He pivoted on his red stool, saw her and actually had the gall to
smile
.
At that same moment Kerri hustled out of the kitchen to place a fresh frothy meringue pie on a dessert platter.
On instinct, Kylie relieved her of the pie and smashed it in Ashe’s arrogant face.
The café exploded in laughter and applause.
Ashe sputtered and wiped lemon goo and white froth from his eyes.
Kylie calmly turned to the café’s owner and chief baker. “How much for the pie?”
“I heard about the bet.” Kerri’s lip twitched as Ashe groped for a napkin. She winked at Kylie. “On the house.”
“Thanks.” Head held high, Kylie swiveled and faced the teeming café. “All right. How many of you knew about the bet regarding who would ring my bell?”
Three-quarters of the diners raised their hands, including Max, J.J., Mr. Keystone and Mayor Wilson.
Great
. No doubt they’d have some sage advice on attaining orgasms.
Prebirthday meltdown, she would’ve crawled under the nearest booth and stayed there forever, wishing it were a six-foot hole. For someone who’d always strived to keep her private life private, this was the height of tabloid hell. But that was the old Kylie. The new Kylie intended to live life to the fullest, and if it meant making a spectacle of herself, so be it.
“Right, then. Just so everyone’s clear on this, Jack rang my bell. Not once. Not twice, but several times. For those of you who placed bets accordingly—” she jerked a thumb at the jerk behind her “—see that man for your money.”
Once the chuckles and murmurs subsided, Kylie made one more announcement. “On another note, McGraw’s is typically closed on Mondays, but as you know, I have a sudden gripe with routine.”
Several people snickered.
Kylie bolstered her spine. “In honor of the Apple Festival, I’ll open my doors today, this Monday only, from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., giving Eden’s own a sneak peek at the new-and-improved McGraw’s Shoe Shoppe.
Walk in Comfort, Walk in Style.
Shake up your lives and treat yourself to a pair of quality shoes. Affordable, stylish, fun, functional and comfortable. I guarantee McGraw’s has something for everyone. And if we don’t have it, we’ll get it!” she added on a whim. “Plus, this week only, enjoy twenty-percent off customized sneakers made especially,
exclusively
for Eden.” She clasped her heart. “Paradise in the Heartland.”
Everyone, with the exception of Ashe, cheered.
“That’s our girl,” said Mr. Keystone.
“Nice speech,” said the mayor.
“For what it’s worth,” J.J. said as she walked by, “we weren’t in on the pool.”
“For what it’s worth,” Kylie said, “Thank you.” Blood pumping, she exited Kerri’s Confections alongside Officer Anderson.
“Man, oh, man,” he said. “You sure gave Ashe what-for. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
“Just don’t tell anyone about the birthday suit thing and we’re good.”
His lip twitched. “What birthday suit thing?”
She patted his arm. “Good man.”
“
Now
can I escort you to work?” he asked.
“One more thing.” Kylie whipped out her new cell phone and dialed Jack.
He answered midring. “You okay?”
“Depends. Where are you?”
“In my office. Where are you?”
“Across the street. Be right there.”
Andy sighed and followed her. “Even though the chief argued with Ashe, I don’t think he knew about the bet. I mean, he didn’t say anything. I heard it from Hooper who heard it from Boone who heard it from—”
“Save it,” Kylie said as they breached the station house.
Jack met her midway across the reception area. Anderson hovered behind.
“Tell me it wasn’t just about being the first to push my buttons,” she blurted in a hushed whisper.
“What?” Jack grasped her forearms. “Let’s take this—”
“Tell me you didn’t know about the bet.”
“What bet?”
“Last night was so… You were so…” Kylie spied Deputy Ziffel and Mrs. Vine out of the corner of her eye. She knew Andy was nearby, too. She veered from sex talk but couldn’t drop the subject. Her head and heart were pounding. “Is that why you brought up marriage and kids? To scare me off? You had your fun, cinched the bet, and then panicked because you actually fell for me?”
“What freaking bet?”
Ziffel groaned.
Kylie lost it. “Did you or did you not argue with Ashe about condoms and…and…
doing me?
”
Someone cleared their throat. “Don’t mean to interrupt, but I’m looking for Chief Reynolds.”
Red-faced, Kylie turned and spied a good-looking man, dressed in jeans, an open-collared shirt and a brown blazer.
“That would be me,” Jack said.
The stranger moved forward, hand extended in greeting.
“U.S. Marshal Noah Skully.”
CHAPTER FORTY
“I
S THIS PLACE FOR REAL
?”
“I like it, Chickie.”
“I’m not surprised.” Carmine pulled their rental car to a stop a few feet shy of the Orchard House. A brown-and-pink Victorian monstrosity set on vivid green manicured grounds and surrounded by frickin’ apple trees. According to Buddah it was either this or a cheap roadside motel.
Carmine didn’t do cheap.
He looked across the seat at Dixie.
Not most of the time, anyway.
He’d told her to dress like a professional. He should have been more specific. Her banana-yellow skirt was too short, her red leather jacket too tight, and her blingy opened-toed heels too high. She might not have raised eyebrows in Brooklyn, but in Hayseed, Indiana, she was a walkin’ billboard for
bimbo
. Maybe he could get her to tone it down before they actually went into town.
That’s if they made it into town.
Carmine’s ticker felt like the fuckin’ clock of doom. He kept waiting for it to stop. He was certain it would stop. And all because he was late. Too late.
He had every reason to believe his brother was dead. In many ways, it was for the best, but he couldn’t let go. He couldn’t move on. He had to make it right. And Kylie McGraw was the key.
“I know we’ve been over it,” he said to Dixie. “But you know how to play this, right, baby?”
She fluffed her blond hair and beamed a thousand-watt smile. “No worries, Chickie.”
From her luscious mouth to the Almighty’s ears.
Carmine eyed the bed-and-breakfast, craving a hot bath and a long nap, knowing he’d get only one. He palmed his cell phone and called his nephew, praying for a connection. Reception had been damned spotty since landing in Indiana. How did anyone correspond out here?
“Yo, Chickie,” Mario said. “Are you close?”
“I’m here. Need to check in, wash up, then we’ll be payin’ a visit to Miss McGraw. Any action on that end?”
“Zip. I’m thinking the Gambellis are long gone.”
“Put Buddah on.”
After a grunt and some jostling, he heard, “Yeah, boss?” to which he responded, “Give me the nut.”
“Like Turk said, no Gambellis, no action. Like you asked, we’ve been laying low, keeping watch. Not that Miss McGraw needs our protection. The woman’s been with one or another cop 24/7.”
“I thought you said no one believed her claim.”
“No one does. But she seems to be tight with the town’s chief of police. He’s either humoring her or being cautious. Either way, I’m with Turk. I think the Gambellis are dust. Thinkin’ we should be the same, boss.”
“Not until I get some closure.”
“Some what?”
A term he’d picked from Dr. Bennett. “The Gambellis ain’t ones to leave loose ends. Keep watch on the McGraw woman. Keep her safe. I’ll be in touch.”
Carmine disconnected, put the car in gear and nosed into the gravel driveway of the Orchard House.
Dixie bounced in her seat. “I can’t wait to see my shoes in Kylie’s store!”
Carmine couldn’t wait to see Kylie.
K
YLIE ALMOST KISSED
the UPS guy. Not only because he’d delivered four cases from
Bada-Bling!
but also because he’d provided her with a distraction. She’d been mortified when U.S. Marshal Skully had walked in on her condom tirade. Worse, Jack hadn’t included her when he’d invited Skully into his office. Even though he knew she was dying to hear the report on Travis. Nope. He’d promised to call her later, then he’d shut her out. He probably thought he was protecting her from whatever ugly news Skully had to share, which meant he still believed the worst of Travis. It griped Kylie’s buns. At the same time, the moment she’d met the U.S. marshal her stomach had flopped. What did he know about Travis? What was he telling Jack?
She wanted Travis to be an interior decorator who’d renovated a mobster’s mansion and unwittingly witnessed or overheard something that helped to put a criminal behind bars.
She wanted him to be a good guy who’d done a great thing.
She hated that she had a bad feeling.
Focusing on the
Bada-Bling!
sneakers derailed negative thoughts. The actual product exceeded her expectations. Good quality, fun and unique, no two pairs of shoes were exactly alike. Everything apple—apple pie, appletinis, apple trees, apple bushels, Johnny Appleseed and Eden’s apple water tower—airbrushed in the style of a funky graffiti artist and decorated with assorted bling.
Kylie shucked her loafers and slipped on the pair of high-top sneakers featuring the water tower and
Paradise in the Heartland
spelled out in rhinestones. Inspired, she started arranging a display in the front window. “These are going to sell like hotcakes!”
A few seconds later, someone knocked on the door.
Engrossed in her display Kylie shouted, “Not open until twelve!”
Another, more insistent knock. “It’s Jessica Lynn. Jessie. Jack’s sister.”
Kylie sprung into action and unlocked the door. The vulnerability in the woman’s voice shook her. The sight of her was nearly as troubling. She looked like a living China doll. Beautiful, but fragile. When had she gotten so thin? She was wearing a periwinkle-blue pencil skirt and matching cropped jacket. She’d brushed her straight black hair to a high gloss, and her makeup was celebrity perfect. Still, for all she appeared put together, Kylie sensed the woman was ten seconds from falling apart. “What’s wrong?”
“My heel broke.”
Looking down, Kylie saw the woman balancing on her right pointy-toed Jimmy Choo. The left was indeed minus a heel. She also saw Shy sitting on the sidewalk, just a few inches from Jessica. That dog sure seemed to have a thing for women in distress. “Uh. So, where’s the heel?”
Jessica held out her hand, displaying the detached three-inch spike. “I dropped Madeline off at school,” she said in a brittle voice. “Shy jumped out the open window and tried to follow her inside. I chased after the dog and…I’m not sure what I did, but my heel broke. I can’t go into court like this. I need to look my best when I face Frank. I need to feel confident when I…” Her pale skin flushed. “I know you’re not open yet, but…”
Kylie gently gripped the bright-eyed woman’s bony elbow and urged her and the sad-eyed dog inside. She noted the squad car parked across the street. Blushed when Andy waved. She just knew he was thinking about her in her birthday suit.
Dang.
“I’m not sure if I can fix your heel, Jessica Lynn,” Kylie said as she closed the door and turned. “Shoe repair isn’t my strong point.”
“Can you sell me a new pair?”
So her first customer was going to be the snappiest dresser in town?
Great
. “Uh. Sure.”
Shy curled up on one of Kylie’s new shaggy throw rugs.
Jessica kicked off her broken heels and padded straight to the new display of designer shoes intended to seduce the wealthy ladies of the Garden Club circle. She picked up a classy pair of sleek Prada pumps. “These are ideal. Do you have a similar style in a more conservative price range?”
Kylie blinked. A woman who favored top-shelf shoes searching for rock-bottom prices? Then she remembered the former pageant queen had taken a job as a waitress and, according to Jack, was determined to make her own way financially. Naturally, she couldn’t afford to blow three hundred bucks on one pair of shoes. Still, there was Jessica’s designer taste to consider. “I have a killer pair of Steve Maddens. Moderately priced.”
“How moderate?”
Well, jeez. Was she seriously that strapped? Concerned about Jessica’s pride, Kylie considered an alternative. “It just occurred to me that you must have dozens of awesome shoes in your closest. Are you worried that you don’t have time to run home before your court hearing? If you loan me your house key, maybe I could zip over and—”
“That’s sweet, but…” Jessica stiffened and gestured to her broken Jimmy Choos. “I won those as part of a clothing package in one of the pageants. The shoes in my closet were bought with Frank’s money. I’d rather not.”
Kylie started to say she understood, but she wasn’t sure she did. “I’ll get the Steve Maddens.” She hurried into the storage room and nabbed the appropriate shoe box, heart aching for Jessica Lynn. Suddenly, Kylie’s own life seemed like a veritable party. Her best friend was dealing with a troubled marriage and a seriously injured parent. Her new friend was apparently running for his life. And this woman had been raked over the emotional coals by her sleazebag husband.
Instead of resenting all the things she’d never experienced, Kylie counted her blessings. When she returned to the main room, Jack’s sister was padding around in her bare feet, eyeing all the changes. The vibrant walls and ceiling. The hip lighting and vintage shelving, the eclectic mix of shoes. Knowing Jessica Lynn Cortez was a woman with exquisite taste, Kylie had to ask. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s…unique. An impressive blend of old and new. Stylish
and
practical. I think you reinvented the family business.”
Kylie nearly wilted with relief. “You know my brother. Think he’ll kick my ass?”
“If he’s smart, he’ll kiss it.”
Kylie smiled. “Coming from you that means a lot, Jessica Lynn.”
“Please call me Jessie. The apple sneakers are cute,” she said as she sat in a zebra-painted chair and allowed Kylie to fit her with a new shoe.
“Custom-made by a woman named Dixie,” Kylie said. “She runs a Web-based store called
Bada-Bling!
”
“A one-woman show?”
“As far as I know.”
“Like you.” She sighed. “I really admire you for running your family’s business, Kylie.”
Embarrassed, she shrugged off the compliment. “It’s easy when you love what you do.”
“I’ve never had to work before, and though serving beer and wings is honest work, I don’t plan to do it forever. Unfortunately, I can’t think beyond today. I just have to get through this morning and then…” She trailed off as if realizing suddenly that she was rambling on about herself and her life—sort of like the old Jessica. She cleared her throat, flexed her foot and admired the pointy-toed black pumps. “Perfect, Kylie. Thank you.” She glanced at her watch, then, hands trembling, opened her small designer handbag. “How much do I owe you?”
The woman was on her way to get divorced from a jerk who’d repeatedly cheated on her. A man who’d deserted her
and
their daughter. Kylie felt guilty about taking money from someone whose life was falling apart, especially the sister of the man she loved. “You know what’s even better than moderately priced? Free. Which is what these heels would be if you were an employee of McGraw’s Shoe Shoppe.”
Jessica licked her pink-glossed lips. “I don’t understand.”
Kylie stood and pushed her new flower-power glasses up her nose. “You know that thing about me being a one-woman show? Well, I’m sort of over that. I want a life. I mean, more of a life. Outside of work, that is. Your brother and I, well, we clash a little but mostly we click.”
Jessica quirked her first smile. “I think you’re a good match.”
“You do? Well, that’s good. Great, actually. Hopefully, Spenser will feel the same. Anyway, I’m hoping the renovations and new stock will boost business. I need help and you know shoes.”
Jessica stood, her fingers gripped tight on her handbag. “You’re offering me a job?”
“It doesn’t pay much. Actually, I don’t know what it pays. I need to figure that out. Hopefully, I can make it worth your while. I think you’re a perfect fit, pardon the pun.”
Shy barked, startling both women. The door creaked open and Kylie’s heart raced. She’d forgotten to lock it!
Get a grip, McGraw. Andy’s just outside.
Then she saw it was Jack and her pulse fluttered.
Yay!
Except Skully was with him.
Dang
.
“Three out of four of my favorite ladies.” Jack bent over to pat the eager dog’s head as she leaned into him. “The blonde here is Shy. You met Kylie,” he said with a warm look in her direction. “And this is my sister, Jessica Lynn Cortez. Ladies, this is U.S. Marshal Noah Skully.”
“Pleasure,” Skully said, looking directly at Jessica.
Kylie didn’t mind being invisible where that man was concerned.
Jessica looked mortified by his regard. Was it because she was self-conscious about her frail state, Kylie wondered, or because she hated all men just now? Frank, the bastard, had really done a number on her head.
“I need to go,” Jessica blurted. She looked at her new shoes, at Kylie. “I…”
“Catch up with me later. You know, after. We’ll grab a drink, chat.”
Jack looked at his watch. “The hearing’s in a half hour, right?” he asked as Jessica bolted for the door in her shiny new heels.
She nodded. “But I’m meeting with my lawyer beforehand. If you’ve got business with Marshal Skully…”
Jack nabbed his sister’s hand and squeezed. “I’ll be there. Just need to speak with Kylie first.”
Jessica split and both men turned their attention to Kylie.
Dang.