Charmed Bones by Carolyn Haines

Author:Carolyn Haines
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

15

I awoke to the tantalizing smell of bacon sizzling. I had no memory of the drive home from the manor or of falling into bed. I was wearing a nightgown and my clothes were puddled on the floor beside Sweetie Pie, who also snoozed soundly. Pluto was nowhere in evidence.

The bacon obviously had to be a Jitty illusion. She was down in the kitchen doing everything in her power to wake me up at the crack of dawn. I would kill her if she wasn’t already dead. Yawning, I rolled out of bed and headed downstairs to make coffee and see if there was anything in the refrigerator that wasn’t pulsing in a Tupperware container. I’d seen some of my recipes take on life forms—nothing I wanted to witness on this bright winter morning. I needed sustenance before I confessed my sins to Coleman.

As I crossed the dining room, the wonderful smells of breakfast cooking grew stronger, including freshly brewed coffee. Cutlery scraped pots or plates. Jitty was going whole hog with the smells and sound effects. I pushed through the door and stopped in my tracks.

Scott Hampton, the best blues player on the planet, stood at my stove with a cast-iron skillet going and a spatula in his hand.

“Good morning, Sarah Booth.”

Scott and I had been lovers, and he was a man I cared greatly for. And I owed him some details of the recent decision I’d made. Scott had been in Chicago negotiating with some blues clubs to form an alliance that would bring national talent to Zinnia on a regular basis. Scott had the European blues market sewn tight, but a new crop of young blues players was coming up and many found Chicago a great place to start.

“I didn’t know you were home.”

“Got in late last night.”

“I’m glad you’re here. I need to tell you something.”

“I know about Coleman. Jaytee told me. I’m happy for you.” He expertly flipped the bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels.

I’d chosen Coleman over Scott and Harold. At least I’d had a chance to tell Harold in person. “I wish Jaytee had given me a chance to tell you myself.”

Scott put down the spatula and came over to give me a hug. “I could see it coming, girl. Everyone could see it but you and that lug-headed lawman.”

“I—”

He didn’t let me finish but tightened his hug. “I don’t know that I’ll ever love anyone the way I do you, but I wouldn’t stand in the way of your happiness for anything. And I wouldn’t want to lose our friendship.”

“That won’t ever happen. I do have guilt that maybe you moved here thinking this would have a different outcome.”

“I did.” He grinned and pushed his beautiful white-blond hair out of his eye. “But coming to Zinnia was the smartest business decision I’ve ever made. Morgan Freeman knew it—the Delta is ground zero for the blues. I’m living and playing on the very land where the blues were created. It’s given me inspiration for new songs, the club is making more money than I can spend.

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