Authors: Lorraine Bartlett

With Baited Breath (19 page)

Never had Tori and Kathy had such an eventful summer—although they weren’t sure they ever wanted to repeat it. The Lotus Lodge had not reopened. No matter what arguments Tori and Kathy had used, Herb refused to entertain the thought. He was too busy making other arrangements. Like buying a condo in St. Pete, Florida. He’d flown—first class—there on a number of occasions to seal the deal so he could begin his new life. Meanwhile, he’d made good on his threat and put the Cannon Bait & Tackle up for sale. He’d hinted that he’d spoken to a buyer, but hadn’t yet settled on a final price.

Heartbroken, Tori had followed through with her promise to help spruce up the property. The house and boathouse had been cleared and painted. They’d sold off or ditched the last of her grandmother's treasures, and Tori had submitted resumes to every school district in a three-county area but had heard nothing. Her life was effectively on hold.

Not so for Kathy. The sale of the house had gone through, but it had taken almost ten weeks for it to happen. She’d spent that time bumming bed space from either the Cannons or Anissa, who’d found just enough handywoman jobs to stay afloat.

The lotus leaves were beginning to disintegrate into the bay, looking mushy and unsightly, but they’d be back next spring. The cygnets were just about the same size as their stately parents, and swam and ate near the marsh at the edge of the Cannon compound. On Labor Day, Dan Fisher made a mint from his launch when a glut of boaters hauled their craft out of the water for the last time that season.

Now, on the balmy first day of fall, Kathy finally closed on her house. Tori had accompanied her to the attorney’s office, and they found Herb waiting for them upon their return to the Cannon compound.

“So, you’re a homeowner,” he said, giving Kathy a wide grin.

“Looks like it. Want to come over and see the wreck in person?”

“Why not?”

“When is the Dumpster due to arrive?” Tori asked as they waited for a car to pass before they crossed the road.

“Any minute now,” Kathy said. “I’ve been itching to clear that place out and start working on it.”

“I thought you weren’t getting your inheritance for another two months,” Herb said.

“What’s sixty days? I’m broke for now, but I couldn’t be happier,” Kathy said. “Anissa and I have drawn up a list of projects I can start in the meantime. First on the list is clearing out the trash and calling an exterminator.”

They stopped in front of the shabby old house. “Hey, someone cut the grass,” Kathy said, delighted.

“That was Anissa. She came by right after you girls left for the closing. She borrowed my mower and went to town.”

“Oh, that was so sweet of her.”

“That’s the last time she’ll need to borrow it. Since I’m moving, I gave it to her,” Herb said.

“But Gramps, how will I cut the grass in the meantime?”

“Oh, don’t worry, honey. I wouldn’t leave you stranded.”

Did that mean he’d made arrangements for the grass to be cut until the property was sold? “Thanks,” she said, but without much enthusiasm.

They walked up to the derelict house and climbed the steps.

“Boy, this really is a dump. Are you sure you can turn it around?” Herb asked.

“I’d better,” Kathy said. She pulled the key from her pocket and inserted it into the lock. “Before the end of the day, I’m buying new locks for all the doors. I don’t want squatters to ever show up again.”

“Have you heard any news about those kids?” Herb asked.

Kathy nodded. “Dave called me just yesterday. He said they’d all made it home okay and are back in school and doing well. As well as can be expected, anyway.”

“I thought you and that fella might be getting sweet on each other—although he’s a little old for you,” Herb said with what sounded like consternation.

Kathy shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.”

Tori knew the truth; Dave was only a part-time biker, but a full-time married man.

Oh, well.

“Shall we go in?” Kathy asked.

“Wait,” Herb said. “He reached for his back jeans pocket and pulled out an envelope.”

“Oh, Mr. Cannon, you shouldn’t have,” Kathy began.

Herb looked confused. “Shouldn’t have what?”

Kathy looked at Tori for guidance. “Oh, I thought maybe you were going to …” she let the sentence trail off.

“Give you a present? Gee, I hadn’t thought of that. But you’re right. I’m going to give you a housewarming present. Let me think on it for a couple of days and I’ll get back to you.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean—”

“No, no,” he insisted. “The work you did on the shop, the house, and the boathouse, you made them not only look presentable, but darn pretty. Made it look so much nicer for the new owner.”

“Then you’ve sold the place?” Tori asked, panicked.

Herb nodded. “I’m just waiting for the new owner to sign the paperwork.”

“And when’s that going to happen?” Kathy asked.

“Any minute now.” He handed the envelope to Tori. “I’ve decided to sell the place to Tori.”

“Gramps!” Tori nearly shouted, and threw her arms around him. “I don’t know what to say?”

“Just don’t bad mouth me in the future when you come to regret it,” Herb said.

“But, Gramps, I don’t have any money. I don’t have a job. How can I—?”

“Why don’t you look at the sale agreement?” he suggested.

With trembling hands, Tori removed the paper from the envelope. She scanned the page, her mouth dropping open in shock. “But it says—” She couldn’t go on, and passed the paperwork to Kathy.

“Oh, my God. You’re selling it to Tori for the sum of one dollar?”

Herb nodded, grinning. “The lawyer said it was better if you bought it outright, instead of me giving it to you; that it would solve all kinds of problems in the future.”

“I don’t know what to say!” Tori exclaimed, breathless.

“How about thanks?” Herb suggested.

Again, Tori threw her arms around her grandfather, hugging him fiercely.

“We’ll get this all registered in time for me to leave next week. Once I’m out of the picture, you can do what you damn well please with the place. Truth be told, I’m glad to get this monkey off my back once and for all.”

Happy tears ran down Tori’s cheeks. “Thanks, Gramps. Thank you so much. But what made you change your mind?”

Before Herb could answer, a car drove slowly past and honked. Irene Timmons waved. Once it passed, the car turned into Resort Road and then into the Cannon compound.

“Let’s just say I had a little help coming to that decision,” he said sheepishly. He cleared his throat. “I gotta get back to the shop,” Herb said. “Another week and my next fishing will be in the Gulf of Mexico.”

“I thought you wanted to trade fishing for golf?” Tori asked.

“Not until I get me a marlin,” Herb said. He turned, and headed down the stairs and off across the yard.

Tori wiped her eyes. “Well, this is a day neither of us will soon forget.”

“Right,” Kathy said, smiling.

“I’m sorry Gramps stole your thunder about your own sale.”

“Not at all. I’m just so happy for you, because best of all, we’ll be neighbors. It’s something I never thought would happen. It’s the best thing that ever could have happened.”

“Happy closing day,” came a voice from the edge of the still-unruly hedges. It was Anissa, and bringing up the rear, holding a tray with four tall paper cups with plastic lids and straws, was Noreen.

“What are you guys doing here?” Kathy asked.

“We came to help you celebrate,” Noreen said. She and Anissa climbed the steps and Noreen pushed the tray close to them. “We thought we should make a toast to you guys and your new businesses.”

“Did Gramps tell you he’s selling me the business?” Tori asked.

Anissa nodded. “Among other things.” She nodded toward the road. Across it, they saw Herb and Irene walking hand-in-hand toward the bait shop.

“Would you look at that,” Kathy said, surprised. She turned to Tori. “Did you know they were hooking up?”

“No, but I suspected they might.”

“How do you feel about it?” Noreen asked.

“Irene was my grandma’s best friend. I think she’d probably be happy for both of them.”

“Then it looks like we have something else to drink to,” Anissa said. She took one of the cups. “I propose a toast: to business.”

“Business?” Noreen asked.

“Yeah. Here we are, four smart women, and each of us has, or will have,” she said, looking at Kathy, “a business of our own.”

“I’m only part owner of The Bay Bar,” Noreen said.

Anissa leveled a hard stare at the short-order cook. “Don’t quibble. Now, where was I?”

“To business,” Tori said, taking another of the cups.

“To our
successful
businesses,” Kathy agreed, taking another of the cups.

Noreen picked up the last one, raising it in salute. “To us.”

In unison, they touched cups and drank. Tori swallowed and coughed. “Wow! That’s one powerful gin and tonic!”

“Glad you like it,” Noreen said and smiled.

Just then, a big flatbed truck rumbled to a halt in front of the house. It backed into the yard to unload its cargo: a twenty-yard Dumpster.

“Drink up, ladies,” Noreen said. “Kathy needs to start work today if she’s going to have her business up and running in time for next summer’s tourist season.”

“Oh, I will,” Kathy promised. “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”

They laughed. It felt good to laugh with friends. And they drank. Tori had a feeling there’d be more of that in her future, too.

Anissa chugged her drink and then crushed the cup in her hand. “I’m going to christen your Dumpster with its first piece of trash, and then I’m going to grab some gloves and a mask and we are going to start cleaning house.”

“Oh, thank you. But don’t you have any jobs today?”

“I cleared my schedule so I could help a friend.”

“Me, too,” Noreen said.

“Make that three,” Tori agreed. “After all, what are friends for?”

Kathy’s Cutout Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract*

1 1/3 cups shortening

4 slightly beaten eggs

5 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

Mix all the ingredients together until they form a ball. Place the dough in a plastic bag or covered bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a floured board, roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut out shapes with the cookie cutters of your choice. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. Cool on wire racks.

When thoroughly cooled, frost. If you wish to add colored sugars, do so before you bake the dough.

Yield: varies depending on the size of the cookie cutters.

* Feel free to substitute any flavored extract—they all work equally well.

Icing

4 cups confectioner’s sugar (sifted, then measured)

3 tablespoons (or more) whole milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Colored sugar crystals, sprinkles, and/or decors

Combine the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir until the icing is well blended, smooth, and spreadable, adding more milk by teaspoonfuls if too thick or more sugar by tablespoonfuls if too thin. Using a small icing spatula or table knife, spread a thin layer of icing atop each cookie. If using colored sugar crystals, sprinkle over cookies before icing sets.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The immensely popular Booktown Mystery series is what put Lorraine Bartlett’s pen name Lorna Barrett on the New York Times Bestseller list, but it’s her talent
—
whether writing as Lorna, or L.L. Bartlett, or Lorraine Bartlett
—
that keeps her there. This multi-published, Agatha-nominated author pens the exciting Jeff Resnick Mysteries as well as the acclaimed Victoria Square Mystery series, Tales of Telenia adventure-fantasy saga, and now the Lotus Bay Mysteries, and has many short stories and novellas to her name(s). Check out the descriptions and links to all her works, and sign up for her emailed newsletter here:
http://www.LLBartlett.com

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