“From here on out, talking about the accident is off limits.” Throwing her head back, Josie depleted the last of her drink and slammed the bottle down before pushing up from the dining table. “Got it?”
“Yeah,” Carly relented. “Got it.”
She followed Josie the few feet to the sink where she settled her empty bottle in the basin that housed a Jenga-like pile of dirty plates and dishes. With her backside pressed against the counter, Carly folded her arms and squinted out the window, a look of curiosity crossing over her face. “You expecting company, sis?”
“Nope. I wasn’t even expecting yours.” Josie jabbed her sister with an elbow and when she didn’t budge, Josie followed her gaze through the curtained window on the opposite wall of the trailer.
“Then who is that?”
“Speak of the devil,” Josie grumbled before grabbing the handle to the screen door and flinging it open.
“Which one?” Carly wondered aloud, hot on her sister’s heels. “We were talking about a few different devils. Marcie. Brian.” Carly bumped her shoulder into Josie’s once she caught up and added, “And from what I can see, the only thing devilish about that man is his good looks.”
Eyes rolling so far she feared they’d get stuck, Josie grunted. “What on earth is he doing here?”
Right then, Seth looked up through the windshield and when his eyes met Josie’s, something a whole lot like butterflies expanded in her stomach. What on earth was that all about? She knew she shouldn’t’ve downed that beer without a little something in her belly first.
“You forgot this,” Seth said with a grin as he exited his truck and paced toward the two women—one with her mouth agape in unabashed gawking and the other with her lips pursed so tightly they’d almost turned white. “Your hat,” he clarified in an unsure voice as he passed off the ball cap in question. “Thought you might need it.”
“Could’ve waited until tomorrow.” Josie jammed the hat onto her head and when she felt the daggers her sister shot through a silent yet judgmental expression, she ground out a reluctant, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Seth flipped his attention toward Carly who was still all smiles. “Hey there, I’m Seth. A friend of Josie’s.”
“Carly,” she answered in a rush. “A sister of Josie’s.”
“Welp.” Josie clamped her hands together. “Thanks for the hat, Seth. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow—”
Seth sidestepped around her. “This is your trailer?”
Josie delivered a softer version of the sarcastic remark that wanted to fly out. “Yep. That’d be the one.”
“My truck can haul that. No problem.”
“Didn’t think it would be.”
If they’d been inside, Josie would’ve ushered Seth toward the door. Standing there in her dirt driveway, it seemed as though all the hints she threw at him sailed away with the evening autumn breeze.
“We used to have a farmhand on our property so the land’s already cleared where the trailer will go,” he continued, oblivious to her wishes. “Septic connection and everything. This’ll be a piece of cake.”
“Glad to hear it. Thanks again for bringing my hat by…” Josie’s words trailed off with her gaze. She hadn’t expected a visit from her sister, let alone Seth, so when she took in Marcie’s sedan squealing to a stop right behind Seth’s parked truck, she couldn’t contain her frustration. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Devil number two,” Carly muttered around a snicker.
“Marcie, I’m a little busy right now!” Josie cupped her hands around her mouth to megaphone the words.
“This your fancy lawyer?” The woman cut Seth a glare as she tramped her way toward the trio on wobbly, pointed high heels. She hooked her hands on her hips, seething with visible annoyance. “You sure didn’t waste any time.”
With a quick glance at Josie for some sort of affirmation, Seth shot out a hand. “Yes, ma’am. Seth Ford. Lawyer…” he vacillated a beat before adding, “At law.”
“I didn’t think you had it in you to lawyer up, Josie. Figured you were all bite and no bark.”
“I laid out my clear expectations,” Josie rallied. “I told you I’d get my lawyer involved if need be. But seeing that you’re here on your own accord, I hope it’s to settle this peaceably without the need for Mr. Ford’s involvement.”
“Well, you see…” Marcie kept her eyes pinned on Seth like she expected him to lunge toward her purse to steal her checkbook right out of it. “I don’t exactly have your money.”
“That’s going to be a problem,” Seth said. He shrugged nonchalantly. “But one we can handle in court if that’s the route you’d rather take.”
“You’re not taking me to court,” Marcie snapped.
“Then I suggest you liquidate whatever assets you must in order to pay my client what she’s due.”
“I don’t got any assets.”
“I noticed you drove here in a car.” He looked around her in the direction of the vehicle, and then flicked his attention to the flashy ring perched on her fourth finger. “And I see you have some jewelry that you might be able to take down to the pawnshop to convert into cash. I don’t think you’d have to look too far to come up with the money Miss Friar is seeking. But if you’re unable to make those decisions on your own and you’d rather let a judge outline it for you—”
With a harrumph of exasperation, Marcie reached deep into her purse and pulled out a jangling set of keys, then hurtled them at Josie’s stomach like a fastball aiming for a strike.
“Fine. Take the car.”
“You think we’re gonna believe you actually own that outright?” Carly snipped.
“You hush!” Marcie jabbed a finger in the air at Carly. “The pink slip is in the glove box. I’ll sign it over.”
Seth stroked his jaw. “You’re getting close, but based on my calculations—”
“You hush, too!” Twisting her ring violently from her finger, she threw it in the dirt at Seth’s feet. “There! Now that’s more than enough.”
Dipping down, Seth snatched up the ring. “Pleasure doing business with you, Marcie.” When he took a half-bow, Josie had to fight hard to keep from snorting. “And since you just handed over your mode of transportation, it looks like you’ll need a lift back up to the main house. I’ll be happy to drive you, as I was just on my way out.”
Despite the announcement of his departure being the very words Josie had hoped for just moments earlier, she felt a twinge of disappointment at the thought of Seth leaving so soon. He’d surprised her, both in his willingness to play along, and in the success he’d had at actually pulling it all off.
She’d underestimated Seth Ford and that revelation unnerved her to no end.
5
Seth
“What do you have for us today, Sugar?”
The walker scraped across the patio, grating against the gritty surface as Berta McNabb shuffled close for a look, her entire appearance disheveled save for her perfectly coiffed silver hair that twisted into a neat bun at the tip-top of her head. Seth always had a little chuckle at that. Most every lady at his grandmother’s senior living home donned such elaborate hairstyles they could belong in a salon look-book. All except for Gramm. She was always a wild mess of wiry, white strands in need of a good brushing.