“That’s not necessary.”
She slid the beer over the bar top. “Maybe not, but I always pay my debts.”
I lifted the glass in thanks. “Any good hotels around here?”
“That depends. Do you like roaches or flowers?”
“Neither,” I muttered.
“Then I wouldn’t suggest going to the motel. And the bed and breakfast really doesn’t look like your style unless you want Mrs. Walker to bring you breakfast in her housecoat.”
“I’ll sleep in my truck.”
“If you want, you can stay at my rental in town.”
“Don’t want to put you out.”
“You’re not. I just had a tenant move out. Technically, it’s my family’s rental, not mine. But if you’re in town for a few days, it’s all yours,” she said, taking out a set of keys and tossing them my way.
Catching them, I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’re awfully trusting with strangers.”
“Trust me,” she winked, “there’s not a single person in this town who doesn’t know who that house belongs to. If you destroy it, you won’t get far.”
“Sounds like I should take my chances with my truck.”
“Take the offer,” smiled again. She did that a lot. Always full of smiles. “You did me a favor. Now let me do one for you.”
At the sound of the bell, she spun on her heel and headed into the kitchen for another order.
Downing the rest of my beer, I set the keys on the counter, feeling strange about staying in someone’s house. But the thought of staying in my truck overnight in the freezing temperatures wasn’t all that appealing either.
“JR!” she called out as I took the keys. “Here.”
She slipped a note in my hand, then spun with a tray of food in hand over to another table. Scribbled on the paper was an address with a smiley face. I wasn’t quite sure how I could say no to that.
Sliding out my phone, I dialed Archer’s number. “Yeah, I’m staying in town tonight. Call me when you have something.”
2
JOSIE
The sun was shining,the snow was melting, and the smell of spring was in the air. There wasn’t a single thing that could diminish my happiness as I adjusted the flowers in the vase.
The bell over the door of Rock and Root Remedies chimed cheerfully, letting me know I had my fourth customer of the day. And I knew exactly who it was without looking.
“Good morning, Mrs. Abernathy! I have your order ready.”
Spinning to greet her, the old woman looked exactly the same as every time she came in. Hunched over with a scowl on her face, she wasn’t exactly the friendliest person in town, but I still greeted her with a smile, hoping one day I would break through that hard exterior.
“How are you this morning?” I asked as she grunted her greeting.
“My bones ache.”
“Well, how about I throw in something special for that. Try it out for a week and tell me if it helps at all.”
Hustling over to my drawers, I found the spices and grabbed a root of ginger and one of turmeric. Adding it to her order, I brought the bag of goodies over.
“I put in some turmeric and ginger. Add them to your meals or into your tea and you should start to feel some relief.”
