A Flicker of Doubt - Tim Myers [79]
“Then let’s do this. I’ll be in touch sometime in the next few days about the details.” That’s when she waved a check for the deposit under my nose. If I could pull it off, my business would be on its way. It surprised me that a woman who seemed to be such a control freak wouldn’t want to settle the details on the spot, but Mrs. Albright seemed rushed, no doubt already late for her next appointment. After she was gone, I was still admiring the amount—afraid to put the check in my cash register lest it disappear—when my big brother, Bradford, walked in, decked out in his sheriff’s uniform. He was two inches over six feet, and standing next to him, I somehow managed to feel svelte.
Before I could even say hello, he snapped, “When
are you going to get over your pigheaded stubbornness and start talking to Sara Lynn again?”
“Hello, brother dear, it’s nice to see you, too. Did you come in to buy a card?”
He snorted. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. Seriously, Jen, what’s going on between the two of you?” Brad- ford was the middle child of our family, the consummate peacemaker when it came to his sisters’ squabbles. I liked to think that all those years of maintaining harmony in our house had carried over into his career choice. Bradford was the sheriff for our ! resort community, keeping the peace now on an entirely different level. I just hoped he had more luck with the residents of Rebel Forge than he had with me and Sara Lynn.
“Talk to her if you don’t like what’s going on between us,” I said. “I offered her a truce, and she blew me off.”
“You did kind of step on her turf,” Bradford said.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Listen, if you’re not going to buy anything, why don’t you just go?” Then ; I realized that I was letting him off way too easy, especially since he’d just taken Sara Lynn’s side instead of mine. “Hey Bradford, since you’re here, you should buy something nice for your wife.”
“If I walk in my door at home with a card for Cindy, she’s going to think I’m up to something.”
“If you don’t, she’s going to be even more suspicious, especially after I call and tell her you were in here shopping today and bought something romantic from my store.” I scanned the room. “Let’s see, what did you buy again? Oh, yes, that stationery and envelope set. You have excellent taste, Bradford. It’s the very best I carry.”
He knew when he was beaten—I had to give him that. “Give me a break, Jennifer. I’ve got two kick who will eat anything that’s not nailed down. I’m having a tough time making it on a cop’s salary, even with. Cindy’s income from the library.”
I relented, as I almost always did when my big brother pleaded his case. “Okay, how about one of these, then? I just made them.” I handed him one of my newest creations, a soft-violet-shaded card that sported pressed wildflowers embossed in the paper and the envelope. On the front of the card, it said in my best calligraphy, “Just Because . . . ,” and inside, simply, “I Care.”
“How much is this going to set me back?”
“You know,” I said, snatching the card from his hand, “suddenly I’m not sure it’s going to be enough. You didn’t say a word about how pretty my new design is.”
“It’s gorgeous, an absolute work of art. Whatever it costs, I’m sure it’s worth a lot more than you’re charging me.” He gave me his brightest grin, the same one I’m sure had won Cindy’s heart. My brother, despite his Neanderthal leanings, could be quite charming when he put his mind to it.
“Okay, don’t show too much enthusiasm. It’s out of character.” I rang the sale up, slid his card and envelope into a bag, then gave Bradford his change.
As he took the money, he said, “Now are you going to talk to Sara Lynn?”
“Hey, she knows where I am. It’s completely up to her.”
He shook his head. “You two are more alike than either one of you will ever admit.”
I smiled at him. “That was smart of you.”
“What, my powers of observation?”
“No, saving that crack until after I rang up your sale.”
He tapped