“Son!” I could feel my face light up. Anytime someone brought up Grady to me, I couldn’t help but swell with pride. “Do you know him?”
“Know him,” Courtney’s jaw dropped, “yes. He talked to me after my job interview with the school board. I’m the new economics teacher and cheerleading coach at Sugar Creek High School.” She laid a flat hand on her chest. “He is a great guy. Too bad he’s taken,” she teased, and it didn’t sit too well with me.
“I love Julia, his wife, as much as I love him. They are wonderful and expecting my first grand-baby.” I went on and on about how I gave them the farm so they could raise their family there. “I’m so sorry.” I put a hand out. “Once I get started talking about Grady and Julia, I can’t seem to stop.”
“It’s fine.” She didn’t appear to be offended or put off. “It’s nice how he and Julia have someone who loves them so much. Not so much with my family. I guess it’s not a secret Aunt Florence doesn’t have children. She’s getting up in age, and my dad is worried sick about her.”
“Is she okay?” Though I was worried something was wrong with Florence, I took the opportunity to be somewhat. . .shall we say, nosy. “I hope she’s okay.”
“She’s been a little forgetful. And a little forgetful with her money. My dad sent me here to keep an eye on her for what now seems to be permanent until she dies. Not that I want her to die. It’s just hard to move to a new town and new job, then she expects me to do what she wants me to do.” Her face turned red. There was a bit of anger in her tone. “I’m jealous Grady has someone like you. I’m about done with people walking all over me. It’s about time for me to take my life back and take what’s mine.”
I gulped. Courtney Gaines was a little bitter Betty, and I couldn’t help but wondering what it was all about.
“Anyways, enough of my rambling. If Aunt Florence knew I’d even mentioned her name while talking to you, she’d lay down and die.” Courtney picked up the handles, but this time the one wheel in the front was much steadier. “I’ll give you a call when I get ready to put this down. I’m going to need some help.”
“Sure. No problem.” I waved goodbye and watched her walk off.
There was a little tickle in the back of my head that Courtney wanted to tell me more, and I was for sure willing to listen. There was nothing better than gardening and gossip.
Chapter 3
The alarm had to be set wrong because it felt like I’d just laid my head down when it dinged at four a.m., but when my phone rang, I knew it was the right time.
“Good morning, sunshine!” Iris Peabody, my long-time best friend, was the only other person in my life, besides my coworkers, who got up around this time every day. “Time to make the donuts.” She giggled as she mimicked an old-time Dunkin’ Donuts commercial from when we were younger.
Since Iris owned Pie in the Face Bakery, it was very appropriate for her to make such a statement, but not so appropriate to me at four in the morning when I’d yet to peel my eyelids up over my eyeballs.
“Hello?” She was just way too chipper. “I see the day off has done you more harm than good.”
I threw back the covers. Buster and Rowena both darted off the bed. Rowena ran right to her food bowl while Buster ran straight to the front door. Me, I went straight to my coffeepot that already brewed.
“I have to admit, it was nice being able to do what I wanted.” I picked out the biggest mug I had and filled it up to the top. I put a scoop of kibble in Rowena’s bowl and carried my coffee to the front door, where I opened it and headed out with Buster.
He ran out the door, skidded off the front porch, and darted around the house to go do his business in our fenced-in yard.
“And what did you do with yourself?” Iris asked. “I didn’t bother calling you because I wanted you to enjoy your day.”
I could feel she had a big but…followed up by something she needed to tell me.
“I had my potholder knitting class with Leotta at Social Knitwork, and I went to Leaf and Petal, where I got my vegetables to plant in my garden boxes.” I eased down into the rocking chair, and though it was the beginning of summer, there was still a nip in the morning air.
I had a little basket of rolled-up blankets that sat between the two rocking chairs. It was more for decoration than cozy comfort, but this morning I grabbed a blanket, curled my legs up next to me, and put the blanket on my lap while I talked to Iris and sipped my coffee.
Car lights shined down Little Creek Road, which was very odd since it was a dead-end street. All the houses were on the right side of the road, and a little creek ran along the left side. My house was the last one on the street.
“Fabulous,” she said through the phone, and before my very eyes, it was her car that pulled up in front of my house. “Honey, I’m home,” she trilled through the phone before she laughed and hung up.
Buster bolted back around the house and, in a barking fit, met Iris at the gate.
“Hey, Buster. Auntie Iris didn’t forget about you.” She took a specialty dog treat from the lightweight jacket she had on and gave it to him. “I made those especially for my special fur clients.” She patted him on the head and walked up on the porch. “By the look on your sleepy face, you aren’t happy to see me.”
“No, I love seeing you.” I gave her a sideways look. “It’s just that it’s four a.m., and I’d like to say it’s a bit odd you are standing on my front porch. Calling is normal, but in person makes me wonder what’s up.”
I knew I was going to regret saying it because Iris was something different. She wasn’t a psychic or anything, but she got these feelings. It was hard to describe, but it was like she’d ask me if I’d talked to someone that I’d not had communication with in a long time, then out of the blue, I’d see the person or even get a phone call.
Then there were the times she’d say she’d had a feeling about someone being hurt or worse. . .killed, liked she’d had the morning Richard was killed. She called me, adamant that she had a feeling, and told me to call him, which I didn’t because he was in meetings all day. Turned out, Iris’s feeling was right.
“Let’s just say I need a coffee,” Iris said. Her brows knitted with worry. “I’ll be right back.”
Iris helped herself into the house and came back out with her cup, then she sat down in the rocking chair next to me. She glanced over her shoulder at Courtney Gaines’s home she rented from Mac.
“Do you know your new neighbor is Florence Gaines’s niece?” Iris had some information, and she was about to spill her guts.
“Yes. Of course I did. Nice girl. She’s the new gym teacher and cheerleading coach. . .”
“I knew it!” Iris yelled and smacked the arm of the rocking chair with her free hand. “High school. Teacher. Grady.” She sighed with relief.
“What?” I asked. “I may not be awake fully, but I’m not even following you whatsoever. Or do I want to know?”
“I’m not sure.” She took a drink of her coffee and used her fingernail to lightly tap the side of the cup. “I had a feeling about Grady, and I honestly think it’s just about the new girl moving in and you living here, which in turn leads to Grady. Now that I know your neighbor is a teacher with Grady. . .” She trailed off. “Oh. How are Grady and Julia?”