“That doesn’t sound like much fun,” I replied with a smile.
“It’s just the price I pay for being so virtuous,” he said as he grinned at me.
As he pulled out his wallet, I reminded him, “It’s my treat, remember?”
“But I didn’t help you,” he protested.
“Nonsense. I asked for some advice, and you gave it to me. Fair is fair.”
“At least let me leave you a tip,” he said.
“No, sorry; that’s part of the deal.”
“Fine, have it your way,” George said as he put his wallet back in his pocket.
“Any final words of direction before you go?” I asked him as I walked him to the door.
“Yes. I’d focus on Reggie if I were you.”
“Not Frank?” I asked, surprised by the advice. “It sounds as though he has more motive than anyone else. Don’t you think that if Reggie were going to do something to avenge his daughter, he would have done it by now?”
“Not necessarily. Seeing Jude again could have brought everything back for him, all of the pain that he’s suffered over the years. It’s been my experience that people sometimes snap years later, but the devastation is just the same. He lost his daughter, and he blamed Jude for it. There’s no stronger motive as far as I’m concerned.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll keep him in mind.”
“Do that. One more thing, Suzanne.”
“Yes?” He looked a little embarrassed by what he had to say next.
After ten seconds, I said, “George, we’ve been friends too long for you to pull any punches. What’s going on?”
“I wasn’t supposed to say anything, but Jake called me last night.”
That was odd. “What did he have to say?”
“He told me that he had to take this Alaska assignment, and then he asked me to keep an eye out for you.”
“So, this morning wasn’t just about my donuts?” I asked. It was sweet of Jake to worry about me, but I was a big girl, used to taking care of myself. I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about him lining up reinforcements for me, but I knew that he was motivated by his love for me, so I decided to accept the gesture for what it was.
“Suzanne, it’s always your donuts,” George said with a smile, obviously relieved that I hadn’t exploded. “The advice was just extra.”
I kissed him on the cheek again. That was getting to be a habit lately, but I hoped that George didn’t mind.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“For telling me the truth,” I said.
“You won’t mention this conversation to Jake, will you?” he asked.
“No. We’ll consider it our little secret.”
“I appreciate that. I’ve got a real fondness for that boyfriend of yours.”
“I do, too,” I said with a smile.
“I should hope so,” George said. He added in a more serious voice, “It will all work out, Suzanne. You just have to have faith.”
“Thank you,” I said.
After George was gone, I thought about all that he’d said to me, but nothing rang truer than his last bit of advice. I was determined to keep Jake in my life as long as he wanted to be there, no matter how far away he might be.
Chapter 17
Ten minutes before we were due to close, Chief Martin walked into the donut shop. He’d finally taken a break with his diet, and he’d even had a single donut twice in the past month, but I knew better than to think that he was off the diet wagon completely. Personally, I was glad that he’d stopped losing weight. I was actually starting to get worried about him.
“Care for some coffee, or is this an official visit?” I asked him with a slight smile. There were a few customers in the shop, and I noticed a few of them perk up to hear the answer to my question.
“Nothing official. I just had a craving for a lemon-filled donut. Do you happen to have any left?”
I checked the racks, and I found one last donut that fit the bill. “You’re in luck. Would you like some coffee, too?” I asked.
“Why not?” he asked.
I noticed that we’d quickly lost the attention of my customers as they went back to their own conversations. I knew from experience that the rumor mill in April Springs was alive and well, but for once, I was glad not to be a subject of gossip around town.
As I got him his donut and coffee, he sat down in the seat George had occupied nearly five hours before. I was suddenly getting a lot of attention, and I couldn’t help but wonder if their visits were related. “Did Jake call you last night by any chance?”
“Why would he?” the chief asked as he took a small bite of his donut.