Page 80 of Family Jewels

NowIwas ticked. “Let her go, Leah!”

“That bitch is gonna pay! She ripped out one of my extensions!” Sure enough, a long strip of dark hair lay on the floor.

Jed tried to twist Neely Kate out of Leah’s grasp, but she wouldn’t let go of Neely Kate’s hair.

Neely Kate kept screeching, “I’m going to kill you, Leah Dyer!”

I rushed over to the waitress and gave her a sheepish look. “Sorry.”

“Hey!” she shouted as I snatched the pitcher from her. It made me feel a little better that I’d left enough money to cover the beer and a generous apology.

Leah and Neely Kate were so close together that there was no way I could only toss the beer on one of them. With a silentI’m sorryto Neely Kate, I tossed the liquid in Leah’s direction.

The effect was as immediate as pouring water on the Wicked Witch of the West. Leah screamed and dropped her hold on my friend.

“Rose! Let’s go!” Jed shouted, already dragging Neely Kate toward the door.

“Let me go, Jed Carlisle!” Neely Kate shouted, trying to pry his hand off her waist. “You have no reason to be here!”

I made a beeline to my truck, not even looking back to see if Leah or her friends were following. Jed had dragged Neely Kate over to his car, holding her off the ground as easily as if she were a rag doll.

He glanced over at me as he opened the back door of his car and unceremoniously dumped Neely Kate inside. “Go!” he said, exasperation on his face.

I wasn’t sure which one of us had earned his exasperation, but I suspected it might be both. I hadn’t told him where we were, so I also suspected he’d followed us. Had he been tailing me all day? I hadn’t noticed him, which told me I was majorly failing this PI gig. Maybe I could convince Neely Kate to pursue a different hobby. Like crocheting. Or sudoku.

My phone vibrated with a call, and I pulled it out of my pocket and answered without looking.

“Hey, Rose,” Joe said. “I’m just checking up on you and Neely Kate.”

Oh crap. “Hey Joe,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant as I put him on speaker.

“I tried calling Neely Kate twice. She didn’t answer, so I got worried and called you.”

“We’re just fine,” I said in a cheerful voice as I watched Jed’s car speed away from town. I wondered if he expected me to follow him or leave him and Neely Kate to their own devices, but given the way they’d been at each other’s throats lately, I wasn’t so sure that was a good idea.

I pressed the gas pedal down to catch up.

“Why isn’t she answering her phone?”

“Um . . . she’s in the bathroom.”

A car stopped at an intersection honked its horn as I passed, and I cringed.

“Is that a car horn?” Joe asked.

“Yeah. Somebody’s driving past the office and laying on their horn.”

“Uh-huh.” He didn’t sound convinced.

“Was there something you wanted, Joe? Or were you just calling to check on us?”

“Just calling to check. Is Neely Kate out of the bathroom yet?”

“Um . . . no. She had some tacos for lunch, and they’re not sitting well.”

“Is she okay?” He sounded concerned.

“She’s fine, just sitting on her porcelain throne.”