Hanging by a Thread by Dorothy Howell

Author:Dorothy Howell [Howell, Dorothy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2023-06-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

“Perfect timing!” Jodi declared when I walked into Sarah’s Sweets.

She stood at the display case. Aunt Sarah was at the work island, swirling icing onto cupcakes.

Three women—customers—I didn’t recognize were helping themselves to bite-size squares of coconut cake from a tray Jodi had just put out. The women ate slowly, chewing thoughtfully.

“Another taste test?” I asked.

“Grandma’s recipe,” Jodi reported.

I took a square and popped it into my mouth. My knees weakened and my eyes threatened to water.

“This is fabulous,” I managed to say.

“Delicious!” one of the women declared.

“Heavenly,” another said.

“Your grandmother must have been the most popular baker of her time,” one of the other women said.

Jodi giggled. “Rumor had it she got three marriage proposals the first time she baked this cake.”

The bell over the door chimed, and Geraldine walked in. She looked as sassy as anything she carried in her Sassy Fashions shop next door, wearing an emerald-green belted dress that clung to her curves, and three-inch pumps.

“I’ve saved my business,” she declared triumphantly.

“Cake?” Jodi offered, leaning the tray toward her.

Geraldine glanced at the cake, then rested her hands on her waist.

“I don’t dare,” she said.

The rest of us kept eating, of course.

“Concealment clothing,” Geraldine announced. “Clothing for the well-armed woman.”

We all looked at each other, confused.

“What?” somebody asked.

“I’m going to stock a line of concealed carry clothing,” Geraldine said.

“You mean clothing that you can hide a gun in?” Jodi asked. “Like, in a holster?”

The door chimed and Mitch walked in.

“It’s the latest thing,” Geraldine declared. “You wouldn’t believe what’s available. Leggings, pencil skirts, hoodies, sweaters, jackets. Ambidextrous draw-through pockets for fast access.”

We all stared at her, stunned. Mitch looked as if he thought he’d been beamed into a different dimension.

“Everyone in town is arming themselves these days.” Geraldine ran her hands down her hips. “That’s no reason not to show off what you’ve got.”

Nobody seemed to know what to say to that. I certainly didn’t. All I could think about was what had happened to safe, sane Hideaway Grove?

“You all need to come to the shop and check it out.” Geraldine headed for the door and stopped in front of Mitch. “I have a fast-access thigh holster you’ll find very interesting.”

That was it. I couldn’t take anymore. I shot out the door.

“Abbey?”

Mitch calling my name made me stop. We faced each other on the sidewalk; he looked as bewildered as I felt.

“I stopped by to let you know I went to Dottie’s Toys,” Mitch said. “I gave her an estimate for the new lock on her back door.”

“Great,” I said, thankful for a somewhat normal topic of conversation.

“She said she’d let me know.”

“Thanks.”

We looked at each other again, both of us, I’m sure, thinking that we’d given up life in a big city for this?

Mitch walked away. I needed to go to Anna’s Treasure Thrift Shop and check on pillowcases, but there was no way I could do that now. I needed normalcy, I needed old, familiar Hideaway Grove back.

I headed for the village green. It was usually quiet there at this time of day, with children still in school and babies home, napping.

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