“He’s not a kid—he’s probably in his mid-twenties. And anyway, I don’t know about that, but Trib didn’t seem all that impressed with him when I was in there the other day. But Louise asked me to hook him up here this summer as a favor, so I did. I hope Trib doesn’t hold it against me.”
“Trib worships you,” Cherry said. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”
They finally got inside to see TJ Mack, who turned out to be an attractive woman in her early thirties. Standing off to her side was a geeky-looking but cute guy with auburn hair who seemed shy and more than a little out of his element, but game nonetheless.
“That’s Oscar London,” said Maxine in a stage whisper. “He and TMJ Mack—”
“TJ. It’sTee.Jay,” said Juanita from between gritted teeth.
“But TMJ justsoundsright,” Maxine argued. “Anyway, he and…she just caught a murderer over to the lighthouse up at Stony Cape—”
“They met when she was trying to finish her latest book,” said Iva, her eyes starry with appreciation. “The lighthouse got double-booked and neither of them would leave. It’s a romcom plot right out of one of her books!”
“I thought she wrote the Sargent Blue thrillers,” said Vivien. “Are you saying she does romcoms too?”
“Oh, she’s done some very sexy historical romances,” said Cherry. “A while ago, and I hope she does more. There’s one about a blacksmith, and—”
She got cut off when it was her turn to step forward to get her book signed.
“Oscar London,” murmured Jake into Vivien’s ear. “Any relation to Louise London?”
She shook her head. “No, hers is a stage name.”
They had a brief, very pleasant conversation with TJ (whose real name turned out to be Teddy) in which Vivien learned that the author’s cousin was the blacksmith in town—and the father of the teen who’d found the trunk in the orchestra pit. But Vivien didn’t fill the thriller writer in on the rest of the plot. She’d save that for another time.
“Oh, hi, Vivien,” said Susie Wallaby, whose nephew had been working at the theater the other day. She was standing in line with her hand curled around the arm of an older man who was probably her dentist husband, and they were chatting with Drew Jeffreys, who apparently Jake also knew, about the upcoming football season.
Vivien didn’t get any sort of negative vibe from Susie, despite what Helga had told her about the Mean Girls back in high school.
“So nice to see everyone out supporting our local businesses. Isn’t Hot Toddy great?” Susie added, looking at the to-go cup Vivien was holding. “We can’t wait to come out to support yours too! And make sure you give Gordon a call when you need your teeth cleaned,” she added with a wide, sparkling, perfect grin as they inched forward in the line.
“I’ll do that,” Vivien said, then turned to say hi to Melody Carlson, who was standing in line right behind the Wallabys with a very frail man who could only be her father.
“Dad loves to listen to audiobooks,” she said, all friendly and warm. “I thought he’d like a little visit away from the home, get some fresh air, some new scenery. Right, Dad?”
His eyes were dark and a little vague, but he nodded as if prompted. “Yes, my dear.”
“Oh, Vivien,” said Susie, turning back to them. “I meant to ask if you found a jade bracelet at the theater. I was wearing it the other day when we were out and stopped by to see you, and I lost it sometime during the day. It was Gordon’s mother’s,” she added softly, “and we’re leaving to go visit her.”
“I haven’t seen it, but you’re welcome to take a look around,” Vivien told her.
“Do you think I could swing by the theater tonight on the way home from here? Would that be terribly inconvenient? We’re leaving to go out of town tomorrow for two weeks, and it’s going to be really awkward if I don’t have it when we visit his parents.” Susie gave a pained smile.
“No problem at all. We can wait for you until you’re done getting your books, and then we can head over to the theater right away.”
“You’re a gem, Viv! Thank you so much.” Susie turned back to her husband and the coach, chatting vivaciously.
“Well, if it isn’t Vivien Savage,” came a voice from her other side. “I heard you were back in town.”
Vivien turned to see a tall, broad-shouldered man about her age. It took her a moment to place him, then she smiled and laughed as they hugged. “Jesse Prime! It’s been a long time since we were driving around in your little Fiero. How are you?”
They were chatting about how things had changed—and she met his darling daughters, who were two and three, and his lovely wife—when Jake’s phone rang. He stepped away to take the call, and when he returned, Jesse had gone down the street with his family.
“So that’s the guy you let put his hand down your pants in high school, huh?” Jake teased.
“Down my pants? What are you talking about?”
“You said you let him get to third base in his Fiero—the other day when we were talking with Joe Cap about people you knew back in high school.”
