“My turn, Bethany sweetie.” She smirked, cutting in front of the teens, who were too busy downing the donuts and wiping sticky fingers on their clothes to protest. “How do you feel about dogs?” she asked Hank.
Bethany had seen and heard enough. She turned to Hank. “Get rid of this crowd, and I’ll have dinner with you.”
Hank grinned. “You said the magic words.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Bethany eyed her figure in the full-length mirror in her bedroom, fighting a feeling of déjà vu. What were the chances Hank would bother to show up this time? And what did one wear to dinner with a television star anyway?
She stripped off the offensive yellow dress. The plunging neckline was a bit too revealing. Besides, yellow was a happy color, and it looked like lemons, and she sorta smelled like them after spending a good portion of the day baking lemon cookies. She didn’t want to smell like food or seem too nice. She wanted to appear businesslike. That’s what this was about. Collecting the lease agreement and maintaining her business. Getting Hank Haverill to agree to let her and Travis repurchase the building from him once they had the money.
She yanked a purple dress from the closet and pulled it over her head.
The dress fit her curvy figure without being too snug. No boobs in sight. Plus, purple was the color of royalty, which ought to count for something. She smoothed a hand through her hair. Now to tackle her mop of dark curls.
A knock sounded on the door. “Are you decent?”
Bethany grabbed a hairbrush from the vanity and hollered, “Yeah, c’mon in.”
Travis entered, moved a small pile of discarded clothes on her bed, and sat. “You don’t need to go out with him. I don’t care if heisour landlord. I’ll tell him where to go.”
Bethany ran the brush through her hair. “He’s not a bad person, Travis. He plans to fix up the building and rent to us for at least a few months. Why not humor him—it’ll cost a couple hours of time?” She squinted at her reflection in the mirror. “And I get a free meal.”
“It’s cool he’s Apollo and all, but why’s he hanging around, bothering us?”
She shrugged and found a lightweight sweater. “I suspect he’s bored. He broke up with his girlfriend. His show’s been canceled. He doesn’t have anything better to do. Does it matter? One dinner and we’re done.”
Travis flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Where’s he taking you?”
Bethany frowned at her reflection and pulled a headband that matched her dress over her hair. “I don’t know. He didn’t say, and I forgot to ask. Somewhere posh, I suspect. Do you think this is professional enough?”
Travis propped himself on his arms. “Sure. How do you know where to go?”
“He’s picking me up.”
“You think that’s smart?”
Bethany raised her eyebrows. “It’s not like he’s going to kidnap me.”
Travis sat up, his brows drawing together. “You don’t know what he’s capable of. He’s unpredictable like that scumbag, Desmond. This morning, he tried to pass himselfoff as a maintenance guy. Bought a toolbox from Doug’s Hardware. Who knows what he’s got in there?”
“A famous television star is unlikely to be a serial killer.”
A car pulled up in the driveway, causing goosebumps to travel down Bethany’s spine. Her eyes met Travis’s in the mirror. Regardless of the bravado she pretended, the truth was Hank Haverill was about the scariest thing she’d dealt with since she had discovered their empty bank account after Desmond left town. And not because she thought he was a serial killer. But she had promised dinner in exchange for his cooperation, and Bethany planned to keep her end of the bargain.
She turned with a quick smile. “He’s here. Listen, I’ll text you my location as soon as I know what it is.”
Travis stood and gave her a quick hug. “If you want to come home early, I’ll come get you.”
Bethany thought about it for a moment. If the evening went south, she would be dependent on Hank for a lift. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“Text me. Even if you’re just uncomfortable, I’ll be right there.”
Bethany blinked away tears. She and Travis only had one another and their restaurant, which was why they looked out for each other. “Thanks, Travis. You’re the best brother ever.”
The doorbell rang, and Travis followed her to the front door, which she opened. She blinked at the short, balding man standing in the entrance. He was dressed in black pants and a blue dress shirt. A long black limo took up half the driveway.
“Oh, hi.”
