Spontaneous Combustion by Bobby Hutchinson

Author:Bobby Hutchinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2004-05-21T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

LATER THAT EVENING, Shannon somehow found herself alone with her mother, a situation she tried hard to avoid.

John had been the first to leave, and then it was like lemmings heading over a cliff. Uncle Donald and Willow hurried off to attend a movie. Linda was tired, so she and Sean had gone home, and Patrick took Gramps and her father to the marina to look at a boat he was thinking of buying.

After dessert was eaten, everyone had helped clean the kitchen, so there wasn’t much left to do except strip the cloth off the table, put it through the laundry and carry the garbage out. While Shannon was doing that, Mary made another pot of coffee and set two mugs and a plate of oatmeal cookies on the kitchen table, which made it pretty difficult for Shannon to stage the quick getaway she’d planned.

“I like your young man,” Mary said, pouring cream into her mug.

“Mom, John is not my young man.”

“Oh, so you let just anybody kiss you like that in the kitchen? I wasn’t spying. I was just coming to see what had become of the pies.”

Rats. Busted. And how on earth could she explain now that she figured John might be an arsonist, and she was just trying to get at the truth?

“I don’t think he’s been around families like ours a whole lot. He seemed a little on edge. What do you know about his background, Shannon?”

Good question. The answer: not half as much as she’d like to know.

Shannon shrugged. “Just what he told everybody at dinner. That his father was a fireman, that he’s dead now. And he did tell me he’s an only child and his mother’s alcoholic—she’s been in and out of hospitals. I gather that John takes care of her.”

Mary nodded. “He’s a kind man. It shows in his eyes.”

And by the way he drags dogs and women out of burning warehouses?

Time to change the subject. “Mom, you used to know Willow really well, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes, long ago. We were friends before either of us married. We toured with that little rock band. But years passed, and we lost touch. People change, I can’t say I know her all that well anymore.” Mary’s voice took on her usual worried tone. “I just hope Donald isn’t going to break her heart. He’s so careless about women’s feelings.” She sighed and then brought her attention back to Shannon. “Why do you ask, dear? Isn’t it working out, having Willow board with you?”

“I’m not exactly sure yet.” Shannon explained about all the things Willow had ripped out at her house. “I just wondered if you knew how good she is at finishing things she’s started.”

To Shannon’s surprise, Mary laughed. “If that isn’t just like her. I remember her taking a dress of mine apart one afternoon. I wanted it for the show we were doing that night and she insisted it needed to be taken in and hemmed. She went to the store for thread, and darned if she didn’t go flitting off with some boy she met there.

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