'And you were taken with her, weren’t you?' Bessie Jean nodded, as though stating a foregone conclusion.
'Of course he was,' Viola said. 'She’s the prettiest girl in Holy Oaks.'
'It was love at first sight,' he told them, casting an adoring look at Laurant. 'I didn’t believe in that stuff until it happened to me.'
'And you, Laurant?' Viola asked. 'Was it love at first sight for you as well?'
'Yes, it was,' she answered breathlessly.
'How romantic,' Viola said. 'Don’t you think it’s romantic, Bessie Jean?'
'Of course it’s romantic,' Bessie Jean said. 'But sometimes fires that start fast burn out fast. I wouldn’t want our Laurant to get her heart broken. Do you understand what I’m saying, Nicholas?'
'Yes, ma’am, I do, but it isn’t like that.'
'Then tell me, what are your intentions?'
'I’m going to marry her.'
Viola and Bessie Jean looked at each other and then burst into laughter.
'Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Sister?' Bessie Jean chuckled.
'I’m just sure I am.' Viola gave her sister a knowing smile.
'This is thrilling news,' Bessie Jean announced. 'I assume Father Tom has given his blessing?'
'Yes, he has,' Laurant replied. 'He’s very happy for us.' Laurant and Nick looked at each other, puzzled by the ladies’ laughter.
'Nicholas, we weren’t laughing over your wonderful news. It’s just…' Viola began.
'Steve Brenner,' Bessie Jean supplied. 'He’s going to have a tantrum when he finds out about you two. Oh my, yes, and I do so hope Sister and I are there to see it happen. Mr. Brenner has grand plans for you, Laurant.'
'I’ve never even gone out with the man, and I don’t believe I did anything to encourage his attention.'
'He’s infatuated, dear,' Viola explained.
'No, he’s obsessed,' Bessie Jean corrected. 'You’re the prettiest girl in Holy Oaks, so he’s got to have you. He thinks that having the best of everything will make him the best man in town. That’s why he bought the big old house over on Sycamore. If you ask me, Mr. Brenner’s nothing but a big old rooster, strutting around town.' She turned to Nick. 'He thinks he can take anything he wants, including your Laurant.'
'Then he’s in for a surprise, isn’t he?' Nick asked.
Bessie Jean smiled. 'My, yes, he is,' she agreed. 'You may have noticed that Sister and I don’t have a high opinion of the man.'
Nick laughed. 'I noticed.'
'Everyone else likes him just fine,' Viola said. 'We know why too. Mr. Brenner donates money to all the local charities, and that makes people appreciative. He isn’t a bad-looking fellow either. He has a nice head of hair.'
Bessie Jean scowled disdainfully. 'I’m not so easily impressed. I don’t care for showy people, and Mr. Brenner throws money around like it’s grass seed. I’m going to lose my appetite if we keep talking about him. Now, Laurant, is your engagement official, or do you want us to keep quiet about it? We can keep a secret when we have to,' she assured her.
'You may tell anyone you want to tell. Nick and I are going to be looking for an engagement ring tomorrow or the day after.' She was brimming with excitement as she put her hand out and wiggled her fingers. 'I don’t want anything too big.'
'Don’t forget to put the announcement in the paper. I could help you with that,' Bessie Jean suggested.
From the eagerness in Bessie Jean’s voice and the glint in her eyes, Laurant knew she was dying to give the news to her friend’s daughter, Lorna Hamburg, who just happened to be the editor of the society page.
'I could ring Lorna up right after supper.'
'That would be very helpful,' Laurant agreed.
'Should I mention the problem in Kansas City?'
Laurant wasn’t sure and looked at Nick who quickly answered. 'Of course you should mention it. The editor will probably want to know all the details of how we met. Right, sweetheart?'
The endearment wasn’t planned. It just slipped out, and he was more surprised than she appeared to be.
'Yes, darling. I think Bessie Jean should also tell Little Lorna that the FBI experts have concluded that they’re dealing with a man who’s obviously disturbed… and inferior.'
'Oh, she’ll be sure to tell Little Lorna everything,' Viola said. She passed the platter of brisket to Nick, insisting that he take a second helping. Nick pushed his chair back, patted his full stomach, and told her that he couldn’t eat another bite.
'There are so many disturbed people in the world today,' Bessie Jean remarked with a shake of her head. 'It will be a comfort to know an FBI agent is close by.'
'Where exactly will you be staying?' Viola asked.
'With Laurant,' he answered. 'She’s a strong woman, and she can take care of herself, but I want to be there to help make sure she’s safe from men like Steve Brenner and anyone else who thinks he’s going to bother her.'
The sisters both raised their eyebrows and shared a look that Nick couldn’t interpret. He’d said something they didn’t like, but he didn’t know what it was.
Bessie Jean put her fork down, pushed her plate back, then folded her hands on the table and collected her thoughts for a moment before turning to look directly at Laurant.
'Dear, I’m going to be blunt. I know a thing or two about raging hormones in young bodies. I may be old and set in my ways, but I keep up with the changing times by watching my stories on the television. Now, you don’t have a mother or a father to guide you. Oh, I know you’re an adult, but you still need someone who’s older and wiser to counsel you every now and then. Every young woman does. Sister and I have grown quite fond of you, and with that fondness conies worry. Now, I’m going to ask you straight out. While Nicholas is busy protecting you from other men, how do you propose to protect yourself from him?'
'She’s talking about your virtue, dear,' Viola said.
'We’ve made a commitment to one another,' Nick began. 'I won’t do anything… dishonorable… and neither will Laurant.'
'People will talk, but they’ll do it behind your backs,' Viola told him.
'They’ll talk anyway,' Bessie Jean said. 'The best intentions sometimes get pushed to the side of the road in the heat of the moment. Do you understand what I’m saying?'
Laurant opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She shot Nick a pleading look.
'Get to the point, Bessie Jean,' Viola urged as she folded her napkin neatly on the table and stood.
'All right then, I will,' she said, delicately dabbing at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. 'Safe sex, Nicholas.'
'Yes, dear,' Viola agreed. She circled the table, collecting the plates. 'We want you to practice safe sex… shall we have dessert?'
Chapter 18
Steve Brenner was in a cold rage. The bitch had gone too far this time. No one, man or woman, was going to make a fool out of him. It was high time Laurant was taught a lesson, and he was just the man to inflict it. Who the hell did she think she was to humiliate him in front of his associates and his friends by bringing another man home?
How could anyone fall in love in the space of one weekend?
Infuriated over the news Sheriff Lloyd had just given him, he picked up a chair and hurled it across the room, knocking a desk lamp to the floor. He watched it shatter, and then, still enraged, he slammed his fist into the wall. Fresh paint splattered in every direction, spraying white mist on his freshly laundered, bloodred, Polo shirt. The drywall crumbled under his hand, and the skin on his callused knuckles ripped wide open when he struck the cement
