Charlotte shook her head. “No need. Ms. Miller will have something sweet waiting for me when I get home. Just save the apple pie for Wally.”
“Wally doesn’t need any more meat on his bones the way you do, sweetheart. If you don’t eat it when you get home, you can warm it up tomorrow.”
Charlotte dropped her protest as Mona left the dining room. Ben imagined she knew first-hand what he’d guessed — that no one won an argument with the sassy Mona.
“I heard you mention Ms. Miller before. Who is she, exactly?”
Ben was pleased he achieved what he hoped for with his question. Charlotte turned her eyes toward him. They were wide set in her face, the depths changing each time he looked at them. Sometimes they were a bright, almost icy blue. Other times they were a deep smoldering gray. And then times like now, they were an intriguing combination of the two, reminding him a bit of Ziggy’s soft fur. He had yet to figure out how the changing colors aligned with Charlotte’s temperament, and he wondered if he’d have time to figure it out before he closed his case and went home.
“Birdie Miller is a widow who has lived in town since it was founded, I think,” Wally answered for Charlotte. “She’s a sweet lady, but she lives on a fixed income. She told Mona she wanted to rent a garage apartment she had on her property, but she was nervous about who might rent it. So Mona and I help her find tenants when she needs them. Charlotte has been a perfect fit for her.”
Mona returned with the dessert, but Ben was too busy watching Charlotte to start eating. Her blush deepened under Wally’s simple praise, and she shifted in her seat slightly, a sign she was uncomfortable with the conversation. Mona picked up the dialogue as if she’d been in the room the entire time instead of in the kitchen preparing dessert.
“Birdie has outlived her whole family, so several people in town look out for her. Charlotte helps her with the upkeep of her house and the lawn work. She gives Birdie someone to cook for. Birdie is a fantastic cook. Her chicken cordon bleu will make you want to slap your momma, it’s so good.”
Ben chuckled. “Is it better than your pork chops? Because those were some of the best I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you, and no. Her chicken is great, but my pork chops are exceptional. So is my pie so eat up.”
He felt a little strange eating in front of Charlotte while she sat quietly watching, but one bite of the warm pie and the cool vanilla bean ice cream made the poor etiquette tolerable.
“How long are you planning to stay in Ivy Springs, Ben?” Mona asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.
“At least until the job is done.”
Ben easily slipped into his cover story, a mixture of truth and fiction that he could hold to regardless of who he spoke with. His ability to slip into any persona he needed to be at any time made him better than his brothers at undercover assignments.
“I took a job with Sonny Hartcourt Construction,” he continued. “We’re working on a remodel of an office building on Grand Boulevard. I was looking for a change, so my previous boss recommended Mr. Hartcourt. I’m working for him under a trial basis. If it all goes well, I’ll stick around.”
“Where’s home for you?” Wally asked.
“Alabama. I have some family near Montgomery.” The half-truths slid from his lips convincingly, but he watched the expressions on his hosts’ face for any signs of suspicion. He didn’t mind them asking questions to get to know him, but if they suspected he wasn’t who he claimed to be, he would have a problem on his hands.
“Tell us about your family, if you don’t mind,” Mona asked. “It’s not every day we get newcomers to town.”
Ben was prepared for basic questions about who he was. If Mona, Wally, or even Charlotte delved too deep into his personal life, he might have a problem keeping his story straight.
“There’s my dad. He’s the one near Montgomery. I have three older brothers. They’re all married and live all over. Two of them have a son each. My mom died when I was young, so it’s just been my dad, my brothers, and me for as long as I can remember.”
Ben felt Charlotte’s eyes on him, and he resisted the urge to meet her gaze. She had avoided looking at him as much as possible all evening. He felt her eyes on him whenever she thought he wouldn’t notice, and he figured if he caught her stare, he’d spook her. He sensed she didn’t trust easily, and though he wasn’t sure why, he wanted to earn her trust.
“Have you worked in construction long?” Wally asked.
Ben chewed his last bite of pie and pushed the plate away from him. “No. I started working in retail. I sort of fell into construction work, and I like the physical labor. It feels good to use my hands and see the finished result.”
Wally raised an inquisitive brow. “How do you like working for Hartcourt? I’ve known his family a long time.”
Ben had picked up on a note of derision in Wally’s tone. “I take it you don’t think too highly of his family.”
“I don’t. His old man is some kind of financial advisor. A slick son-of-a-bitch. Some friends of mine invested their retirement funds with him, and he lost it all. Sonny’s mom is a timid little thing. Rumor is she married old man Hartcourt for his money. They only had two kids, Sonny, and a daughter, Rhonda, I think her name is. She up and left town. I think she’s married, but shedoesn’t come back as far as I know. I think Sonny does well for himself, but I know his old man was disappointed Sonny didn’t follow in his footsteps.”
“I don’t know about any of that,” Ben returned truthfully. “Mr. Hartcourt seems all right. Seems to care about his employees. There’s one guy whom he lets work an adjusted schedule so he can be there for his kid.”
“What are you going to tell him when he asks about your face tomorrow?”
Wally grinned, and Ben chuckled. “I’ll tell him the truth. I acted stupidly and got a broken nose for my trouble.”
Charlotte buried her face in her hands and groaned dramatically. Then she looked pleadingly at Mona. “On that note, I’ll think I’ll help you clean up and be on my way. I want to check in on Ms. Miller before I turn in for the night.”
