Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews

Author:Mary Kay Andrews [Mary Kay Andrews]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2013-10-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

BeBe

Driving back to Tybee, I had just enough time to puzzle over my encounter with Richard’s sister Cindy. I hadn’t seen her in close to six years, and she clearly hadn’t gotten any fonder of me. But her behavior this time around was different.

In the past she’d chosen to ignore me, which is how well-bred Southern ladies deal with life’s little unpleasantries. But this time around, she’d been hostile, even rude. And I wasn’t convinced it was just because I’d walked out on her slime-ball brother. There was something else at work here. I was certain she was operating out of fear as well as good old-fashioned loathing. But fear of what? Me?

There was definitely something afoot at Oak Point. Something that would bear closer examination, and soon. I was determined to get some answers out of Cindy—or maybe dear old Aunt Opal.

* * *

The roofers were just clambering down off their ladders and the floor guys were loading equipment in their vans when I pulled up outside the Breeze Inn.

So the day hadn’t been a total loss—even without me there to supervise and issue dire threats.

Miles, the flooring contractor, walked over to meet me at the foot of the deck stairs at the new house. “We got all the floors stained and a first coat of poly down today,” he said. “We’ve got fans running in all the rooms, and if it sets up like it should, we can sand and do another coat tomorrow.”

“That’s wonderful,” I said. “Did the kitchen sink get installed before you got started on the floors?”

“Yes, ma’am, the sink is in, and your plumber got the water lines run to your laundry room too.”

“Finally,” I said.

He finished putting his equipment in the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Uh, ma’am?”

“Yes?” I tried not to fidget, but it had been a long drive back from Oak Point, and I really, really needed to get to the bathroom.

“There was a black-and-white-spotted dog over there at the Breeze Inn when we got here this morning.”

“Yes, it’s my friend’s dog. Jethro.”

“And you know that little white dog of yours?”

“Jeeves?”

“I didn’t catch the little guy’s name,” he said apologetically. “The thing is, I heard a commotion coming from over there, and when I went to check, it looked like the little dog was kinda nipping and yapping at the big dog. I opened the door, you know, to try to settle them down a little, and when I did, that big dog took off running down the street.” He pointed north, down Butler Avenue, the island’s main drag.

“Did you go after him?”

He shrugged. “Well, by the time I got to my truck to go looking, he was long gone. And I’m already one man short on my crew, so I couldn’t really spare the time. Sorry.”

I really, really needed to pee. “Jethro’s gone? He never came back? And nobody thought to try to call me to let me know?”

“Guess not.” I glared at him.

“Thanks. Guess it’s up

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