“I have to get back to work.”
“Oh, come on, it won’t take that long. He must live nearby. We should’ve asked for his address.”
Sam sighed. “I know where he lives. He’s a customer.” Tag usually serviced his lawn, but Sam had covered for him a couple times.
“Perfect. Let’s just stop by while we’re here and then we’ll be finished. We’ll have done a good deed and make those lovebirds very happy. What do you say?”
“You had me at ‘then we’ll be finished.’”
She gave his shoulder a shove. “Oh, you. I don’t think you’re half as curmudgeonly as you seem. So who’s this woman he’s seeing, and was it just me, or does Ms.Stapleton have some bee in her bonnet about Joe Graves?”
“The woman is Madeline Francis, and there’s definitely a bee.” They reached the truck, and since he was already on the passenger side, he opened her door for her.
“Why, thank you, kind sir.”
It took her a minute to climb up into the cab. She was short—but there sure was a lot of personality packed into that petite frame. And a pair of shapely legs didn’t go unnoticed.
He shut the door and came around to the driver’s side. After buckling in, he started the truck, checked for traffic, and pulled out onto the street.
“Well... ,” she prompted. “You were about to tell me about the bee.”
“Bee?”
“The bee in her bonnet. Come on, you can’t just leave me hanging after I cooperated so nicely back there. I didn’t say a single word and it was not easy. And what was up with that book you gave her? You’d think you’d presented her with a Holy Grail relic.”
He signaled left. “Just an overdue library book.”
“How overdue?”
“Ah, let’s see... it’d be about nineteen years now.”
“You kept a library book for nineteen years? For shame.”
“It was lost.”
“Well, thank God you had it. Clearly you know the way to that woman’s heart. I think she would’ve given you her bank PIN to get that book back.”
“She’s strangely possessive about that library.”
“Now, out with the rest. Tell me about Joe and Madeline and why Ms.Stapleton wrinkled up her nose when she said Joe’s name. I want all the dirt.”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t really follow the lives of the sexagenarians in the church. But I know Mr.Graves is a widower and Ms.Stapleton is said to have had a thing for him. When he finally got around to asking her out on a date, it went awry and shortly thereafter he started dating Ms.Francis.”
“Went awry? I need details. That was one bitter woman back there.”
“How am I supposed to know what happened?” Sam turned onto a residential street, found the house, and pulled up to the curb in front of a sprawling ranch. The man would get that ringback all because Sadie had taken it upon herself to hunt him down. He glanced at her wide smile, sparkling brown eyes, and choppy honey-blonde hair. He had to admit, she was kind of cute, all that enthusiasm and goodwill. And if he was honest, he was glad he’d had a small part in this. Glad he’d be here to see it work out.
“Is this where he lives? Nice large lot—and a very well-kept yard, by the way. Is that water behind the property?”
“It’s the river.”
They exited the vehicle and walked up the long shelled driveway.
She hugged her purse tight. “I’m so excited to return his ring. He’s going to be so happy. So relieved.”
“Don’t pry about his history with Ms.Stapleton.”
“I’d never do such a thing. But I might ask about Ms.Francis and his plans for the proposal. After all, we’re kind of saving the day here—the least he can do is throw us a few juicy details.”
