Room for Murder - Tim Myers [26]
“A surprise, and lunch. I grabbed a couple of burgers at Buck’s. You supply the Cokes and we’ll eat out here.”
Alex said, “You feeling okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Mor said, puzzled. “Why do you ask?”
“The last time you bought me a meal, I was in the ninth grade and Greg Frye had just stolen my lunch money.”
Mor shrugged. “I need to talk to you about some wedding stuff, so I thought we’d do it over burgers.”
Alex grabbed two Cokes and met Mor back out on the porch. Mor said, “I got a hamburger for Elise, too.”
“I don’t know where she disappeared to. I guess I’ll have to eat it myself,” Alex said with a grin.
“Tell you what, we’ll arm-wrestle for it.”
“Why don’t you just go ahead? I’d hate to deprive you.”
After taking a few bites, Alex asked, “So, what do we need to talk about for the wedding?”
Mor looked down at his feet. “It’s not exactly the wedding. It’s the bachelor party.”
Alex laughed. “Don’t worry; I know how to throw you a party.”
Mor said, “That’s just it. Emma’s putting her foot down. No women, no carrying on, shoot, I had to fight her to get alcohol approved. Beer’s the best we can do.”
“Is this a wake or a bachelor party? I can’t imagine the most eligible bachelor in seven counties giving up his last rite without a fight.”
“Well, you can believe it.” Mor said. “We’re both getting a little long in the tooth for that foolishness anyway. You know what I’d like, just between the two of us?”
“I don’t have a clue,” Alex said honestly.
“I’d like to grab a few beers with you and Les, toast the old life, then get to bed early. I’ve been to too many parties where the groom got so carried away he was barely awake to enjoy the ceremony the next day. No sir, my wild days are far behind me. Are you disappointed in me?” Mot asked, his gaze on the smaller bag in his hands.
“Are you kidding?” Alex asked. “I was almost looking forward to my speech compared to throwing you a bachelor party.”
Mor said, “That’s a relief. So it’s settled--It’s going to be just three old bachelors hanging out and trading stories one last night.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Alex agreed. “Okay, if you’re not going to bring it up, I will. What’s in the other bag?”
Mor held it out to him. “Reach in and see.”
Alex put his hand in the bag gingerly and pulled out a small square of wood with an E etched on its face. He dug his hand back in and found ten more Es inside, all carefully lettered and smoothly polished.
Mor said, “I know the inn’s Scrabble game lost all of its Es when one of your guests took them as souvenirs, so I decided to make you some new ones.”
“The game won’t be as challenging this way,” Alex admitted with a smile. “Thanks, I appreciate this.”
Mor said, “Hey, it’s the least I can do for someone who’s not going to throw me a bachelor party.”
Alex laughed. “I can do better than that. I won’t throw you a birthday party either when March 11 rolls around.”
Mor looked at his watch, then said, “I’d better get moving. I’ve got a list of jobs a mile long to do at Grady Hatch’s place. Did you hear he’s putting his house up for sale? He wants to buy a motor home and see the world. I’ve got to admit, there’s a part of me that would love to go with him.”
“You’d get bored in three days, and we both know it. You’ve got to have something to do to keep yourself busy, my friend, and your roots go down in this soil as deeply as mine do.”
Mor grinned. “It’s true enough, but a man can dream, can’t he?”
“They haven’t found a way to tax it yet,” Alex agreed as Mor left.
Alex half expected to find Elise working in the lobby, but she was nowhere to be found. The butterflies were in full force now.
Their date was only a few hours away.
Chapter 8
Alex felt like a teenager waiting for Elise in the lobby of the Main Keeper’s Quarters. He had on his best suit, actually his only suit, since there wasn’t much need to wear one in his line of work. His truck, as old as it was, was freshly washed and he held three roses he’d gotten in town for Elise.
Paul Jones, the newlywed, came out while Alex was