Hang Tough(63)
“Does Garnet tell you everything?”
“Just the blackmail stuff,” Pearl grumbled.
Tobin faced her.
She threw up her hands. “You got nothin’ on me, Hale.”
“Not yet. But I have my suspicions about what you’ve been up to.”
The woman all but looked at the ceiling and whistled innocently.
“So, Pearl, I expect when I ask for your cooperation, in whatever capacity I need it, I won’t have to ask more than once?”
“Yes, sir.”
Smart-ass. Tobin eyed both Tilda and Miz Maybelle.
Tilda smiled brightly. “Since Jade will be one of Wyoming’s newest residents, I’ll take her out to lunch and introduce her to my great-niece, Elise, who just moved to Rawlins herself last month from Oakmont. She’s a very lovely girl and she doesn’t know anyone around these parts either.”
“Why’d she relocate to Rawlins?” he asked skeptically.
“Oh, you know, change of scenery.”
“Uh-huh. Try again.”
“Good lord, Tobin. You are a hard man to please when you’re looking after your woman.”
He raised a brow—and . . . Tilda cracked.
“All right. Elise’s boyfriend is in prison, but she swears he was set up—”
Tobin held up his hand. “Scratch that lunch date. The embroidery stuff you do,” he said to Tilda. “Make her something nice that she can frame and hang on the wall. Or better yet, offer to teach her how to do it. She really digs that kind of craft stuff but she’s never had a chance to learn.”
“That is so sweet,” Tilda said.
Tobin focused on Miz Maybelle.
She folded her arms across her ample chest. “I don’t care how much trouble I’m in with you, Tobin Hale, or how much you love them; I am not divulging my prize recipe for molasses cookies to Jade or anyone else.”
“I’ll give you her recipe,” Bernice offered. “It ain’t all that secret.”
“Bernice!”
“Well, hon, it’s not really a secret when you’re jotting it down on cocktail napkins at the Blue Lantern in exchange for free shots,” Vivien said gently.
“Shoot. I’d hoped I’d dreamed that.” Maybelle looked at Tobin. “What’s my punishment?”
“You used to fish with your husband, right?”
“All the blasted time. Why?”
“Do you still use your equipment?”
She shook her head.
“Jade’s never been fishing and I’d like to borrow your equipment to see if she likes dropping a line before I buy her rods and reels.”
A long beat passed before Miz Maybelle said, “Fine. At least someone would be getting some use out of it. It’s just been gathering dust since Mr. L passed on.”
Tobin might’ve missed it if Tilda hadn’t pointed at Maybelle, discreetly wiping her eyes with a tissue. He crouched down. “If it has sentimental value to you—”
“It does.” She looked up with watery eyes and sniffled. “That’s why I’m so happy to let you use it.”
“This is the last thing I need from all of you. I’m goin’ out of town for a couple of days. Please let me and Jade tell Miz G that we’re together on our own time frame.”
“Don’t wait too long, sonny,” Pearl warned. “We’re old. We might forget it’s supposed to be a secret.”
“Especially if we’re drinking,” Vivien pointed out.
“And if you like it, you should put a ring on it,” Bernice said with a smirk.
After a round of laughter and fist bumps, they started singing.
Yep. He definitely should’ve Tasered himself.
Chapter Sixteen
“Jade!”
She jumped and the can of coffee in her hands slipped and crashed to the floor.
Vivien picked it up and eyed the dent in the can before swapping it out for a new canister and setting it in Jade’s cart. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Right. You already did that.
“I’m used to dealing with my hard-of-hearing friends. I tend to speak loudly, or so I’ve been told.” Vivien studied the items in Jade’s cart.
Coffee, a package of fudge-striped cookies, a small box of dishwashing detergent, the latest issue of Cosmo, a carton of yogurt and a small container of Nutella. Jade might as well have a neon sign on the front of the cart announcing THIS WOMAN IS SINGLE! The only clichéd items she was missing were a bottle of cheap white wine and bag of cat food.
That’s when Jade noticed Vivien had nothing in her cart. “I’ll let you get started with your shopping.”
When Jade moved forward, Vivien blocked her exit. “I’m happy I ran into you. Garnet’s order from the Beauty Barn came in. You can swing by and pick it up from Bernice.”