The Liar

“No. I thought I saw somebody.”

“A lot of somebodies in here on Wing Night.”

“No, somebody from Philadelphia. This private detective who came looking for Richard.”

“Private detective? That is more.”

“Couldn’t have been him. No reason for it. It’s just talking so much about Richard, and thinking about all of it. I don’t want to think about it anymore right now. I want it off my mind for right now.”

“All right.”

“Can we just talk about something else? Even Melody and Jolene, I don’t care. Anything else.”

“Bonnie Jo Farnsworth’s getting a divorce. She married Les Wickett in a big, fancy wedding not two years ago.”

“I heard about that. She’s taken up with Boyd Kattery again, and they’re in Florida maybe cooking meth with his cousins.”

“So you’re getting back in the loop. Let’s go sit back down. I want another beer since I’m not driving.”

Grateful, Shelby walked back with her. “You live close.”

“We live in one of the apartments over Mountain Treasures so I left my car parked and walked over. Let me find the waitress and . . . oh hell.”

“What?”

“Matt and Griff just came in. I got caught up. I was supposed to text Matt if I decided I didn’t want him to come in and give me an excuse to ditch you. Since I didn’t, we’re going to have the boys around so I won’t be able to pry any more out of you once you relax again.”

“Is it enough that I’ve told you more than anyone but Granny?”

“It’ll do for now.” Emma Kate smiled, waved her hand.

“Your Matt’s awful cute.”

“He really is. And really good with his hands.”

As Shelby choked out a laugh, Matt worked his way through. He hooked his really good hands under Emma Kate’s elbows, lifted her off her feet, kissed her. “There’s my girl.” He set her on her feet, turned to Shelby. “And you’re Shelby.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Really happy to meet you. You two weren’t leaving, were you?”

“Just heading back to the table,” Emma Kate told him. “I’m ready for another round.”

“This one’s on Griff.”

“Two Black Bears. I think I’m going for a Bombardier. What’ll you have, Shelby?”

“I was just after a glass of water.”

“I don’t know if I can afford that, but I’ll dig deep since it’s you.”

“I’m driving,” Shelby said as an explanation as they maneuvered back to the booth.

“We’re not.” Matt said it cheerfully, draped an arm around Emma Kate’s shoulders when they sat. “And we had a really good day. Put in a little OT at your mother’s, hon, and the countertop’s done.”

“How’d she like it?”

“She didn’t like it. She loved it. Told you she would.”

“You have more faith, and less experience, with Mama’s waffling ways.”

“I saw the kitchen the other day, when some of the cabinets were in,” Shelby told Matt. “It already looked wonderful. You do nice work.”

“I like your friend. She has excellent taste and a very good eye. How do you like being back home?”

“It feels good, and right. It’s a big change for you from Baltimore.”

“I couldn’t let this one get away.”

“That shows you have excellent taste and a very good eye.”

“We’ll drink to that when Griff gets back with the beer. He said your daughter’s cute as they come.”

“I think so.”

“When did Griff see Callie?” Emma Kate wondered.

“Oh, he gave me a ride home this afternoon when I found myself carting three grocery bags and Callie on foot. I had a brain freeze in the market. She’s smitten with him.”

“Sounded like he was smitten with her. So . . .” Smiling, Matt twirled a lock of Emma Kate’s hair around his finger. “Now that we’re such good friends, tell me something embarrassing about Emma Kate her mother wouldn’t know about. I think I’ve worked most of the embarrassing stories out of Bitsy.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t tell you about the time she stole two cans of Budweiser out of her daddy’s six-pack, and we sneaked out of the house and drank them until she got sick in her mother’s hydrangeas.”

“Sick? Hydrangea sick on one can of Bud?”

“We were fourteen.” Emma Kate narrowed her eyes at Shelby, but there was a laugh in them. “And Shelby was sicker.”

“I was. I chugged it down as fast as I could because the taste was so hard and sour to me, then I sicked it all back up again. I never did acquire a genuine taste for beer.”

“She doesn’t like beer?” Griff set the pilsners in front of his friends, a glass of water with a slice of lime in front of Shelby, then slid in beside her with his own drink. “That may affect my plans for playing up to you so I can enlist your help in running off with Viola.”

“He’s not altogether kidding.” Matt lifted his glass. “Well, to friends, even when they don’t have the good sense to drink beer.”

•   •   •

PRIVET SAT OUT in his car making notes. He’d parked across the street from where Shelby had left her minivan. It seemed to him the young widow was enjoying herself, having a glass of wine with an old friend. She wasn’t quite as oblivious as he’d thought, as she’d nearly spotted him.

Now it looked like she was having a double date in the local bar and grill.

And still she’d made no suspicious moves, was hardly tossing money around.