Page 45

“Well, c’mon in,” he told her. “We’ve been workin’ on a few things for Red since Devo’s stuck here in Red Wild purgatory. Wanna see?”

“Yeah,” she answered, but she was looking at me, probably wondering what the look on my face was about.

Sex. It was about sex. Yeah, yeah, so I was a breast woman. What of it? And Abey’s boobs were the things of dreams. Her whole body was a strong, tall, cool drink of water. She was a water goddess, and I was landlocked, dying of thirst in the desert, waiting for her to quench me all over.

“Here,” I said, clearing my throat and trying to blink away the lust she’d caused as she came closer with Rye on her heels. He was genuinely happy to see her. I pushed the piece of paper I’d been sketching my plan on out in front of me. “We’re reorganizin’ this place.”

“Ah, shit, Abey,” Rye interrupted, running his hand through his hair, pulling Abey’s attention away from me, and like a jealous, lovesick teenager, I wanted to stomp on his foot. “How’s your brother? I haven’t talked to him in a long time. I called him when Candy passed, but he never called back, and there was some shit goin’ on with my dad, so I forgot to call again. I’m so sorry for y’all’s loss.”

“Thanks,” she said softly. “It’s been hard on him.” She breathed deeply and let it out in a loud sigh. “He’s… hangin’ in there, y’know? Athena, their daughter, is strugglin’ though. It’s heartbreakin’, but she puts on a good show.”

I hadn’t known Abey had lost her sister-in-law. Hadn’t even heard through the grapevine. The sad look on Abey’s face broke my heart, and now it was all I could do not to reach out to pull her to me so I could hug her sadness away. She tried to smile it away. She couldn’t let anyone know how she really felt. It just wasn’t her style.

“He still have the same number?” Rye asked. “I’ll give him a call, see if he wants to get a beer some night while I’m here.”

“Yeah, same number. I bet he’d like that. How long you here for?”

“Oh, I dunno. A week or two maybe. Or lemme put it this way: I’ll stay as long as I can put up with Uncle Red. His house ain’t the relaxin’ oasis you probably think it is.”

She laughed, then turned back to me, looking right in my eyes for a few seconds, and for the first time, I saw the struggle inside her. It was a rare, open moment, but then her gaze dropped to the piece of paper in my hand. She looked back up. “Looks good. Red know you’re doin’ this for him?”

“No,” I said. “And please don’t tell him. Rye wants to surprise him.”

She bit her lip. “I hate to rain on your parade, but do you really think Red will keep this up? He’s not usually one for decorations and nice-lookin’ displays.” She looked around the room at the mess we’d made, pulling shelves and racks of clothing to the middle of the store so we could clean underneath them before we made new displays.

I couldn’t help the evil glint I could feel forming in my eyes. Yeah, yeah, so I was supposed to be helping Red somehow, but I already knew Red would be pissed at anything I did to better his store just because it had been my idea.

The knowledge filled me with glee.

“This place has needed a makeover since 1992,” Rye said, “but you never know. Red might love it.”

Abey couldn’t take her eyes away from mine for some reason, and then finally, she said, “Um, Devo, could I talk to you? In private?”

Rye took the hint. “Hey, you girls talk. I, um, need to run across the street anyway, talk to Uncle Red. I think he mentioned some deliveries he’s got comin’ in. Better sort that out.”

He left without another word, and as soon as the door clicked closed, Abey leaned across the counter. She dropped her hat on the wood top and kissed me. One small peck on the lips.

“What was that for?” I asked, bewildered, and I licked her kiss into my mouth with the tip of my tongue.

“I just needed to do it,” she said with a sly smile. “At book club today, I lied about you, and it made me feel sick to my stomach. I thought a kiss might make it go away.”

“I didn’t know about your sister-in-law. I’m so sorry, Abey.”

She kissed me again gently, then whispered, “Thank you.”

“Wait. You lied? Why? And I can’t believe you’re in Sam’s smutty book club.”

“Why not? She’s my best friend,” she said. “What’s the big deal? Anyway, someone saw us together in here the other day, before Crane stopped in, and the girls were talkin’ about it today, askin’ if there was somethin’ goin’ on between us. I said no, and all I’ve been able to think about since is that you were right to accuse me. I may be out to my family and a few friends, but I’m not out out, and I lied to make things easier on myself. I’m sorry for gettin’ mad at you.”

“Thank you, but I was wrong to call you out about it. It’s not my business. Your life is not my life. I don’t know the things you have to face in your job every day. I’m sorry.” I twisted my lips nervously, then asked, “But is there somethin’ goin’ on between us?”

She shrugged, and a tiny smile brightened her face. “Do you want there to be?”

“Well… Yes. But that would mean we’d need to go on a date.” Narrowing my eyes, I was trying to deduce how she’d react to what I was about to say. She hadn’t reacted to my date comment. “Are you… available to do that? I mean, you practically jumped away from me when you thought someone might see. Where would we go?”

“I’d love to take you out,” she said. “But you’re right. I can’t be loud about it ’cause of my job, but we could do somethin’ quiet.”

“Quiet? Do you mean secret?”