The Secretary Gets Her Man. Mindy Neff

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      Penny rolled her eyes and glanced pointedly at Lindsey.

      Janelle added her own censoring glare at her friend, then said, “Lindsey, hon, would you redirect Makayla from that cabinet before she knocks a hole in it? Take her on out to the front room where there’s more area to maneuver.”

      “Okay.” Lindsey immediately jumped to obey her mother. No whining or sass. Penny wondered if the girl’s shyness and lack of obstinence came from having lived with an abusive father. That thought made her sad. Penny knew about living in a household where you felt the need to walk on eggshells.

      When Lindsey had herded Makayla out of the room, Kelly poured another round of coffee. “So, have you shot anyone?” she asked ghoulishly.

      “Yes,” Penny said, deliberately shocking her three friends. Well, she had winged one of the cattle rustlers a few months back.

      “Oh, my gosh!” Pam cried. “I was sure you’d say no. Is it okay for us to know this? I mean, I don’t have to keep quiet around Russ or anything, do I?”

      Penny’s smile grew cunning. “Since I’m sort of Russ’s client, he has a certain loyalty to me, don’t you think?”

      All three women were looking at her with awe. “Did you kill the guy?” Kelly asked.

      “No. The object is to bring them in alive.”

      “Seems silly,” Janelle said softly, almost to herself. “If you could rid the world of some of its vermin then they wouldn’t be taking up space in our jails…and becoming eligible for parole.”

      Penny reached over and squeezed Janelle’s hand. From Kelly’s letters she’d learned that Janelle had pressed charges against her ex-husband, Don Gilard, and had sent him to jail for abuse. “I’m really sorry for what you had to go through, Nelle.”

      Janelle squeezed back. “Thanks, Pen. I’m happy now, though. I married Jim Edwards, a really sexy, shy guy. He loves Lindsey to pieces and we’re expecting this one in late September.” She patted her swollen tummy.

      “Good for you. I’m anxious to meet him.”

      “Oh, you will,” Kelly said. “Since he’s my accountant, he’ll be at the bookstore opening next week making sure I’m handling my assets properly. But you should come to the fair tonight. It’s the last night before they pack up and leave town. We’re all taking the kids and dragging the hubbies along, too.”

      “I don’t know,” Penny said. “I’ve got an awful lot to do.”

      “You said you were procrastinating and playing hooky today. Start tomorrow on your grandmother’s stuff. In fact, I’ll come help you.”

      “No. You’ve got your bookstore to deal with. And I’ll need a couple of days at least just to figure out what’s what at the house. I’ll mostly be spinning my wheels, I imagine.”

      “So, meet us at the fair,” Pam said. “You were always the daring one on the roller coasters and vomit rides. We’ll make you take our kids.”

      “Oh, that’s just what she needs,” Kelly said. “Kids hanging on her back pocket. You ladies forget she’s our resident celebrity.”

      “Get out of here,” Penny said. “Why in the world would you call me a celebrity?”

      “Do you see anybody else coming back to town with this much excitement and mystery surrounding them? Dine on it, baby.”

      “I’m not mysterious.”

      “So pretend, for goodness sake. Lanie Dubois will be pea green with jealousy. She still thinks she’s better than anybody else. Do you know she actually showed up at the reunion with her pom-poms? Acting all cutsie and lording it over everybody else that her daddy was promoting her to Vice President of the bank—and of course telling us she didn’t have to work, but wanted to contribute something worthwhile to society.”

      “Yeah,” Pam added. “She tried to make us feel like a bunch of house frumps.”

      “You’re kidding.” Kelly and Janelle were business owners and Pam ran a small ranch, sat on just about every charity board imaginable, and sold real estate on the side. Added to that, all three were raising children.

      House frumps? Not likely.

      “So what do you want me to do? Wear my thirty-eight on my hip?”

      “Can you?” Kelly asked, rubbing her hands together.

      Penny laughed. “No. And don’t you all start with me. I’d just as soon keep a low profile while I’m here, okay?”

      “Killjoy,” Pam said. “Once Joe Colter gets a look at you, low profile will be history. He’s as visible as they come and he’ll set his sights on you in a heartbeat.”

      “Don’t even go there,” Penny said, making a great effort to keep her voice even and her smile pleasant. “Guys like Joe Colter just don’t do it for me anymore.”

      She was lying through her teeth.

      A quick glance at Kelly confirmed that her friend saw right through the lie. Kelly was the only one who knew that Penny had actually slept with Joe Colter. The rest of the town just thought he’d dated her on a bet. A charity case, so to speak.

      Only Kelly knew the whole truth. That sixteen years ago, she’d given her virginity and her heart to Joe Colter—and neither one had meant a thing to him.

      THE WARM JUNE AIR was redolent with the smell of popcorn, hot dogs, peanuts and cooking fires. Music played and children shrieked.

      Carrying a cone of blue cotton candy, Penny walked around the fair grounds, smiling at folks who kept looking at her like they ought to know her but couldn’t quite place her.

      For now, she didn’t go out of her way to introduce herself. She was content for the moment to let the memories pour over her, memories of other fairs here in Darby, fairs she, Kelly, Janelle and Pam had attended as girls.

      Long, banquet-style tables draped with paper cloths were set up in the middle of a makeshift food court where booths emanated wonderful scents of both American and ethnic fare. The lights on the huge Ferris wheel lit the sky with neon colors. Screaming children rocked the top gondolas as the wheel slowly stopped and started, loading and unloading riders. Calliope music from the carousel vied with the dings and bangs of ringtoss and shooting booths. The Octopus and Tilt-a-whirl had long lines of children and adults waiting their turn to become walking candidates for chiropractic healthcare.

      Off in the distance, the clack of roller-coaster cars climbing the grade then speeding around dips and curves called to her.

      Penny loved roller coasters. She loved danger. The faster and scarier, the better.

      Tossing her cotton candy cone in a trash barrel, she stopped at one of the food booths and ordered a beer.

      “Hello stranger.”

      Penny jolted and nearly spilled the paper cup of beer.

      Joe, СКАЧАТЬ