Софи Райан - Buy А Whisker

“I think that’s a great idea, having Mr. Tall, Dark and Mysterious living above the shop,” Jess said, resting her hands on either side of the table. “You won’t have to worry about security, and the rent will help you get the building paid off faster.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “He is paying rent, right?”

I nodded. “Yes, Mac is paying rent. We’re being very professional about the whole thing.”

She gave me a saucy grin. “Would it be a bad thing to get a little unprofessional with Mac? Since you don’t want to start something with Nick.”

“You’re incorrigible,” I said.

She flipped her long hair over her shoulder. “Yeah, that’s part of my charm.”

I looked at my watch. “We should probably get going if we want to get a decent table.”

“Do you know if Nick is coming?” Jess asked as she pulled on her coat.

“He said he is,” I said. “Oh, and he said to tell you the nachos and salsa are on him.”

She clasped both hands under her chin and gave me a moony, love-struck look. “I love it when a guy buys me things to impress you. You think I could convince him that buying me a pair of diamond earrings is the way to your heart?”

“No,” I said, feeling in my pocket to make sure I had my phone. “And Nick isn’t buying nachos to impress me. He’s buying them because you bought them last time.”

Jess laced her fingers together and rested her hands on top of her head. “Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that.”

I was out of witty comebacks. I stuck my tongue out at her.

Nick showed up just before Sam came out for the jam, sliding onto a chair between us that Jess had been guarding for the previous half hour.

“Tortilla chips and salsa are on the way,” he said.

“Nicolas Elliot, I may love you,” Jess said with mock seriousness, one hand pressed to her chest with her usual melodramatic flair.

“Are you sure it’s not just my hot salsa you love?” he asked, drawing out the word “salsa” and making it sound a little risqué.

“It is spicy,” Jess crooned, winking at him.

I rolled my eyes at them. “Will you two knock it off?” I said.

The waiter came to the table then and set the food between Nick and Jess.

Jess propped one elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand. “Ignore her,” she said to Nick. “She’s just jealous because there’s a little heat between us.”

I covered my face with both hands and shook my head while the two of them laughed. I was saved from any more of their wit by Sam slipping onto a stool onstage and starting on the intro to Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight . ”

We didn’t talk at all during the first set, although more than once Nick’s eyes met mine when we were both singing along with the music.

Finally Sam said, “Thank you very much. We’re going to take a little break and we’ll be back.”

The noise level in the pub immediately rose. Nick pushed back his chair and looked around for our waiter.

Jess leaned forward and caught my eye. “So when are you going to start work on the new apartment?” she asked.

“As soon as I get the building permit,” I said, grabbing the last tortilla chip from the basket.

“You mean the place Rose is going to move into?” Nick asked. He caught the eye of our waiter and pointed to the table. “Mom told me,” he added.

“No, she’s adding an apartment over the shop,” Jess said. “Mac’s going to live there.”

“You’re not serious?” Nick said. Even though Jess had been talking, he was looking at me.

“I am,” I said. “Do you have a problem with Mac?”

Nick wiped a hand across his chin. “No,” he said, but I noticed it had taken just a little bit longer than it should have for the response. “But make sure you get Josh Evans to draw up a rental agreement, you know, just to be on the safe side.”

He got to his feet. “Excuse me a second. I see someone I need to talk to.”

“Somebody’s jealous,” Jess said in a singsong voice.

I made a snort of annoyance. “More like somebody stays in touch with Liam and when my brother’s not around starts acting like him.”

“How is Liam?” Jess asked. She picked up the empty salsa dish, sighed softly and set it back down.

“He’s good,” I said. “Busy. He had dinner with Mom and Dad on Sunday, and Mom said he may be in town soon, something about a project he’s going to consult on.” I reached for my cup and drank the last of my coffee. “That reminds me, what’s the status of North Landing?”

Jess made a face. “I’ll know more tomorrow. There’s a meeting scheduled for six thirty.”

“Any idea what’s going to happen?”

She shook her head. “Not a clue.”

Over by the stage I spotted Vince Kennedy talking to Asia. Jess followed my gaze. “If it all falls through, it isn’t going to be good for Vince,” she said.

“Liz, either,” I said.

“Not to mention Jon West himself,” Jess added. “You think he killed her?”

I knew she meant Lily. “No,” I said, turning my empty cup in a circle on the table.

“Why so sure?”

“He just doesn’t strike me as the type.”

She frowned. “Wait a minute. Don’t tell me. Elvis didn’t do that thing he does when people are lying, did he?”

“Maybe,” I hedged.

“Well, good for our little feline Sherlock Holmes,” she said with a grin. “You know, just because it wasn’t Jon West who killed Lily doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been someone connected to the development.”

Adam brought more nachos and salsa to the table. I thanked him while Jess grabbed a chip.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Jon West has investors,” she said around a mouthful of a lot of salsa and a little chip.

“Like?” I reached for a chip before Jess got them all.

“I don’t have a clue,” she said. “But rumor has it whoever they are, they have enough influence that the bakery property will just be expropriated if Caroline doesn’t sell to Jon West.”

I remembered West saying he could get the land by expropriation. At the time I’d thought he was bluffing to get Rose off his case.

“So who could do that?” I said.

Jess shrugged. “I don’t know, but whoever it is, they’re walking around in big shoes.”

Chapter 14

After the band’s last song of the night, Sam made his way over to me, still carrying his guitar.

“I have a couple of boxes for you in my office,” he said as he reached the table. “You’re really going to let Liz’s granddaughter re-create a seventies hair band in your front window for Valentine’s Day?” he said with a smile.

“C’mon, where’s your sense of romance?” I teased.

He laughed.

“Is it all right if I pick them up in the morning?” I asked. “I didn’t bring the SUV.”

“Sure,” he said.

“Glenn McNamara told me you stepped in to help fill Lily’s place in the hot-lunch program,” I said. “Thank you.”

“It’s no big deal,” he said with a shrug.

“It is to the kids,” I said.

“How’s the detective business?” Sam asked with a sly smile.

“You heard?”

He nodded. “Eric’s art class came for supper last night. Alfred Peterson was with them.” He leaned in a little closer. “Are he and Rose a couple?”

“They’re seeing each other,” I said, pushing my hair back from my face. “I’ve kind of been afraid to ask exactly how much of each other they’ve seen, if you know what I mean.”

Sam’s smile got a bit wider. “Hey, love’s grand at any age.”

Vince Kennedy had been working his way over to us. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said. He looked at Sam. “They need you in the kitchen.”