“All right,” Luke said after a moment. “Can you cook and listen?”
“Are you asking me if I can make cookies and listen to Miss Edi’s story? You have it with you?”
“I have chapter one.”
“Is it in book form?”
“I think so.” Luke gave a sigh. “I wasn’t kidding when I said that about grandfather jealousy. Granpa Dave was the town doctor, so he knew everybody and he was always surrounded by people. If we went to a Christmas party, half the town would be lined up to show him a boil or a wart, hoping to get free medical advice.”
“And you were a loner, so you stayed out of the middle of the crowd,” Jocelyn said.
“Exactly. So now that Granpa Joe is dead and Granpa Dave is retired, he wants—”
“You to spend more time with him.”
“Right,” Luke said, “so that’s why I haven’t been around for a few days. Nana Mary Alice had some things to say to me as well, so…”
“So they blackmailed you into staying at their house, and how much weight did you gain?”
“None. I spent the days walking the damned golf course and carrying Granpa Dave’s bag. The thing must weigh a hundred and fifty pounds.”
“So what did you get for it?”
Luke got up, went to his jacket that he’d tossed onto a chair, and pulled out a thick pile of paper, folded in the middle, from his pocket. The papers were old and yellow and worn around the edges.
Jocelyn sat down across from him, a big bowl of lavender-colored batter in her arms. ?
??Is that the story?”
“The first chapter. It seems that when Miss Edi was in the hospital recovering from her burned legs, she wrote it all down and sent it to her friend Alexander McDowell.”
“The man whose money Miss Edi managed. The man who owed her something but no one will tell us what. Have many people read the document?”
“I don’t think so. Uncle Alex gave the papers to my grandfather a long time ago. Gramps read them and they’ve been in a safe-deposit box in Richmond ever since then.”
She looked at the papers Luke was holding as she gave the lavender batter a stir. “Where’s the rest of it?”
“My dear grandfather is going to give it to me chapter by chapter. I think I have to play more golf with him.”
“Or take him fishing with you,” she said. “Or on a ride on one of your bikes.”
“How did—? Oh, you and Dad borrowed my truck. Anytime you want a ride, let me know.”
“Sure,” she said, but he didn’t seem to notice her hesitation.
“You read and I’ll make cookies.” As he opened his mouth, she said, “Wait a minute! I had this really horrible idea and I wanted to ask you about it.”
“I like it already.”
“One time I made something called Margarita Cupcakes for one of Miss Edi’s charity events. They have a bit of tequila in the batter, and the icing has lime juice and tequila. Do you think I dare do something like that for Viv’s party?”
“You have the ingredients?”
She opened a lower cabinet and pushed aside a stack of paper bags to reveal two bottles of tequila and a big sack of limes. “I didn’t know how your father would take it, so I had Tess sneak them in for me.”
“We won’t tell them. We’ll call them limeade cupcakes and leave it at that. You couldn’t spare a bit for sipping, could you?”
Smiling, she poured two small glasses of tequila and handed him one.