LLucy’s Revenge(Divine Creek Ranch 15)(81)

When it was time, she recorded his message.

“Hi, you’ve reached Beck’s Bees Wildflower Honey and Bee’s Knees Body Products. Beck isn’t available to take your call at the moment but if you’ll…”

She wouldn’t have expected him to let her record the outgoing message but she didn’t mind doing it for him. She planned to be with him for the long haul, or at least until that old machine finally croaked. She was willing to bet she’d outlast it.





Chapter Fourteen




The next morning, they’d just finished putting up the cabana shade over the tables set up for Beck’s booth at the trade and craft fair. Patrick burst into laughter when Lucy and Beck told him about Tabitha Lester’s parting words the day before.

“I can’t believe you said that.”

Lucy spread the decorative red and white checked cloths over the three long tables and smiled at Beck when he helped her. He hadn’t understood why all the colorful touches were needed but he’d gone along without complaint.

“I told her that. I did. Couldn’t believe it. It was just hanging there on a breeze and needed to be said. And her poor pussy evidently is in serious need of brushing, too.”

They all turned at a coughing, splurting noise from the booth next door and Lucy laughed when she saw Seth struggling to breathe. He’d evidently been taking a long swallow of his fountain drink when she’d said that.

She went to him and patted him on the back and he coughed and laughed and made a mock bow to her. “I bow to the master, Lucy. I bow to the master.”

“She learned from the best, Seth,” his wife Jayne said with a chuckle as she cuddled their toddler son, Toby.

After realizing he’d forgotten to bring his business cards with him, Seth excused himself to walk across the street to his studio. Lucy tickled Toby under his arm and then played peekaboo with him, grinning when he covered his face with Jayne’s long auburn hair and peeked at her through the strands. Lucy watched as he yawned and then turned in Jayne’s arms to rest his head on her shoulder. Lucy patted his bottom. “He looks tired.”

PJ ran to Lucy and wrapped his arms around her legs wanting her attention, as Jayne said, “Yeah. He didn’t sleep much last night. He still has nightmares sometimes.”

Lucy was so glad that Toby had Jayne to love on him. His biological mother had proved she wasn’t the loving kind when she’d abandoned him to Seth but Jayne had devoted herself to making a place for Toby in her home and her heart.

PJ grasped Lucy’s hand and got her attention, then pointed at Toby. “He has nightmares, too?”

Feeling compassion for him, Lucy squatted down and nodded as she straightened his shirt collar. “Yeah. He and his mommy had a scary time last year.” She felt it served no purpose to hide the truth. It was obvious PJ felt empathy for Toby.

“Just like me, when I was a baby?”

“Yeah, sort of.”

“Was he all alone, too?”

“No, honey. Jayne was with him and kept him safe like Summer kept you safe. You remember?”

A frown wrinkled his brow for a second as he shook his head negatively and then hugged her.

It disturbed Lucy that Patrick’s personal recollection of that day in Stigall’s with the madman who’d come in with a loaded gun was as a solitary experience. Summer Webster had been the one to keep him from harm even though his own mother had been there.

“Shameful.” The voice made Lucy’s hackles rise. She wasn’t ready to deal with Tabitha Lester again so soon. With kids around wasn’t the time for another confrontation with her. Jayne looked beyond Lucy, and Lucy had to grin at the subtle transformation in Jayne.

“Can I help you?”

Normally the mild-mannered librarian was softness and light, affectionate to those she loved and friendly to everyone, but the hardness in her tone was unmistakable.

Lucy stood and turned as Tabitha dismissed Jayne with her condescending tone. “I don’t think so, dear. I think you have your hands full with that poor, abandoned child. And I would never, ever want to put a permanent mark on my body. I’m keeping my temple holy.”

Jayne burst into laughter as she cradled Toby against her shoulder and said, “Well, heavens-to-Betsy. We wouldn’t want to desecrate your holy temple, now would we? You’re the one who spoke first.”

“I did. I think it’s shameful that the Trade and Craft Day committee made room for a tattoo booth, since you have no crafts to sell, but then again, they also let all these other perverts bring their wares so why not? They top it off by exposing innocent children to their perfidy.”