A Minute on the Lips (14 page)

Andi put her hand over Gram’s. “Because I love you, Gram.”

“And I love you, whether you’re down the road or hundreds of miles away.” She smoothed out the dishcloth and admired her work. “But if you’d stopped carrying too much guilt over things you can’t change, or if you didn’t ask so much of yourself, these last two years would have been completely different. You’re good at your job. You’re a good person. But you care too much what other people think. You were going to apologize to Rose at lunch, weren’t you?”

Andi shrugged. “It’s a reflex. I almost had to bite my tongue off to keep the words inside, but I think I realized then that the only person I need to worry about pleasing is you, Gram. I’ll never be able to make everyone else happy, so I need to concentrate on the most important person. As long as you’re happy, who cares what everyone else thinks?”

Gram shook her head mournfully. “For such a smart girl, Andi, you surprise me sometimes.”

Andi had no idea what she was talking about, and she had a pretty good feeling it showed on her face.

Gram tapped Andi on the arm with her crochet hook. “I’m not the most important one. You are. You’re the person you need to please. And if that means heading back to Atlanta, you need to go. If that means calling Mark Taylor and demanding a second date, then you better do it. That’d be
my
choice. The clock’s ticking, Andi.”

She picked up the yarn again. “You asked me how I stay here. The truth is that I have a lot of family in Tall Pines. If you go back to Atlanta, Tammy’s still here. So is Margaret. And Mona. Edna and Rose. And we’re family whether we’re fighting like cats and dogs or giggling over cards. Always will be. So stop worrying about me and figure out what you want.”

Andi wasn’t surprised at her grandmother’s words. She’d heard parts of this speech in the early days when they were still fighting over Shady Pines and where Andi should live. And she knew Gram was right. She had a family here in Tall Pines who would take care of her. It was that kind of place. Everybody knew everybody and interfered way too much in their business but that was the way family worked best, when it was close.

Andi was too tired to figure it all out right then. She rested her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. As she lay there, she remembered so many Saturday afternoons spent at her grandmother’s house, doing the same while she listened to her grandparents talk and laugh and argue. How nice it had been to know she was safe with them, and because things never seemed to change, she’d thought they never would. Change had always surprised her. She didn’t know what it was like to make a decision that forced a change.

Maybe now was the time to try.

“Gram, do you think it’s too late to make a change?”

Her grandmother snorted. “Andi, I don’t even know who or what you’re talking about, but the answer is no. It’s never too late.” Andi twisted her head to see that her grandmother was very serious and a little annoyed at the question.

“Look at me. I moved here to Shady Pines, something I once said was the same as giving up, and I’ve never regretted it for a minute. Card games, lunch with my friends, shopping and so little housework I can’t even remember how to turn on the vacuum cleaner. I made a decision, made a change, and am happier for it.” She looked over her glasses. “Does this have anything to do with the newspaper editor?”

“Maybe a little, but it’s just...I feel stuck. And I don’t think it’s all about Tall Pines. I might feel the same in Atlanta.”

Gram went back to crocheting. “The thing about change is it’s scary. It’s always scary, whether you make the decision or it happens to you. But that’s when things get interesting.”

Andi looked up at the ceiling. “I wish I knew what Mark was thinking. Are we working or is it...”

“Maybe forget about him and figure out what you’re thinking. Is it work or is it more?”

“I’d know the answer to that if he’d kissed me, Gram. Think that means anything?” Even the thought that she might want something more made her heart pound. It was the old familiar feeling of anxiety that had accompanied most of the changes she’d been through, but the zing of restless anticipation was new.

Gram laughed. “Give it some time. When your grandpa dropped me off at the door after our first date, he shook my hand, and even that looked like it was done against his better judgment. It took him a while to build up steam but once he had it, he never lost it.”

“Sheesh, Gram.” It was an old routine of theirs. Andi pretended to be embarrassed and Gram pretended to care. Andi pulled her cell phone out of her purse. She had forgotten the text in the excitement of tuna casserole and chocolate cake.

First Andi turned the ringer back on and touched the message icon. The text she’d been trying to read all morning was from Mark.

Good morning, beautiful sheriff. I hope you slept well. When can we go out again? Lunch plans?

And Andi regretted her near panic attack. But she was happy. And sorry she’d overslept, missed his message and his offer.

She texted back.
Sorry. Just read your message. Overslept and had to rush to get Gram to church. Lunch: Shady Pines tuna casserole. You?
She couldn’t resist typing another message.
Have a flash of crime-solving inspiration overnight?

Gram was watching Andi closely. After a quick glance at her tapping foot, her grandmother asked, “Did he send you an email?”

Andi nodded. “A text. He wanted to go for lunch, so I answered that I missed it because I was late for church.” She clutched the phone to her chest. “He called me ‘beautiful sheriff.’” Of course he did. He was a dyed-in-the-wool flirt.

Gram’s brow wrinkled before she shrugged. “Well, it’s not a bad thing but you’d expect something better from a writer, wouldn’t you?”

It was perfect. She was beginning to think Mark Taylor would always say the right thing to her. Andi straightened up. “But look, he spelled out all the words!”

Andi hated text abbreviations. She hoped he did, too. When her phone dinged again, Andi shushed Gram as if she couldn’t read while her grandmother spoke.

His answer:
Sorry I missed that. Hate tuna casserole but would’ve liked to eat with Gram. Can’t do dinner, Mom’s here. Catch you tomorrow?

When Andi read his answer, she was disappointed. There was no other word for it. And then she felt like an idiot. It was one date. One
working
date.

Andi texted back:
Yes, definitely. I’ll drop by tomorrow night to talk Jackie’s case? Strictly OFF THE RECORD.
Andi hit Send before she could talk herself out of it.

“Well, what did he say?” Gram asked.

“He can’t go to dinner because his mother’s in town.” Andi looked up as her phone beeped again. “So I’ll see him tomorrow, find out if he has any new leads, and it’ll be good.” She smiled nonchalantly. Or tried to.

His answering text was one word:
And?

Andi didn’t know how to pass along rolling eyes in a text so she sent back,
And what?
Andi could picture his smirk when he got her message.

And you’ll miss me until then, right?
Andi snorted. Gram raised her eyebrows, but Andi didn’t explain. She texted back,
Not nearly as much as you’ll miss me.

She dropped the phone on the couch cushion, satisfied that she’d gotten the last word in. When it beeped again, Andi shook her head. She liked that he texted. She liked that he spelled out words fully instead of relying on stupid strings of consonants. But he might be too smart. She’d probably never get the last word in.

When she read his answer, Andi decided she didn’t care so much this time.

I’m afraid you may be absolutely right.

Andi had to wrap her arms tightly around her abdomen to contain the laugh of joy that wanted to escape. He missed her. He made her smile. And she had a sinking feeling that she was in serious, serious trouble with him. Her heart was in danger and that was one thing she never messed around with.

CHAPTER TEN

O
N
M
ONDAY
MORNING
, Lori greeted Andi with her customary shark-toothed smile. Andi much preferred Nettie’s “Good morning, Sheriff, hon” but she’d started taking Mondays off to join the gang over at Shady Pines for a game of...whatever it was they played. Gram was pretty vague when Andi asked so she took that to mean it was a game of high-stakes something or other, and it was better the sheriff knew nothing about it.

Andi kept expecting Nettie, Edna and Miss Margaret to move into units over at Shady Pines. At that point, they’d have to change the name to The Sorority House because shenanigans would ensue. There’d probably be brawls in the street, too, so Andi didn’t encourage Nettie to consider it.

Andi filled a mug with coffee and leaned against the counter to try making civil small talk with Lori. “Mornin’, Lori. Have a good weekend?”

Lori blew a big pink bubble and let it pop before she answered. “Not quite as good as yours, as I hear it.” She tilted her head forward as if she were ready to hear Andi’s spilled beans at any time. Andi smiled. It was a fake one and Lori could probably tell, but that was all she was getting.

Finally, Lori shrugged. “I guess it was fine. The kids stayed over at Daddy’s, and Ralph and I took a little trip, just the two of us, to shop and see a movie.” Ralph was her second husband, and he seemed interested in making Lori happy. They hadn’t been married for very long, but he’d lost his job at the hardware store right after the wedding. It was difficult to find good jobs in Tall Pines, so money had to be tight. An overnight trip must have seemed like a nice getaway. Andi didn’t know firsthand, but she imagined twin boys could be a handful.

Andi sipped her coffee and said, “That sounds like fun. Did you see anything good?”

Lori smiled, and this time it held a little more warmth. “We watched that new alien movie, the one with the guy from the soap opera?”

Andi had no idea who she was talking about, but she nodded.

“It was pretty good. Maybe you can get Mark to take you next weekend.” The look on her face said she had her doubts that Mark would be taking Andi anywhere as nice as that movie theater. In fact, Lori clearly had no idea why Mark would take her anywhere, ever.

“I’m glad you had a good weekend. The kids enjoy time out at the farm?” Ray lived about ten miles outside of town and had some horses. The boys should have been overjoyed to run wild out there. Andi glanced over Lori’s shoulder where two towheaded toddlers dressed as cowboys smiled from a Halloween photo.

Lori waved one hand. “They love it out there. When Ralph finds another job, we’ll be able to do a little more traveling, but it doesn’t fit the budget right now. I think Daddy loves it more than the boys do when they stay. He doesn’t have enough to keep him busy.” There was no doubt in Andi’s mind who Lori blamed for that.

Andi patted the counter. “I guess I better get to work.”

She could feel Lori’s pointy sharp glare right between her shoulder blades as she picked up the weekend reports and walked into her office. Andi spent a lot of time with whoever was working dispatch. She hated when that happened to mean she and Lori were alone. Andi could take her in head-on combat, but Lori had the look of someone who preferred guerilla tactics. To be fair, Andi might have formed that impression because of her father’s preference for the ambush.

After a quick read through of reports that included the usual accidents, lost things, found things and conspiracy theories, Andi filed the paperwork and pulled up her report on the Country Kitchen. She made a few notes about all the conversations she’d had that weekend, then leaned back while her chair made an awful racket to contemplate the ceiling tiles.

She didn’t see any way around it. She’d have to talk to Ray Evans sooner or later, and Andi had a feeling she ought to make it sooner.

Doing her best not to exhale a lengthy, put-upon sigh, Andi picked up her tiny notebook and told Lori, “I’m going to head out to talk to your daddy this morning. I’ll swing by the high school if I have time. Call me on the radio if you need me.”

Lori was surprised and Andi knew she’d lost any advantage an unexpected visit would gain her, but she didn’t figure he’d be storing the trophies on his front porch anyway. She drove around the courthouse square to make sure everything looked fine before she took the highway heading out of town.

Andi maintained a nice, lawful speed all the way and blessed the lack of trailers and RVs that normally slowed traffic. When she turned onto the dirt road that led to the little community Ray lived in, Andi slowed down. She managed to brake in time to narrowly avoid a deer darting across the road. After a long, hot summer, they were a hazard on every road at all times, and she should have been paying better attention. The only thing this week was missing was a phone call to the local wildlife officer. He owed her one or a thousand for the various creatures she’d run off in her time as sheriff, but she didn’t want to listen to the grief she’d get if she hit Bambi. Thank goodness he’d moved fast.

When Andi turned onto the lane up to Ray’s house, she could see him sitting on the porch waiting. He wasn’t happy to see her. The cowboy hat riding low enough to cover his eyes, his crossed arms and his grim face told her he wasn’t going to make this easy.

When she got out of the car and walked over to the porch, Ray said, “Sheriff, what brings you?”

That was the way with Ray. There was never a “good morning” or a polite “how are you?” because he wanted her to know exactly where she stood. Andi could see his influence on his daughter, and she sort of appreciated it. He didn’t like Andi. That part was clear, and she didn’t have to wonder why or how to fix it. With Ray, there was no need for that. Still, she was in the mood to make an effort today.

“Morning, Ray. I can see y’all are overrun with deer out this direction, too.” She made a halfhearted gesture toward the dirt road, but the intense silence that greeted her first lob and his lack of any attempt at a return volley confirmed her suspicions that polite chatter was a waste of time.

She propped her hands on her hips and did her best not to stare too obviously at the dark, older-model pickup truck parked next to a dusty station wagon.

“I wanted to talk to you about Jackie’s missing trophies and recipes.”

He shrugged. “Well, this is something. Sheriff Hotshot come to ask for help just as we’re getting ready to go back to the voters.” He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “Can’t handle it on your own? I was pretty sure
you
thought you knew
everything
.”

Lots of people were good at hiding the truth. They could lie to a person’s face and make him swallow every word and like it, but Ray had never been that sort of man. If she had to guess, he had no idea why she was standing in front of him to talk about Jackie’s case. Her hopes plummeted.

Andi was still feeling the effects of mishandling Ray Evans. She did her best to never make the same mistakes twice, so this time she was going to try honey instead of vinegar.

“I’ve questioned Jackie’s first group of suspects, but I can’t find a real strong motive. I thought you—with all your experience with the troublemakers in this town—might be able to shed some light on who I should look to for general pranks involving the Country Kitchen.”

Andi crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the porch railing. She waited to see if that was enough flattery to pay off. He was inspecting her face carefully.

Finally he nodded. “You know, Andi, I don’t have the same training that you do. I didn’t make it through the FBI academy and spend years working federal cases, but I do know this town.” He straightened his shoulders and tilted his chin up, daring her to argue.

“I’m not stupid, either.” He scratched the ears of an old hound dog that came around the corner of the house to stretch at his feet. “I think you’re here because I might have stolen those things in order to make you look bad.” He snorted. “And I wish I’d thought of that. I might’ve tried it.”

He patted the dog again and leaned back. “But I didn’t. You and I both know I don’t need dirty tricks to win this election. And I don’t think you’re looking for pranksters.” He stood. “Now I’ve done my good deed for the day. I’ve helped the less fortunate. So if you don’t have any more questions, I think you ought to be on your way chasing down the next lead. Good news is you won’t have to do this much longer, hon. When I win, you’ll be free to find something you’re better at than bein’ sheriff.”

Andi didn’t move from her spot on the railing. “The thing is, Ray, I only have your word. Why should I believe you? I know you want to win. And I don’t think there’s anybody in this town better suited to pull this off without a hitch. You have motive and means.” Andi shrugged. “Did you have opportunity?”

She might have seen a gleam of respect in his eyes, but that had to be a trick of light. Andi wouldn’t swear to it and he would have denied it if she’d asked, but Ray sat back down.

“Well, now, Andi, I wasn’t sure you had it in you, but I see you won’t take no for an answer.” He shook his head. “Maybe I should have hired you. Too bad you decided to show off that day. Seemed a little too much like your daddy.”

Andi wrangled her eyebrows back to their normal position. They wanted to fly right off her forehead. She contented herself with a small smile and a nod. “And it’s too bad you can’t let it go. I think we’d have both been happier if you’d hired me, Ray.”

Andi would have bet that she saw calculation in his eyes.

“What about now? If I promise to hire you, will you drop out of the race?”

Andi might believe he hadn’t stolen Jackie’s stuff, but she didn’t trust Ray Evans to keep his word, not one bit. She pretended as well as she could. “I’ll think about it, Ray.”

He nodded once. “Hey, Martha, can you come out here a second?”

His wife appeared in the doorway, and Andi could see how much Lori resembled her mother. Martha walked out of the house with an apron tied around her waist and a dish towel in her hands. She also wore a smile, and Andi wondered at it. A genuine smile from an Evans? Weird. Somehow Martha Evans had missed the “We All Hate Andi Jackson” memo posted on the refrigerator.

“Morning, Sheriff. Everything all right?”

“Yes, ma’am, everything’s fine,” Andi assured her.

“Sheriff Jackson needs me to account for my whereabouts on Wednesday night, Martha. Can you tell her where I was?”

She looked from him to Andi, and she had such an honest look of confusion Andi knew this was another dead end. “Well, we went to church and got home about eight. Then we worked on the bunk beds we got for the boys until after ten. Then we went to bed.”

Andi wrote down a few useless notes. “And Thursday morning?”

She laughed once. “Well, we got up about our normal time, before six. I made breakfast...and what else, Sheriff?”

Andi smiled at Martha, who was her favorite Evans even if she had destroyed the only plausible lead Andi had. “That’s good, Martha. Thanks.”

Martha’s smile didn’t return quickly. “You don’t think Ray broke into the diner, do you? For what possible purpose?” She was confused, and Andi knew her hold on the one positive member of the Evans family was slipping away.

Ray snorted. “She thinks I mighta broken in and taken what I could find to cause her trouble during the election.”

Martha looked thoughtful for a minute, then she nodded. She patted him on the shoulder. “I’d say she knows you pretty well then.” Her smile was back when she turned to Andi. “But this time he didn’t do it, Sheriff. I’ll vouch for him. He mighta taken the trophies as a prank, but he wouldn’t steal Jackie’s money, not even to give you trouble.”

She and Andi exchanged nods, and Martha escaped the porch. Ray’s face was hard to read, but he finally said, “Good luck with the case, Andi.”

“Thanks, Ray.” Andi stepped off the porch and hurried to her car.

After another quick glance at the truck, Andi said, “Hey, Ray, I notice your truck’s pretty clean. Were y’all using that last week to haul the bunk beds and drive in to church?”

He tilted his head and pulled off his cowboy hat. After a quick swipe of his brow, he pushed it back on and stood. “No, I loaned it to Lori last week. She had some car trouble and hers was in the shop. Ralph washed it for me before they picked up the boys this weekend.”

Andi opened the door to the SUV. “All right. Thanks for your time. I do appreciate your help.”

Ray held up a hand. “You wanna tell me why you’re asking about the truck?”

Andi smiled, shook her head and slid into the driver’s seat. She waved once as she backed down the lane. She had to get to the Fall Festival committee meeting at eleven. She’d already attended four other interminable meetings where every possible planning option was discussed—even though they would run everything just like they had for the past twelve years—but she couldn’t miss it. She had to make sure enough people were in place for crowd control. It was the one weekend a year where the whole department worked and Andi called in all the reservists. When she reached the end of the lane, Andi considered asking Ray if he’d like to be involved but headed to town without stopping. Calling on Ray Evans wouldn’t help her get reelected.

When she got back in the office, Andi checked her messages. She’d requested a few state police units to help with the crowds for Saturday’s parade and the chili cook-off. Her normal crew could handle the increase in accidents and petty crime, but it made her feel like everyone was more secure to have the state police present along the route. A voice mail confirmed that four units would be in town on Saturday.

Andi also had a panicked message from Tammy regarding the debate. Since she was about to see her friend at the planning meeting, she deleted it. The last message was from her old boss in Atlanta. As always, Marcus Hightower was direct. “Call me back, Jackson.” One voice mail, four words, and he was probably already annoyed at her delay. She’d have to call him later. She was late. After a disappointing check of her cell for any texts, she walked out.