scones, will you?” Mrs. Palmer winked at Kelly, then ushered Sam toward the office stairs.
Kelly suspected a conspiracy—Myrtle, Dottie, and Mrs. P. were definitely up to something. It was no accident Sam had come to the store. After a moment of thought, Kelly decided she was willing to play along. After a few minor things were cleared up. Like her being married. Maybe Mr. Grayson was just the person to help her with it all.
“Sam.” She corrected herself out loud. She still had his handkerchief. She put it to her nose andinhaled. His clean, bar-of-soap kind of scent lingered around her.
“I think he prefers it to Henry, his given name.” Ginny Palmer came up beside her, grinning her cat-ate-canary grin. “Sam is what folks have called him since he was a child. Yikes, hon, you look…er…here—better take a look.” Ginny pointed to the back room and followed Kelly, chatting on the way.
“Hope you didn’t scare him away,” Ginny said with a laugh. “Henry Samuel Grayson Jr., attorney at law, is the best catch in town. He and his father practice together. Sam went away to law school back East, then surprised us all by coming home to Paradise a year ago. He’s a nice lawyer, and that’s a rare thing.”
Here it comes, Kelly thought. Gossip, Paradise style.
Kelly looked in the mirror and shrieked. Her hair was flying sideways from being flipped over by Sam’s Heimlich maneuver; her lipstick was smeared down to her chin; her eyes were red and teary. Her mascara? She was definitely having a Tammy Faye moment. She started some quick repairs.
“You say he asked you to lunch?” Ginny asked with a smirk on her face.
“Shut up ! This is not amusing.” Kelly laughed. “Well, it is, but please take these scones upstairswhile I fix myself, and then come back and help me find that gum ball I projectiled onto a bikini body, okay? Take pity on the horridly embarrassed new girl.”
“Not a problem. I kind of like you, red dress and all. Even if you are way skinnier than me.” Ginny grabbed the bag of scones and headed out. “At least you can stun him as he exits the building. Make up for it.”
Kelly heard giggles all down the main aisle as Ginny went to the stairs.
She was starting to get a feeling about Sam. He was a great guy. Too great. He was just too damn nice for her. She was a mess, and her smeared lipstick was the least of it. She’d lived a rough life. She wasn’t soft and easy like Ginny. She was complicated and hard-edged and…married. Besides all that some horrible thugs were probably looking for their briefcase full of money by now.
Shoot, that was a new thought, and it chilled her down to the bone. Whatever Raymond had planned for that money had undoubtedly gone very badly, and he’d send them her way.
But who would look for her here ? If they found the car, they could only track her as far as Seattle. She could be anywhere. She hadn’t used her credit cards, and no one was looking for a KellyApplebee. Maybe she was safe. But one thing was for sure; she needed some legal advice.
She squiggled her skirt down a little and tidied up her top, which was twisted sideways.
Ginny came back to warn her that they were almost done upstairs. They both went out on the sales floor and acted…normal.
Lawyer descending a staircase, Kelly thought as she watched Sam out of the corner of her eye. This time she was ready for him. She lifted up her chin and looked his way, smiled, then wiggled her finger at him to come to her. He got very close.
“Miss…I don’t think I got your last name?” Sam asked.
“Applebee. But you can call me Kelly. I mean you saved my life. I think that’s first name stuff, don’t you, Sam?” She hated lying about her name to such a very nice guy. He’d probably never told a lie in his life. Well, maybe. He was a lawyer, after all.
“My pleasure, Kelly.”
“I wonder if you’d mind if I turned our lunch hour into a business meeting? I have a legal matter I
Kelly suspected a conspiracy—Myrtle, Dottie, and Mrs. P. were definitely up to something. It was no accident Sam had come to the store. After a moment of thought, Kelly decided she was willing to play along. After a few minor things were cleared up. Like her being married. Maybe Mr. Grayson was just the person to help her with it all.
“Sam.” She corrected herself out loud. She still had his handkerchief. She put it to her nose andinhaled. His clean, bar-of-soap kind of scent lingered around her.
“I think he prefers it to Henry, his given name.” Ginny Palmer came up beside her, grinning her cat-ate-canary grin. “Sam is what folks have called him since he was a child. Yikes, hon, you look…er…here—better take a look.” Ginny pointed to the back room and followed Kelly, chatting on the way.
“Hope you didn’t scare him away,” Ginny said with a laugh. “Henry Samuel Grayson Jr., attorney at law, is the best catch in town. He and his father practice together. Sam went away to law school back East, then surprised us all by coming home to Paradise a year ago. He’s a nice lawyer, and that’s a rare thing.”
Here it comes, Kelly thought. Gossip, Paradise style.
Kelly looked in the mirror and shrieked. Her hair was flying sideways from being flipped over by Sam’s Heimlich maneuver; her lipstick was smeared down to her chin; her eyes were red and teary. Her mascara? She was definitely having a Tammy Faye moment. She started some quick repairs.
“You say he asked you to lunch?” Ginny asked with a smirk on her face.
“Shut up ! This is not amusing.” Kelly laughed. “Well, it is, but please take these scones upstairswhile I fix myself, and then come back and help me find that gum ball I projectiled onto a bikini body, okay? Take pity on the horridly embarrassed new girl.”
“Not a problem. I kind of like you, red dress and all. Even if you are way skinnier than me.” Ginny grabbed the bag of scones and headed out. “At least you can stun him as he exits the building. Make up for it.”
Kelly heard giggles all down the main aisle as Ginny went to the stairs.
She was starting to get a feeling about Sam. He was a great guy. Too great. He was just too damn nice for her. She was a mess, and her smeared lipstick was the least of it. She’d lived a rough life. She wasn’t soft and easy like Ginny. She was complicated and hard-edged and…married. Besides all that some horrible thugs were probably looking for their briefcase full of money by now.
Shoot, that was a new thought, and it chilled her down to the bone. Whatever Raymond had planned for that money had undoubtedly gone very badly, and he’d send them her way.
But who would look for her here ? If they found the car, they could only track her as far as Seattle. She could be anywhere. She hadn’t used her credit cards, and no one was looking for a KellyApplebee. Maybe she was safe. But one thing was for sure; she needed some legal advice.
She squiggled her skirt down a little and tidied up her top, which was twisted sideways.
Ginny came back to warn her that they were almost done upstairs. They both went out on the sales floor and acted…normal.
Lawyer descending a staircase, Kelly thought as she watched Sam out of the corner of her eye. This time she was ready for him. She lifted up her chin and looked his way, smiled, then wiggled her finger at him to come to her. He got very close.
“Miss…I don’t think I got your last name?” Sam asked.
“Applebee. But you can call me Kelly. I mean you saved my life. I think that’s first name stuff, don’t you, Sam?” She hated lying about her name to such a very nice guy. He’d probably never told a lie in his life. Well, maybe. He was a lawyer, after all.
“My pleasure, Kelly.”
“I wonder if you’d mind if I turned our lunch hour into a business meeting? I have a legal matter I
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