behind closed doors. And I have clients waiting.”
Helen grinned. “On my way. Never let it be said that I stood in the way of this place making more money.” She was about to leave, when she turned back. “Hey, why don’t you come over for Sunday dinner next week. Everyone’s coming.”
Jeanette narrowed her gaze. “Everyone?”
“Maddie, Cal and the kids. Dana Sue and Ronnie. Maddie says Ty might be home, and Dana Sue’s trying to see if Annie can get home from college for the weekend. And in case you had any doubts about it, Erik will be cooking, not me. We won’t die of ptomaine poisoning.”
“Good to know.” Jeanette debated the merits of attending a party where her love life could be examined yet again. Of course, the advantage would be that she could defend her position and keep them from pulling anything sneaky. “Okay, sure,” she said at last. “Can I bring anything? Wine? Soda? Lemonade? A pie?”
“Forget the pie. Erik’s a pastry chef. Any pies or desserts on the premises are his. I tried bringing home a frozen cobbler one night and didn’t hear the end of it for a month. How about some tequila? I’m making margaritas.”
“Oh, boy,” Jeanette said. “The lethal ones?”
Helen grinned. “Are there any other kind? Especially since none of us is pregnant or nursing at the moment. See you around four, okay?”
“Works for me,” she said, though she didn’t entirely trust Helen’s recitation of the guest list. Something told her that Helen wouldn’t be above inviting Tom just to see if the rumors about his good looks were true—and maybe to initiate a little meddling of her own.
Mary Vaughn sashayed past an outraged Teresa and into Tom McDonald’s office just before lunchtime without an appointment.
Her plan was to ask him something about the Christmas festival, then work her way around to asking if he had lunch plans.
As she stepped across the threshold, though, she came to an abrupt stop. He wasn’t in his office. She whirled around and glared at Teresa.
“He’s not there.”
“I could have told you that if you’d slowed down for half a second,” Teresa said, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes.
“Where is he?”
“He had a meeting out of the building.”
“When will he be back?”
“It’s hard to say. Shall I tell him you stopped by?”
Mary Vaughn debated what to do. If she didn’t explain what had brought her, it would be all too obvious to anyone with half a grain of sense that she was here on a personal mission. She knew perfectly well that everyone in town thought she was man-crazy. The truth was there’d only been one man in her entire life who had made her a little crazy and that was Ronnie Sullivan. Now that she’d lost him twice to Dana Sue, it was pretty much past time to give up on that particular dream. It had caused her nothing but heartache.
Her marriage to Sonny Lewis had been totally on the rebound, a fact she regretted every single day of her life. She hadn’t been a bit surprised that their marriage had barely lasted ten years. What had surprised her was that sweet, easygoing Sonny was the one who’d ended it. She’d had a daughter she adored and a successful career that gave her financial independence. Being married to Sonny had given her the respectability she’d craved since childhood. She probably would have drifted along contentedly for a lot longer if Sonny hadn’t forced the issue.
“You made up your mind yet?” Teresa asked, snapping her back to the present.
“About what?” Mary Vaughn asked blankly.
“Do you want me to tell Tom that you stopped by or not?”
“No,” she said. “Thanks, Teresa. I’ll catch up with him sooner or later.”
Teresa murmured something that sounded a whole lot like, “I’ll be sure to warn him,” but her expression was perfectly innocent when Mary Vaughn turned to give her a penetrating look.
“You have a good day,” Teresa said.
“You do the same,” Mary Vaughn said with even less sincerity.
Outside Town Hall, she was about to cross Main Street when she saw Tom getting out of his car. She brightened immediately.
“Hello there,” she called out. “I was just looking for you.”
For an instant he looked confused, but then recognition apparently dawned. “Mary Vaughn, isn’t it?”
“You have a wonderful memory,” she said. “I’m sure it must be so confusing when you first move into a new town. Not that I’d know, of course. I’ve lived here all my life. There’s not a nook or cranny of Serenity that I don’t know like the back of my hand. The same with the people who live here. I know all their dirty little secrets.”
“Oh?”
She flushed under his vaguely disapproving gaze. “Not that there are that many dirty little secrets, of course. I just meant that I know everyone real well. I could give you a crash course, if you like. In fact, if you have the time, I’d love to buy you lunch over at Wharton’s or Sullivan’s. Sullivan’s is the best we have to offer. Have you eaten there yet?”
“I have,” he said. “It’s terrific and I appreciate the invitation, but I’ve had a jam-packed morning and the afternoon doesn’t look much better. I’ m just going to have a sandwich at my desk. I think Teresa has already ordered it.”
Mary Vaughn backed down at once. “Another time, then. How’s your house hunting going, by the way? Howard told me you’ve been looking. I’d be happy to show you some properties. I could fax over the material on the ones you might like.”
“Do that,” he said. “But I’m not sure when I’ll get to them. I’ll call you, okay?”
She bit back a sigh. She was striking out on all fronts today, but she’d live to try again. After all, that’s what she did. She put on a cheerful smile and survived. She’d been doing it her whole life and there wasn’t a soul in town who’d ever guessed how good she was at covering up her problems.
“Call anytime,” she told him with her sunniest smile.
Then she walked away with her back straight and her pride mostly intact.
“Did Mary Vaughn get her claws into you?” Teresa asked the minute Tom walked into his office.
“What?” he asked distractedly. “Mary Vaughn? I just ran into her on the street. I’m not even sure what she wanted.”
“You,” Teresa said, following him into his office. “She wants you. Didn’t I warn you about that the other day? Trust me. I’ve seen that glint in her eyes before. Last time, she was after Ronnie Sullivan, but Dana Sue put a quick end to that.”
He looked up. “Teresa, I’m not interested in gossip.”
But he had been aware of Mary Vaughn’s
