters an impatient glance, Adelaide said, “I was going to call her a gold digger, but I suppose your adjectives are just as accurate.”
“I remember hearing about Dr. and Mrs. Knox when I was a teenager.” Ella Mae pushed her plate aside and leaned on her elbows in order to look at each of the women at the table. “He was an equine vet and she ran a horse camp for children with disabilities. Some of the kids in my school used to volunteer there. What happened to her? To Mrs. Knox?”
Sissy frowned. “Ovarian cancer. It happened about five years ago and word has it that Bradford hasn’t so much as
glanced
at another woman since. He’s a good-looking man and has a successful practice, though I’ve heard that he sees fewer and fewer patients these days.”
“Only the wealthy ones,” Dee said with a hint of accusation. “Thoroughbreds.”
Verena shrugged and picked up a rib. “And why not? He’s almost seventy and he’s worked his whole life. He can be selective with his clientele now. But why wouldn’t he be equally selective about the second Mrs. Knox?”
Her mother shrugged, clearly ready to drop the subject. “She must have something to offer.”
Sissy let out a moan. “I do
not
want to think about what that ill-mannered tramp has to offer. We all know it isn’t a sweet disposition or a kind heart.” She shook her head, as though regretting her choice of words. “Let’s forget aboutLoralyn. I’ve left a second bid, higher than her fiancé’s, of course. By this time tomorrow, that darling little retail space will either belong to the LeFayes or to the future Mrs. Knox.”
Everyone began talking at once. Adelaide suggested they look for an alternate location for Ella Mae’s pie shop, Verena recommended holding Bradford Knox hostage until the deal went through, and Sissy counseled patience.
Dee placed both hands flat on the table and her three sisters immediately fell silent and looked at her expectantly.
“I happen to know the seller,” she said softly. “He’s a client, actually.”
Sissy clicked her tongue sympathetically. “He lost a pet?”
Dee nodded. “Yes, a cockatiel named Paco. I’m not finished with his sculpture yet—Paco’s crest has been giving me trouble—but if I worked really hard this
Her mother sprinkled pepper on the inside of her bun and reassembled her own catfish sandwich. “We left an offer, signed the papers, and wished the agent a nice day. Now we wait. Apparently waiting is our theme today. Where is Sissy?” she asked impatiently.
At that moment, Ella Mae spied Sissy at the far end of the block. Dressed in a creamy linen blouse and a sage green skirt of crinkled cotton, she floated up the sidewalk in her long-legged graceful stride, creating an image of a magnolia blossom being whisked off the branch by a strong breeze.
“We’ve got
trouble
,” she announced, squeezing Ella Mae’s shoulder before taking a seat. “Loralyn Gaynor’s fiancé made an offer on
our
pie shop site right after we left. Apparently, he’s planning to buy it for her as an engagement gift. She’d like to open a deluxe nail salon—one that includes tanning beds.”
Verena was aghast. “Tanning beds! We live in Havenwood, not South Beach! Can’t she just put an addition onto one of her other nail salons?”
Ella Mae no longer felt like eating. “Who’s her fiancé?”
“You could have knocked me over with a feather whenthe agent told me, but Loralyn is engaged to Bradford Knox.” Sissy took a long sip of sweet tea.
Adelaide put down her sandwich and scrutinized her sister. “Knox? Are you sure? Bradford isn’t Loralyn’s usual kind of…prey. He’s smart, savvy, and was utterly devoted to his late wife. Why would he want to marry such an overt—”
“Bloodsucker!” Verena bellowed.
“Phony?” Dee suggested quietly.
Shooting her sisters an impatient glance, Adelaide said, “I was going to call her a gold digger, but I suppose your adjectives are just as accurate.”
“I remember hearing about Dr. and Mrs. Knox when I was a teenager.” Ella Mae pushed her plate aside and leaned on her elbows in order to look at each of the women at the table. “He was an equine vet and she ran a horse camp for children with disabilities. Some of the kids in my school used to volunteer there. What happened to her? To Mrs. Knox?”
Sissy frowned. “Ovarian cancer. It happened about five years ago and word has it that Bradford hasn’t so much as
glanced
at another woman since. He’s a good-looking man and has a successful practice, though I’ve heard that he sees fewer and fewer patients these days.”
“Only the wealthy ones,” Dee said with a hint of accusation. “Thoroughbreds.”
Verena shrugged and picked up a rib. “And why not? He’s almost seventy and he’s worked his whole life. He can be selective with his clientele now. But why wouldn’t he be equally selective about the second Mrs. Knox?”
Her mother shrugged, clearly ready to drop the subject. “She must have something to offer.”
Sissy let out a moan. “I do
not
want to think about what that ill-mannered tramp has to offer. We all know it isn’t a sweet disposition or a kind heart.” She shook her head, as though regretting her choice of words. “Let’s forget aboutLoralyn. I’ve left a second bid, higher than her fiancé’s, of course. By this time tomorrow, that darling little retail space will either belong to the LeFayes or to the future Mrs. Knox.”
Everyone began talking at once. Adelaide suggested they look for an alternate location for Ella Mae’s pie shop, Verena recommended holding Bradford Knox hostage until the deal went through, and Sissy counseled patience.
Dee placed both hands flat on the table and her three sisters immediately fell silent and looked at her expectantly.
“I happen to know the seller,” she said softly. “He’s a client, actually.”
Sissy clicked her tongue sympathetically. “He lost a pet?”
Dee nodded. “Yes, a cockatiel named Paco. I’m not finished with his sculpture yet—Paco’s crest has been giving me trouble—but if I worked really hard this
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