Mostly, I thought I'd need to get the full story from Maisie, because Franny's version sounded like a game of gossip gone feral. "I guess I'm just, uh…relieved no one was actually punched."
"I'm not," Franny said, looking disgruntled. "That guy – Maisie's ex – probablyneededa good pop in the kisser for bothering Maisie at work." She brightened. "But anyway…I sold your earrings."
Whoa. Talk about whiplash. "Seriously?"
"Yup. Got the cash right here." She dug into her tote bag and pulled out a wad of bills. "Got a good price for them, too."
I stared at the money. "But wait…they paid you without getting the earrings first?"
"Of course they paid me," she said, sounding a little insulted. "I've got a reputation. They know I'll make good on it."
Small town or not, I couldn't imagine anyone being so trusting. "But they didn't even want to look at them?" After deciding to sell them, I hadn't been wearing them at all. Instead, I'd been keeping them in an envelope in my pocket.
"Of course theylooked," she said. "You sent me the pictures, remember? I printed them out and everything. And in color, too."
As I handed over the envelope, I asked, "So who bought them?"
"Sorry, that's confidential."
"But why?"
That earned me a look. "Tell me something. Wouldyoulike people to know that your sapphire earrings were bought secondhand in a backroom deal?"
She made it sound almost sinister, but I got what she meant. "I guess not," I admitted, leafing through the bills. My pulse quickened as I kept on leafing. By text, I'd told Franny I was hoping to get a few hundred dollars. But now, in my hot little hands, I had a full thousand.
I looked back to Franny. "But they overpaid."
"OrmaybeI got you a good deal. You're not complaining, are you?"
"No. Of course not."How could I ever complain?Thanks to Franny, I now had money to pay Maisie the rentandstock up on groceries. I smiled with relief. "But I'm sure I owe you for the printing – and for a commission, right?"
"Oh, you owe me, but not money." Again, she leaned forward. "I want something else."
"Like what?"
"The full scoop." She lowered her voice. "A little birdie told me that you and that VIP Ryder Vaughn were running away from the fort, like it was about to get bombed. What'sthatabout?"
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Oh, Fudge
Tessa
Ryder didn't look the least bit surprised. "Told ya."
I didn't know whether to laugh or groan. He had, in fact, told me that the walls of the fort would offer no protection from gossip.
And I hadn't even gotten to the most ridiculous part. "Yeah, but she said we were running from a bomb threat."
His eyebrows lifted. "A bomb."
"A bombthreat," I reiterated. "Or a rogue soldier. Apparently, the details were murky." I blew out a long, relieved breath. "But at least no one saw us holding hands."
This made Ryder frown.
Quickly, I added, "I just mean…I'm not ready for that kind of gossip. And I'm guessing you're not either."
"Guess again," he said. "I'm not afraid of gossip."
