“Sure.” Harlow warmed to the idea. “I bet she’s home alone.”
“We can’t have that, now can we?”
While her father headed to the pantry to check on the chili, Harlow scrolled through her contacts list and made the call.
“Hello, Harlow. I’ve been thinking about you.”
“You have?”
“Wondering how it was going with the spy mission.”
Harlow briefly brought her up to speed.
“He certainly didn’t waste any time. What kind of flowers were they again?”
“Venus et Fleur, the forever flowers.”
“The cream of the crop and very pricey.”
“Yep. Only the best for Robert’s targets…err…love interests.”
“Are you okay with it?” Lottie asked.
“Yes. No. I guess I shouldn’t care. Robert’s been a cad all along.” Harlow changed the subject. “Dad made a Crock-Pot of chili for dinner. Would you like to join us?”
“I dunno.”
“C’mon, Lottie. You’re practically a part of the family.”
“Okay. If you insist.” Before hanging up, Lottie promised to bring a batch of coleslaw, her contribution to the evening meal.
David appeared, lugging the super-size cookware. “The chili is done.”
“It’s a good thing you have a big pot. Lottie is on her way and bringing homemade coleslaw.”
He licked his lips. “Lottie’s coleslaw is the best.”
Harlow tracked down dinner plates and began setting the table. “She’s talented at a lot of things…a good cook, has a green thumb.”
“Indeed, she is,” David agreed. “She’s also a card shark.”
“Maybe we can play cards after dinner.”
Fast steps echoed, and a frazzled Aunt Birdie appeared. “Harlow, you’re home. I thought you were with the Mackies.”
“It was an emergency meeting and didn’t last long.”
“Oh?” Her aunt’s eyes clouded with concern. “What happened?”
“I’ll fill you in at dinner. Robert is hanging around, and the Mackies are helping me figure out what he’s up to by conducting a little intel.”
Her aunt snickered. “Spying on Robert? I still remember when Eryn and I flew to New York to see what he was doing. If you had to guess, what doyouthink he’s up to?”
“I don’t know, but with any luck, we’ll soon find out.”
Chapter 18
Noelle rapped firmly on Cheyenne Clifton’s apartment door. “Special delivery.” She could hear muffled voices echoing from within.
