Call Me Irresistible (Wynette, Texas #5)(87)

"Stigmata?" Torie said. "That's a new one."

"Marking-pen accident." Ted devoured the last spoonful of chocolate and set the dish aside. "Meg, honey-and I'm only saying this because I care so much-you're acting kind of crazy. I sure do hope you're not pregnant."

A dish banged in the kitchen, taking her resolve with it. He was a master of cool. She was merely a wannabe and she'd never be able to beat him at his own game. This was his town, his problem to solve. She grabbed the iced tea pitcher and made a dash for the kitchen.

"I'll see you tonight," he called after her. "Same time. And wear that dress of Torie's. It looks a hell of a lot better on you than it ever did on her. Sorry, Torie, but you know it's true."

As Meg slipped through the door, she heard Shelby's wail. "But what about the contest? This is going to ruin everything!"

"Screw the contest," Torie said. "We've got bigger problems. Our mayor just gave Sunny Skipjack the finger and San Antone a new golf resort."

Ted wisely didn't return to the kitchen. As Meg helped Chef clean up, her mind was spinning in a dozen different directions. She heard the guests leaving, and before long Francesca came into the kitchen. Her face was pale. She was barefoot, her party clothes exchanged for shorts and a T-shirt. She thanked Chef and paid him, then handed Meg her check.

It was twice what Meg had been promised.

"You did the work of two people," Francesca said.

Meg nodded and gave it back. "My contribution to the library fund." She held Francesca's gaze just long enough to display a little dignity, then returned to her work.

It was almost dinnertime before the last dishes were put away and she could leave, toting the generous sack of leftovers Chef had given her. She couldn't stop smiling all the way back to the church. Ted's truck was parked by the steps. As tired as she was, all she could think about was tearing his clothes off. She grabbed the leftovers and dashed inside only to come to a screeching halt.

The church had been ransacked. Overturned furniture, slashed pillows, strewn clothing . . . Orange juice and ketchup were smeared on the futon, and her jewelry supplies were scattered everywhere-her precious beads, the tools she'd just purchased, tangled lengths of wire.

Ted stood in the middle of the mess. "The sheriff's on his way."

The sheriff found no sign of forcible entry. When the subject of keys came up, Ted said he'd already put in a call to have the locks changed. As the sheriff advanced the theory that a vagrant had done the job, Meg knew she had to come clean about the message smeared on her bathroom mirror.

Ted exploded. "You're just getting around to telling me? What the hell were you thinking? I wouldn't have let you stay here another day."

She just looked at him. He glared right back-no halo in sight.

The sheriff asked with a straight face if anybody held a grudge against her. She thought he was putting her on until she remembered he worked for the county and might not be tuned in to local gossip.

"Meg's had some run-ins with a few people," Ted said, "but I can't imagine any of them doing this."



       
         
       
        

The sheriff pulled out his notebook. "What people?"

She tried to pull herself together. "Basically anybody who likes Ted isn't too fond of me."

The sheriff shook his head. "That's an awful lot of people. Could you narrow it down?"

"There's not really much point in throwing out random names," she said.

"You're not accusing anybody. You're giving me a list of people who have a grudge against you. I need your cooperation, Miz Koranda."

She saw his point, but it didn't feel right.

"Miz Koranda?"

She tried to muster the energy to begin. "Well, there's . . ." She barely knew where to start. "Sunny Skipjack wants Ted for herself." She gazed at the destruction around her and took a deep breath. "Then there's Birdie Kittle, Zoey Daniels, Shelby Traveler, Kayla Garvin. Kayla's father, Bruce. Maybe Emma Traveler, although I thought she'd come around."

"Not a single one of them would tear the place up like this," Ted said.

"Somebody did," the sheriff replied, flipping to a fresh page in his notebook. "Go on, Miz Koranda."

"All of Ted's old girlfriends, especially after what happened at the luncheon today." That involved a brief explanation, which Ted thoughtfully provided, along with his commentary on the cowardice of people who wanted to sneak around instead of being up front about their relationships.