Madge says, “I’d like to hear about that as well.”
Dylan and I both say, “No,” in unison before he walks away.
Madge looks like a rebuffed child, so I say, “No offense. We just agreed we wouldn’t talk about it with others. It’s hard enough living in this fishbowl of a small town as it is.”
“Oh. Okay. I understand.”
The pout on Madge’s face says otherwise, so I throw an arm over her shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go call my sister. Maybe she can shed some light on what happened to Tina. It could still be just an accident.”
“I hope so. Because it just occurred to me that a suspicious sort might wonder if it wasn’t two scorned men taking revenge on Tina for playing them both.”
Madge isn’t wrong. That’s why I need to clear my dad’s name as soon as possible.
Madge and I clomp up the wooden steps to my “potential-filled” Victorian house. I’ve had people working on it since I inherited it, only because it’s one of the few things I’m allowed to spend money on from the trust my mother left me. My grandparents wanted to ensure my mom had a safe roof over her head.
“Wow.” Madge peers around me and smiles. “The front porch is looking……amazing!” She runs her hand over the freshly painted and carved wood. “It’s so fancy. And original looking.”
“That’s because I got Charlie out of retirement to recreate every detail. He likes a challenge, and my house is all that. It’s going slow because I can only pay him just under five thousand a month without my uncle’s approval.”
Madge nods. “At that rate, it’ll be done in, what? Ten years or so.”
“With any luck.” I unlock the front door, and my mini goldendoodle, Cooper, bounds out to greet us. He always acts like I’ve been gone for days rather than a few hours. “Hey, buddy.”
I give Cooper a rub all over his caramel-colored body before he moves on to his next victim, an always-obliging Madge.
She tickles Cooper’s white chin. “How is it possible that you get cuter every time I see you?”
“Because I’ve been dieting?” I joke and head for the kitchen to quiet my growling gut. “I would’ve tried harder to lose a few pounds if I’d known I’d be wearing this spandex getup in front of the entire town.”
“You look amazing,” Madge says, falling in beside me. “I’ve been on a diet too. I told Renee to hold the sprinkles on my cupcake yesterday.”
“Atta girl.” I poke the swinging door to the kitchen. My fifteen-year-old recently adopted sister, Brittany, is sitting in the nook eating ice cream. “Hey, there. I thought you were going to Raphe’s house for dinner.”
“I was,” Brittany says with her mouth full, “But then I took one look at Max and got a sudden craving for ice cream.”
“After this afternoon, that’s just what I need too. Want some, Madge? I’ll hold the chocolate syrup in deference to your diet.”
“Sold,” Madge says and slides in across from Brittany. “I love your hair, kiddo.”
When Brittany and I first met last spring, she had short black hair, dark nail polish, too much eyeliner, and she wore combat boots. In the past couple of months, she went back to her hair’s natural golden brown, and she’s growing it out. I think it looks great. And I hope it’s a sign that she feels comfortable here with me.
“Thanks, Madge.” Brittany scrapes her bowl clean. “I like your snowman sweater too.” Brittany takes her bowl to the sink. “Meg’s upstairs, Sawyer. With enough luggage to stay for a month. Good thing we have lots of bedrooms, or it’d be awful crowded in here with Max too.”
I set the ice cream and bowls on the table for Madge to serve herself, and then I ask Brittany, “Did Meg have a fight with Lance again?” Because my sister is married to Dylan’s brother, arguments between them haven’t always been easy on us. It’s tempting for me and Dylan to choose our own sibling’s side in disputes.
Brittany shrugs. “Something about camping being the last thing she’d do on a family vacation. Ever!”
“Ah.” I grab spoons and hand them to Madge. “Don’t be stingy with my portion. Be right back.”
I head upstairs to see why I have an unexpected houseguest. Something tells me there’s more to the story than just camping. But it’s an excellent opportunity to ask Meg about Tina’s eyes. And maybe it’ll distract her from whatever brought her here.
Cooper catches up with me. Heaven forbid he misses out on any potential fun. When we get to the top of the stairs, instead of turning toward my room, he heads straight for Meg’s childhood bedroom. How he knows my intended destination is a mystery. It’s as if Cooper knows what I’m going to do before I do.
I knock softly in case she’s taking an afternoon nap. “Meg?”
A muffled “Come in” sounds.
I crack the door open and step inside. My sister is propped up on the single bed with avocado on her face and cucumbers over her eyes. “You came here for a spa day?”
My sister lifts one of the cucumbers, revealing a dark circle under her eye as if she’s been up all night. “Hi, to you too. No.” She lets the cucumber fall back into place. “Lance and I had a fight. He thinks I work too much. That the kids need me home more.” She lifts the other cucumber. “Tell that to all my patients who need me to remove growths from their brains to save their lives.”
I sit on the side of the bed, and Coop snuggles against my leg. “So, the camping story you told Brittany was made up?”
Meg shakes her head. “I told Lance I’d take the whole week off and we’d go to Hawaii to make up for things. He said that wasn’t going to work and insisted we go camping so we could be together with no distractions. I pointed out I need cell service to
