“I was here on official business,” Phoebe countered. “In fact, Stormy was supposed to be getting her grandfather for me when this happened. It seems rather convenient ... for her.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Yes, how inconvenient it is for you that Martha died and kept you from having what I’m sure would’ve been a productive conversation with my grandfather over parking space lines.”
“I’m glad we agree.” Phoebe kept her eyes on Hunter. “It’s nice to know you two didn’t waste any time getting back together. I thought you would at least pretend for a few months, which would’ve been the decent thing to do. But true love can’t be denied, right?”
Hunter’s expression never changed. “Our business is not your business, so I really don’t care what you have to say.”
“And Monica? What about her?”
“My business with Monica is also none of your concern.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetie.” Phoebe’s tone was condescending. “Monica is my best friend. You did her wrong, so it’s my place to make you see the error of your ways.
“I knew the second that Stormy turned up in town she would start messing with your head,” she stormed ahead. “I told Monica to put her foot down, demand the two of you not spend any time together, and wait things out. I knew Stormy wouldn’t respect the boundaries of your relationship. Monica wouldn’t listen, and look what happened.”
Hunter ran his tongue over his teeth before flicking his eyes to me. “Do you want to go inside? You don’t have to put up with this. There’s no reason for both of us to be tortured.”
Part of me wanted to run. The other part thought it was best I come to grips with things and act like an adult. “This is on me, not you.”
He flashed a tight smile. “I was the one dating Monica. I have to deal with Phoebe’s opinion.”
“Phoebe only cares because of me.”
“Um ... I care because I recognize right and wrong,” Phoebe shot back. “What Hunter did to Monica was wrong. The very least he can do is stay away from you out of respect.”
Hunter shook his head. “The only reason you even care is because you want to torture Stormy. We’re too old to play high school games. If you want to be angry, be angry. It means nothing to me.”
“And Monica?” Phoebe challenged. “Does she mean nothing to you?”
Hunter extended a warning finger. “Don’t bring her into this. Whatever is going on here has nothing to do with her and everything to do with you.”
“I’m the one Monica pours her heart out to every night,” Phoebe shot back. “I’m the one she calls ... or stops in to see. I’m the one who has to listen to her when she talks about how she lost part of her heart.”
A sick sense of guilt washed over me. “Nothing happened between us while they were together.”
“Everyone in town knows he spent the night with you.”
“On the couch,” I insisted. Sure, I slept on the couch with him, but the interaction was chaste. “He didn’t cheat on Monica.”
“He might not have physically cheated on her, but he mentally did,” Phoebe countered. “Don’t bother denying it. Everybody in town saw it. Not only that, they were taking bets on it before you even showed back up.”
“That’s not her fault,” Hunter snapped. “This town has nothing to do but gossip. Stormy didn’t cause that.”
“And there you go.” Phoebe threw up her hands. “You can’t stop from rushing to her rescue. Let me ask you something, Hunter, when are you going to get tired of being her knight in shining armor?”
“Never.” He remained calm. “The thing you don’t seem to understand is that she doesn’t need me to be her savior. She’s strong and takes care of herself. I will always be there when she needs me, and I know she’ll always be there for me. It’s called balance, not necessity.”
“Oh, whatever.” Phoebe’s eye roll was pronounced. “You may think you’re fooling everyone in town, but I know what you are.”
“And what’s that?” Hunter asked.
“Horrible people.”
He nodded. “Well, I guess we’ll have to deal with the fallout from that. It’s not up to you to punish us, though. In fact, I think it’s in your best interests to go about your business and leave us to deal with this.”
Phoebe, never one to admit defeat ... or accept a truce, sneered. “And what is it you’re dealing with?”
“The dead body, Phoebe,” Hunter practically exploded. “You see that woman on the gurney over there. She’s dead. She takes precedence over whatever business you have with Stormy’s grandfather.”
“Parking lines,” I offered helpfully. “That’s what she’s here to discuss.”
“How do you even know that?” Phoebe snapped.
“He told me.”
“Then where is he?”
“He doesn’t want to talk to you. He sent me out to get rid of you, but then Martha died.”
“Oh, whatever.” Phoebe screwed up her face in a twisted approximation of a reality television star. “Tell your grandfather I’ll be back. This isn’t over.”
“You should probably just let him have his way,” I said. “Even if you somehow get him to cave, whatever torment he comes up with for payback will be ten times worse than just letting him have his stupid parking lot the way it is.”
“That shows what you know. I’m going to win and he’s going to lose for a change. I know exactly how to handle this.”
I had my doubts. “Good luck with that.”
“I don’t need luck.” She swung her hips as she crossed the parking lot to her car, leaving me to rub my forehead and wonder what bad luck had occurred and forced her to stay in this town. Why couldn’t she just leave and make all of us happy?
“I’m sorry about that,” Hunter volunteered when she pulled out of the parking lot. “She likes to stir up trouble. I guarantee Monica is nowhere near as upset as she paints it.”
“I hope not.” I meant it. I didn’t know Monica. She’d been unpleasant to me upon my return to town, but it turned out she had reason to be. If our positions were reversed, I guarantee I would want nothing to do with her. “I didn’t mean for her to get hurt.”
Hunter reassured me. “I talked to her. She seemed fine.”
He was only saying that to make me feel better, but I let him have his moment. There was nothing either of us could do about Monica now.
“What’s going to happen with Martha?” I asked. Who would’ve thought that conversation about a dead woman would be preferable to our previous discussion?
“There will be an autopsy,” Hunter replied, his gaze returning to the body. “I’m assuming it was some sort of catastrophic health disaster. A stroke, or maybe a heart attack.”
“That’s unlikely,” Dave interjected, speaking for the first time since Phoebe took over the conversation.
“Why do you say that?” Hunter moved closer to the gurney, his gaze roaming Martha’s body. “Did you find something else? I don’t see any blood.”