Met Her Match (Summer Hill 2)

“What a great act of charity. So what kind of things has Cresnor given out?”

“A new van for the church. A two-year college scholarship. A wedding for a couple whose house flooded. My favorite was when a woman asked Mr. Cresnor for the meanest divorce lawyer on the planet for her best friend. Her friend’s husband was a real jerk.”

“All the wishes couldn’t have been unselfish.”

“Mr. Cresnor decides. He sits on a big chair and says yes or no. Some years the negotiations go on for hours. He truly enjoys himself! And his wife gets time with him when he’s in a good mood. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

For a while, they were silent, Nate with his head down.

“I got my aerobics for today.”

He looked at her.

“Chewing kale? Workout for the jaw? Get it?”

“Yeah. I—” He broke off to take his buzzing phone out of his pocket.

Terri saw the name Stacy, but Nate didn’t answer, just put the phone back in his pocket. “Why aren’t you answering her calls?”

Nate gave a one-sided grin. “Noticed that, huh? I don’t want to have to lie. I still haven’t picked up the tent and boxes she sent from Italy. After today, I don’t think her parents will let me have them.”

“The brunch was that bad?”

“Worse.”

She waited for him to go on, but he said nothing. Terri took her cell out of her pocket and sent a text. “There. It’s taken care of.”

“What is?”

“I told Bob to go get Stacy’s things and deliver them to Dad. What other problems do you have?”

Nate grinned. “Now who’s granting wishes? Okay, magician, how are you going to fix my office?”

“Can’t do that one. That’s between you and Stacy. You can’t move into the Stanton house for a couple of years so where are you planning to live in the meantime?”

Nate’s eyes brightened. “Is that house where we had the pizzas for rent?”

“The daughter of the mayor of Summer Hill staying at the lake? I don’t think so. When you entered the Thorndyke house to go to your office, what door did you use?”

“The front one. Why?”

“There’s a side door that leads to a full apartment. Billy’s grandmother, Babs, lived there. She was a wonderful woman. She used to let Billy and me drink her homemade wine. We thought we were very sophisticated.”

“Sometimes it seems like every story in this town leads back to Billy Thorndyke. How is he now?”

Terri looked down at her plate and the piles of green. “I have no idea. When does Stacy get here?”

“Thursday night. You don’t have any contact with him?”

“None. Where are you planning to stay after she gets here?”

“I haven’t thought about it. What was Thorndyke like as he got older?”

“Smart, athletic, beautiful and big. He ruled our school and he didn’t allow any bullying. There was a kid who transferred from the east who picked on the little kids. Billy hung him up on the wall of the gym. He didn’t bother anybody anymore. You need to think about where you’re going to stay.”

“I can see why a guy like that would choose you. He have any girlfriends before you?”

“If you’re asking if he and Stacy were an item, they weren’t. Billy was unattainable. Personally, I figured he was gay.” As she moved a wad of green around on a plate, she smiled in memory.