Wade chuckled wryly. “Are the McBrides involved in any other feuds I should know about?”
“Probably,” Emily replied, unable to find any humor in the situation. “But I can’t think of them at the moment.”
Bobbie McBride shook her head as she took in the mess around them. “I can’t believe the way April acted. She should be ashamed of herself.”
“It’s not the first time April has shown her butt in public,” an older woman muttered, overhearing. “Remember that New Year’s Eve she thought her husband was flirting with Melba Sands? Fur was sure flying that night.”
Several other townspeople gathered around Bobbie to exchange avid gossip about April’s shenanigans. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Emily moved away from the group. Wade followed.
“Where’s Clay?” she asked, relieved that the child hadn’t been exposed to the ugly scene.
“He found one of his buddies from school. The other boy’s mother took them to watch the magic show at the pavilion. I thought I’d wander around and soak up some of the local atmosphere. I guess I got a little more than I’d bargained for,” he added, wiping chocolate-brownie crumbs off his face.
Emily finally managed a smile. “You look like you’ve been to the face-painting booth,” she remarked, pulling a clean tissue out of her purse and dabbing at the smear of chocolate still decorating Wade’s cheek. “I’m not sure what this is supposed to represent, though. It’s definitely not a goldfish.”
Wade stood very still beneath her ministrations. Emily suddenly became aware of her actions.
What was she doing? Without even stopping to think, she’d started wiping Wade’s face as if he were no older than his son. She was standing only inches away from him, and it probably looked as if she was all but throwing herself in his arms.
Hastily, she stepped back. “That’s—um, that’s better.”
“Thank you.” Something in his eyes, and in the husky edge to his voice, made her face warm.
“I’d better be going,” she said, stuffing the chocolate-stained tissue back into her purse and avoiding Wade’s eyes. She glanced nervously at her foodstained dress. “I want to get out of these clothes.”
And then she almost groaned as she realized what she’d said. She had a lamentable tendency to babble idiotically when she was nervous—as she’d just proven.
Wade’s grin had a hint of devilry beneath it, though his voice was exaggeratedly innocent when he said, “Sounds like a good idea to me.?
??
She told herself the double entendre was only in her own mind. But she couldn’t really convince herself this time. She wasn’t too naive to know when she was being flirted with—and Chief Wade Davenport had been subtly flirting with her all day.
Muttering something that was probably incomprehensible, she turned and headed rapidly toward the parking lot. Several acquaintances tried to delay her along the way, many wanting juicy details about the baking-contest squabble, but she evaded them skillfully, claiming weariness and her mussed dress as excuses.
“But, Emily, I wanted you to help me with the...”
Emily didn’t slow down long enough to find out what one of her neighbors wanted her to do now. Whatever it was, this time she wouldn’t do it.
Starting today, the citizens of Honoria were going to have to ask someone else to do their favors.
TUESDAY MORNING’S newspaper contained some disturbing information for the residents of crime-free Honoria. Three homes had been broken into the day before, while the owners were attending the annual fall festival at the park. The burglars had been swift and efficient, taking TVs, VCRs, jewelry, cash and other valuables and leaving no clues.
Police Chief Davenport, when contacted late Monday evening, just before the paper went to press, had informed the reporter that the break-ins would be thoroughly investigated and home-security patrols would be increased. “We will not tolerate this criminal behavior in our jurisdiction,” he assured the residents of his new hometown.
Emily sighed and clucked her tongue. “What is this world coming to?” she asked Oliver, who sat at her feet begging for a piece of toast. “A law-abiding citizen can’t feel safe in his own home these days.”
And then she laughed, realizing she had just sounded exactly like her late grandmother.
Still, she was very careful to check the locks on all her doors when she left for work that morning.
4
EMILY WORRIED about going to work Monday morning. If Sam Jennings had been spreading his accusations around, as April had implied, Emily’s co-workers might treat her differently, knowing she was a suspect in an embezzlement case. But if they’d heard, they gave no indication, though several wanted to question and tease her about the debacle at the baking contest.
They also wanted to ask her about her plans for the future, now that word had gotten out that she was selling her house. Emily answered their questions in vague terms, since she hadn’t yet given notice that she would be leaving her job at the end of the year. And, whether her co-workers were aware of it or not, the investigation was still hanging over her head, along with her knowledge that she wouldn’t be able to leave Honoria until it was settled.
The man who’d given her orders to stay in town called her at work that afternoon.