Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure by Diane Kelly

Author:Diane Kelly
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Published: 2011-11-03T11:37:06.212000+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Coffee Klatch

I drove home in Pinky, stopping by the grocery store to pick up snacks for later. As I turned into my driveway, I accidentally bumped the curb, distracted by the three-man crew working on my front lawn, one of whom was Brett. From behind the wheel, I took in my town house, hardly recognizing the place. Gone was that stubborn, misshapen evergreen bush. A row of abundant pink rosebushes stood before my living room windows, the ivy underneath thick and lush. The small redbud tree waved its heart-shaped leaves in the breeze, the begonias around the trunk even more vivid against a backdrop of cedar mulch. The multicolored river stones added yet another dimension to the landscaping. The shepherd’s hooks and hanging baskets framed my entryway perfectly.

What a transformation.

Brett raised a hand, indicating I should wait a moment. He trotted to the curb where he’d parked his Navigator, opened the hatch, and pulled out a pink plastic flamingo. He plunked the tacky bird into the grass next to the driveway, then spread his arms wide, the yard now complete.

I climbed out of the car. “Wow!”

Brett wiped a smudge of dirt from his face with a gloved hand. He was sweaty and filthy, yet still somehow managed to look sexy. “You like it?”

“I love it!” I grabbed his face in my hands and planted a big kiss on his mouth.

Brett smiled and dismissed his crew.

“Thanks, guys!” I called as they loaded their tools into the back of a green king cab pickup. They waved and headed off.

I walked over to the bushes and fingered the fragrant roses.

Brett followed me. “You weren’t kidding about that crazy evergreen bush. I thought we’d never get all the roots out.”

“I’m so glad you did.” I looked up at him. “The yard looks absolutely beautiful now. I can’t thank you enough.” Of course, there were ways I’d be willing to show my gratitude, none of them involving clothing and at least one involving whipped cream.

He removed his gloves and tucked them into the pocket of his shorts. “Ready for your trip home tonight?”

“Pretty much.” I wasn’t actually leaving town until the next morning since I’d be meeting with Dave Edwards shortly then spending the night at the crack shack, but I couldn’t get into that right now.

“Have a safe trip. I’ll miss you, Tara.”

“I’ll miss you, too.” My heart felt as if it were being squeezed in a juicer. I should be ashamed of myself, keeping secrets from a sweet guy like Brett. After all, he’d just spent a small fortune landscaping my front yard. I’d never dated someone so thoughtful and generous. But what he didn’t know, he couldn’t worry about, right? Besides, he was keeping secrets from me, too. Even if he wasn’t involved in Gryder’s scam, he had yet to tell me about the business venture reported on his tax return. Then again, the business was apparently a start-up and had produced a small loss. Maybe he wasn’t even running the business anymore.

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