Authors: Annie Jones
Dixie gasped, so delighted at the unexpected breakthrough that she couldn
’
t help teasing.
“
You
can
say something else besides
‘
I
’
m not supposed to talk to strangers!
’
Or has the fry cook become a ventriloquist?
”
“
I can talk to you now,
”
the child announced.
“
Because I know who you are.
”
“
I thought so.
”
Dixie nodded, feeling just a bit like a minor celebrity.
“
I told you, everyone in town knows who I am—
”
“
You
’
re the lady who made my grandma
’
s green sofa.
”
Dixie started to correct that misconception, but didn
’
t have the chance.
“
My daddy is going to start making sofas, too,
”
the child rushed on, her face flushed with excitement.
“
He is?
”
At that, Dixie forgot about the correction and tried to remember if she
’
d authorized any new hires at the factory.
“
Uh-huh.
”
Both her legs began to swing back and forth out of sync and she bounced in place on the lunch counter stool.
“
That
’
s why we
’
re moving here.
”
“
You are?
”
Dixie and the waitress exchanged looks. This story did not add up and Dixie had a very bad feeling about it.
“
And just where is your daddy now?
”
“
He
’
s at the lawyer
’
s.
”
“
Lawyer
’
s?
”
She took a deep breath, as if she could draw some calming curative from the smell of old grease on the grill and the musty dankness of the old building.
“
Making sofas and going to lawyers? That doesn
’
t connect, sweetie. Just like your daddy leaving you here--
”
“
My daddy didn
’
t leave me here,
”
the child rushed to cut in.
“
The lady from the lawyer
’
s office brung me—
”
“
Brought me.
”
Dixie hardly realized she
’
d made the correction.
“
Brought me,
”
the child echoed without so much as a hiccup in the flow of her story.
“
She brought me here to get a treat while Daddy talked to the lawyer.
”
“
Now that is true, Miss Fulton-Leigh. One a them secretaries from Greenhow, Greenhow, whose-it, and what-have-you did come in and pay for this little gal
’
s shake.
”
“
Greenhow?
”
Dixie stared blankly ahead.
“
That
’
s who my daddy is talking to.
”
She nodded with such enthusiasm her hair kept bobbing after she
’
d tipped her chin up and hurried on with her explanation.
“
Daddy says he
’
s maybe going to be a chair holder at the furniture building store.
”
“
He does?
”
What could that Howard Greenhow be up to? He
’
d warned her that she was not finished dealing with him, but Dixie had imagined it just an idle threat, a parting shot by a powerless antagonist. Now she wasn
’
t so sure.
“
Did your father tell you anything else about this? Did he say how he planned to buy into my company because last time I checked it wasn
’
t for sale.
”
“
I don
’
t know.
”
Wendy gave an overplayed shrug.
“
Daddy came over here to visit once and talked to the man who made the sofas—
”
“
Did he say what that man
’
s name was?
”
“
Fulton-Leigh, same as yours, ma
’
am. Is that
your
daddy?
”
“
Yes, it is. It was.
”
Dixie cast her gaze down. How much more of a mess could her father have left behind for her to clean up?
“
And then my daddy said that he was going to be a chair holder we were moving here because he was going to ver-
si
-
fy
his
vest-a-mints
so he could spend more time taking care of me. He said the lawyer thought he could help Daddy do that and if he did we
’
d move here and he
’
d help make the sofas.
”
“
I don
’
t like the sound of this.
”
Dixie put her hand to the back of her neck, surprised by the cold clamminess of her skin under her thick hair.
“
I don
’
t like the sound of this, at all.
”
“
It
’
s okay.
”
Wendy reached out and patted Dixie
’
s other hand.
“
He
’
ll make real good sofas, ma
’
am. My daddy can do
anything
.
”
Dixie looked down at that tender face, so filled with pride and confidence in a hero of a father who would always be there for her. Oh, to be that trusting again. She swallowed hard and pushed aside the lovely notion.
“
Well, it looks like my daddy could also do anything. Only not always in a good way. Guess I have to pay a little visit to Mr. Greenhow. It was nice talking with you...what did you say your name was?
”
“
Wendy.
”
“
Wendy.
”
Dixie bowed her head in greeting and took the small hand in hers for one quick shake.
“
It was nice to meet you, Wendy. But I
’
ve got to run.
”
Still holding the girl
’
s hand, Dixie called in the general direction of the pharmacist
’
s counter,
“
Noni, someone will be in to get Miss Lettie
’
s pills sometime later today.
”
“
Send anyone but that crackpot grandfather of yours.
”
“
I know. I know.
”
Dixie bent low and touched a finger to Wendy
’
s chin.
“
You stay put and keep right on not talking to strangers, you hear me? And you
’
ll be all right here until someone comes for—
”
“
Daddy!
”
In a flutter of dark hair and waving hands, Wendy leapt off the stool and scurried toward the drugstore
’
s glass front door.
Dixie set off after her. The clipped cadence of her heels fell in right behind the swish-swoosh-swish of Wendy
’
s corduroy jumper and the quiet rhythmic clacking of the tips of her
untied shoelace dancing over the dingy floor with her every step.
An electronic
ding
like a doorbell signaled that someone had, indeed, walked into the store.
Dixie
’
s heartbeat thrummed in her ears, which only added to the crush of thoughts, sounds, and emotions closing in on her. If anything the child said held true, Dixie
’
s quarrel would be with Greenhow. But she would still have to deal with Wendy
’
s daddy and that likely would not be pleasant. Best to see to that first.
She stepped forward, giving a shake of her head to toss her hair into place and to give her a moment to fix a smile on her face and—
“
Oh, my word, it
’
s
you
.
”
A deep masculine voice softened by surprise and Southern intonation met her ears before her eyes adjusted enough to see anything but the glaring sunlight glinting off the glass door.
Dixie dropped her gaze, half-turning her head away
“
I beg your pardon? Have we—?
”
A pair of black cowboy boots stepped into her downcast line of vision.
She blinked then moved her gaze slowly upward, wary of the blinding light and the disadvantage it put her at. Boots, jeans, sport coat, pristine white shirt, silk tie...
expensive
silk tie. What kind of man wore a tie like that with jeans and cowboy boots? She had to see for herself.
She raised her eyes.
“
No! Not you?
You
are the man trying to buy into my family company?
You
?
”
“
Your
company?
You
are Dixie Fulton-Leigh?
”
He laughed and bent to scoop up his daughter. He lifted the petite child effortlessly up until her head lay on his broad shoulder. Cocking his head, he gave Dixie a lazy, knowing grin that would have brought a weaker woman to her knees.
“
Well, well, Princess Prissypants, who
’
d have thought it? Looks like you and I are going to be partners.
”
Chapter Seven
“
Partners? In a pig
’
s eye!
”
She did not lower her voice or the angle of her chin, taking what seemed like center stage of their unfolding little drama right there in the front of the small town drug store.
“
Actually, Miss Fulton-Leigh, partners in the family business.
”
Riley laughed.
How could anyone not get a good chuckle out of the fact that he had pressed ahead so quickly with this deal was his noble aim to rescue Fulton-Leigh
’
s poor, beleaguered daughter? Riley shook his head and smiled at the one woman on the planet he was pretty sure did not need, nor would accept, his help.
“
My
family
’
s business.
”
To her credit, it came more like a gentle, determined reproach than the hard challenge it might have been.
“
My family
’
s, too, now.
”
He cupped his hand over Wendy
’
s head and stroked her soft, fine hair.
With no more than a flash of her eyes and a tilt of her head Dixie contradicted his claim, but she kept her lips pressed tightly shut.
“
Listen, Miss Fulton-Leigh, twice now we
’
ve gotten off to what seems like a...difficult start.
”
He settled Wendy down on the floor again, but kept one hand on her shoulder to keep her close.
“
Since we
’
re dealing with something a little more important than a parking space this time, why don
’
t we go over to your office, settle in, and talk this out like two reasonable, mature business people?
”
“
Oh, of course, that
’
s exactly what we
’
re going to do.
”
She gave him a smile that came too easily to be real then she stepped around him to place her delicate hand on the pharmacy door. She gave one hard backward glance over her shoulder.
“
When pigs fly!
”
He angled his shoulder to put his mouth close to her ear, blocked her exit as he murmured,
“
You have a thing about pigs, don
’
t you, Miss...since we
’
re going to be working together so closely, may I call you Dixie?
”