His nostrils flared and his fingers stretched wide, then bunched at his sides.
I took a half step closer to him, but it didn’t go unnoticed by the women in front of us, and their gazes roamed our bodies up and down.
“I will replace your tulips by Monday,signora.My apologies.”
Wait, what happened to Brenda’s tulips and why was Tom to blame?
Acting like she’d won this exchange, Brenda puffed her chest up in her turquoise vest and lifted her pointy nose in the air before nodding.“Good.Pink and yellow.None of that garish red or harlot purple.”
Why were purple tulips harlots?What made purple a slutty color for flowers?I happened to like purple flowers.Dark-purple calla lilies were actually my favorites.Was I a harlot?
I grew more confused by the second.
Tom nodded again.“I will do my best,signora.”
“We should get going,” Jolene said, resting her hand on Cindy’s arm.“Lots to show Cindy.We’re off to the brewery next.”
I cringed at the thought of these four women torturing the McEvoys, but at the same time, better there than here.Were they going to go to the winery next?Our tasting room wasn’t open yet, but I’m sure that wouldn’t stop them from trying to get Naomi to open it anyway.
Should I text my cousin and warn her?
Shedidhave a stronger backbone than I, and would have no problem telling the old birds to fly away.I didn’t bother messaging her.She’d be fine.
“Enjoy your island tour,” I said to Cindy as Tom and I stood there watching the women leave.He exhaled only when the door slammed shut.We both remained quiet however, until we heard their vehicles turn on, and the gravel crunch under three sets of tires.
“How long were they here before we arrived?”I asked, turning to face him.
“Too long.”He exhaled.“Maybe fifteen minutes.”
“Fourteen minutes too long.”
He huffed a laugh and nodded as we started walking back toward Midnight’s stall.“I was mending the donkey barn when they showed up.”
“What happened to the donkey barn, and why does Brenda Pickford think you owe her tulips?”
He jerked his head to the side to indicate I should follow him.While I was ninety-nine percent sure neither Raven nor Midnight would hurt Sam, there was still that one percent of me that knew animals were unpredictable, and I shouldn’t leave my kid alone in the stall with them.Especially without me or Tom in the barn.
“Sam,” I said, hanging my head over the stall, “we’re going to see the donkeys and ponies.”
She hopped up from where she’d been sitting in the straw, petted Midnight, and joined us.
“I heard a loud noise this morning,” Tom said as the three of us made our way across the small patch of gravel that separated the main horse barn from the smaller donkey one.“And when I came out, I found the hole Piñata kicked in his stall.”
I face-palmed.“Oh no.”
“He ran through the grass, into the trees, and then right up onto their porch.Ate that horrible woman’s tulips.”
Sam snorted.
My jaw dropped, but the corners of my mouth really tried to lift as the image of it all took shape in my mind.Brenda Pickford so deserved to have a menace donkey eat her tulips.
“He was so loud he woke them up.A child answered the door.Their grandson.”
Sam and I both stopped in our tracks and said, “Grandson?”at the same time.
“Yeah.Short kid.Bad behavior.Clouse?Claude?Clem?”
“Clyde?”Sam whispered.
