Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

Fox

“Get rid of the smile.”

I didn’t have to look at Opal to know she was sporting a shit-eating grin when I walked into the office on Monday morning. Hell, she probably got here at the ass crack of dawn to prepare the interrogation questions she’d been formulating since seeing Josie and me Friday night.

“It’s not a crime to smile,” she said.

“It is in my place of business. You don’t like it, don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.”

Undeterred, Opal crossed the office and parked herself on the corner of my desk.

“So…” She couldn’t contain it. A smile spread from ear to ear. “How was your weekend?”

I wasn’t about to let on that I’d spent three nights in a row in Josie’s bed. I wouldn’t even have come up for air this morning if we weren’t on deadline for this job. “Fine. What time is the electrical inspector getting here? And the alarm company too.”

“Nine and ten.” She checked out the paint job on her too-long claws. “Did you do anything special?”

I sat down at my desk and pulled open the top drawer without looking up. “You’re going to have to get your gossip somewhere else. I have shit to do, and my business is my business.”

“Maryanne Foley’s son is twenty now, you know. He’s in college, but he makes deliveries on the weekend.”

“And I need to know this why?”

She grinned. Apparently I’d just taken her bait. “If you really want people not to know your business, you should try changing up your restaurant orders once in a while.”

“What in the hell are you talking about?”

“Half of Laurel Lake knows you go to the Inn for the pork and mashed potatoes. So when not one, but two meals are delivered to Josie’s house, and one of them is your signature dish, word gets around.”

“You’re telling me Maryanne’s kid delivers Uber Eats, and he went home and reported Josie’s order to his mother, who picked up the phone and called you?”

“He mentioned to his mother that the woman who answered the door in the old Wollman place was hot. I saw Maryanne at church yesterday, and she asked me if Mrs. Wollman had died. We got to talking.”

I shook my head. “I gotta get the hell out of this town.”

“Where would you go?” Opal grinned. “Manhattan?”

I jabbed my finger into the air, pointing to her desk on the other side of the room. “Go.”

She hadn’t even made it back to her area when Porter walked in. His smile was also too big, too wide.

“Morning, boss.” He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. “Heard you had a banging weekend.”

I pointed to the door. “Out! Get the hell out of my office before I physically remove you.”

“Boy, someone’s cranky. After a weekend like you had, I’m usually in a good mood. Aren’t you, Opal?”

She cackled. “I can’t remember back that far.”

“So are you guys a couple now?” Porter asked. He held up his hands, surrender style. “I’m not asking because I’m hoping to make a move on Josie. But if you are, I figured I’d let you know the winery over in Woodbridge is having a festival next weekend. I took Meryl, the nurse I was dating, last year. They had music, wine tasting, and all kinds of games and vendors. We stayed at a bed and breakfast down the road. It was a nice time. Romantic. Might be cool to take your new girlfriend somewhere outside of Laurel Lake, especially since you like your privacy and all.”

I took a deep breath. “Run over to the school jobsite and pick up the scissor lift. You need to install hurricane brackets on all the gabled ceilings today before we close it up tomorrow.”

Porter tapped two fingers to his forehead in a salute. “You got it, boss.”

At least he went away. If only Opal was that simple. Maybe I should cut this office into two small ones so I wouldn’t have to deal with her daily tongue wagging? While I mulled over that thought, I made the mistake of glancing over. Opal’s eyes were still on me, still glittering gossip. Luckily, her phone rang, and she got busy putting in a rush order for supplies we needed delivered to a jobsite.

I gathered the revised plans I needed for my morning meeting and headed out to run some overdue errands. I would have to stop back at the office at some point later, but hopefully the gossip train would have moved to the next station by then and what I did this weekend would be forgotten.

Just as I arrived at the school to meet the electrical contractor, my phone chimed. I got a little too happy for my liking when I saw the name that popped up.

Josie: Morning! I didn’t hear you sneak out this morning. I just woke up a few minutes ago. Can’t believe how late I slept.

Feeling the need to play it cool, I decided to wait five minutes to answer. I made it two.

Fox: Must’ve been all the exercise you had this weekend… How you feeling?

I watched the dots bounce around feeling like a damn schoolgirl waiting for her crush to respond.

Josie: A little sore. You know…down there. But I’ll be fine.

I’d lost track of how many times I’d been inside her over the last few days. Other than stepping out yesterday morning to get some supplies and build a ramp for my mom’s friend, we’d spent the entire weekend in bed. But I’d thought she winced when I pushed in last night. I asked her if she was okay, and she said she was fine. I didn’t believe her, so I tried to pull out, but she wasn’t having it. She climbed on top and rode me so good, I almost believed I’d imagined the wince. Though after she fell asleep, I looked up how to treat soreness from too much fucking. Just in case, this morning I’d stopped by the drugstore and picked up supplies.

Fox: I left a bag in the mailbox that might help. Would’ve brought it in, but I wasn’t thinking and locked the door on my way out.

Josie: What is it?

Fox: Epsom salt and an ice pack. Throw the salts in a warm bath. Then ice pack ten minutes on, ten minutes off, for a half hour.

Josie: Oh my God.

Fox: What?

Josie: Is this a regular parting gift you leave your hookups?

I frowned at my phone. Didn’t like her thinking that.

Fox: I looked it up after you winced last night. Even though you denied that it hurt.

Josie: Oh.

Bill Merryman, the owner of the electrical company I was coming to bitch at for shoddy work, pulled into the parking spot next to me. He looked over and waved. I lifted my chin and went back to my phone.

Fox: Gotta run. Just got to the jobsite. Let me know if you need anything else. I can pick it up on my way home tonight.

Josie: Thanks. But I should be good. It was thoughtful of you to grab that stuff though.

Fox: Don’t spread the word I did something thoughtful. It’ll ruin my reputation in this town.

Josie: LOL! I won’t. Though I could do some pretty fast damage today. I don’t think I mentioned it, but I’m meeting my uncle at Rita’s Beanery. That place is a prime stop on the gossip trail.

Fox: How’d that come about?

Josie: We exchanged numbers when we met at the home-improvement store. He called and said he wants to get to know me better.

I frowned. Ray Langone was trouble. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. But he was her family, and I’d already given my thoughts on the subject. So I bit my tongue.

Fox: Have a good one.

Josie: You, too.

The day got away from me after that. By the time I got back to the office, it was after four o’clock. Opal was on the phone with one of her cronies. From the sound of it, she wasn’t gossiping about me, this time at least. Though she probably only clammed up on that topic when she heard me come in. After a few minutes of her tsking alternated with some “Lord have mercy,” she hung up.

“Trying to change the old timers in this town is as useful as attempting to bend steel with your bare hands,” she said.

I had shit to finish up, so I wasn’t taking the bait this time. I sat at my desk with my head down to work on the lumber order I needed to place before the yard closed at five.

Not surprisingly, Opal didn’t take the hint. “I never understood gambling. I work too hard to hand my money over and risk it all on a horse.”

I didn’t engage. Still didn’t stop her…

She shook her head, talking at me instead of with me. “Don’t know how two people can be cut from the same cloth and be so different, either.”

I opened my laptop and shuffled some papers while it booted up to keep busy.

“How does Josie feel about her uncle Ray?”

Nowshe had my attention. I mentally flipped back through what she’d already said to play catch up. “Ray’s gambling again?”

“Rachael Minton told Bridget Hagerty who told Georgina Mumford that she saw Ray at the Crow’s Nest bar today. He was bragging how he had a sure thing for some dog race and was putting big money on it so he could pay off all his debt and take a sweet trip this winter.”

“Where would Ray get big money?”

Opal shrugged. “Who knows.”

I tended to think the worst of people, so I hoped I was wrong. But I dug my phone out to check in with Josie anyway.

Fox: Hey. Have a good lunch with your uncle?

She texted back a minute later.

Josie: Yeah. He’s very sweet. But I found out he’s sick. No insurance either.

I shut my eyes and swore under my breath. “Opal, can you set up a lumber order I need placed before five? I’ll text you what to get.”

“Of course.”

I grabbed my keys and stalked toward the door.

Opal called after me. “Where you running off to in such a hurry?”

“To put a stop to old habits.”

***

I hadn’t kept tabs on Ray Langone like I’d planned to, but I had a hunch where to find him. My first stop was the Crow’s Nest, but the place was empty except for the two retired local cops who owned it. The dog track two towns over was my next stop. They started racing at five, so I stepped on the gas to get there before the betting window opened.

My stomach turned as I walked inside. It could have been the place or the reason I was looking for Ray. I wasn’t certain, but it made my foul mood even worse, which didn’t bode well for the man if what I thought had happened today turned out to be right.

I did a lap around the track. There weren’t too many people, but they all seemed to resemble Ray—same age range, leathered skin, drinker’s noses, and looks of disappointment on their faces. As I turned the last curve, I’d started to think I’d wasted my time, but then I looked down at the field and spotted a guy talking with his hands and sporting a big smile. No doubt Ray was spewing about his sure thing.

I knew my size. Hadn’t often used it to my advantage since my hockey days, but sometimes actions spoke louder than words. Squaring my shoulders, I came up behind Ray and looked down at his five-foot-six frame. My shadow announced my arrival.

Ray lifted his chin high as he turned, probably ready to tell whoever had stepped into his personal space to back off. Until he saw me.

“Fox Cassidy.” He flashed a hesitant smile. “Long time no see, buddy.”

“Not your buddy.”

The guy he’d been talking to couldn’t wait to scurry away. “I’ll talk to you later, Ray. Thanks for the tip.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Where’d you get the money to bet today?”

His face wrinkled. “Why do you care?”

“Answer the question, Ray.”

“I had it.”

“Bullshit. You lost your job working construction with Pat Egmont last month because you couldn’t show up on time. You’d have to drive an hour to find someone who didn’t know someone who fired your ass, and you can’t do that when you spend most of your days getting loaded at the Crow’s Nest.”

“What the fuck, man? Are you my mother?”

I held out my hand. “Give me the money your niece gave you today.”

I’d been hedging, of course, but the look on Ray’s face told me I’d hit a bullseye. “How do you know about that?”

“I didn’t. You just told me. Now cough it up. Or I’m going to grab your ankles, turn you upside down, and shake until everything falls out of your pockets.”

His face turned red. “You can’t do that.”

“Look around, Ray. Who’s going to stop me?”

“Since when do you shake down people for a living? I thought you were a do-gooder who volunteered his free time because your pockets were lined from your days in the big leagues.”

“Don’t shake people down. Just retrieve things for people who were scammed.”

“What are you talking about? My niece gave me the money. We’re family. She’s helping me out.”

I stepped closer so he had to look up to see me. “What did she give you the money for?”

“That’s my business.”

“Not when you’re taking advantage of Josie, it’s not.”

A look of understanding crossed Ray’s face. “Ohhh. Now it makes sense. You always liked the pretty ones. Like that Evie girl.” He grinned. “How’s she doing these days? Maybe you should keep away from my niece so nothing bad happens to her like that other piece of ass.”

I snapped. Grabbing the asshole by his shirt and maybe some skin underneath, I lifted him off his feet and into the air. “What the fuck did you just say?”

At least the guy had enough brains to look scared. “I was teasing. I was teasing.”

Still dangling him in the air, I used him for a bicep curl, bringing his face nice and close to mine, and motioned to the track below. “Are you giving me back Josie’s money, or am I tossing you over this railing?”

“I don’t even have it all! I had to pay my bookie.”

“I’ll take whatever’s left.”

“But I got a sure thing!”

“Trust me, the only sure thing you have is me breaking a few bones if that cash isn’t in my hands in the next ten seconds. I’m not fucking around, Ray. You got me?”

I waited until he nodded before setting him back on his feet. He dug into his dingy pants pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. When he handed it over, he huffed and turned to leave, but I put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Not so fast. Give me what’s in the other pocket.”

“I don’t have anything in the other pocket.”

“Then inside-out it and show me lint. Otherwise, I’m going to do it for you, and getting that close to your junk is only going to piss me off.”

Ray mumbled something I couldn’t make out, but he reached into his other pocket and pulled out a second, smaller wad of cash.

I took it and gave him a little push. “Now go the fuck home. And if I find out you ever ask Josie for so much as a ride, we won’t be having a gentleman’s conversation like we just did. You’ll be swallowing all your teeth before you even get a look at who did the punching.”