TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES (A ROSE GARDNER MYSTERY, BOOK 1)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

He leaned over, stroking my head, then kissed my cheek. “I’m gonna take Muffy out. I’ll be right back.”

I cried harder. What would happen to Muffy? I still hadn’t made arrangements for her.

Before I realized Joe had been gone very long, he was there, lying on the bed with me, his stomach to my back. When I finally calmed down, he handed me tissues from my nightstand.

I rolled onto my back and looked up at him.

He rubbed my cheek, looking down into my face. “As flattered as I’d be if you were this upset over me not showing up at the restaurant, I suspect this is about something else.”

I bit my lower lip looking up into his kind eyes. Could I trust him? “Remember when you asked me if I was in trouble?”

A variety of emotions crossed his face before he answered. “Yeah, but you wouldn’t tell me.”

I paused, still unsure where to start. Maybe I could start with the DMV and leave out the vision. “The day before Momma died, a man came into the DMV. I’d never seen him before.” How did I explain the next part without giving away my freak show? “He thought I recognized him. I didn't feel well and I fainted.” All of that was true. I just left the vision part out. “He left, but without his paper work, which I thought was really weird. The next night Momma was killed.”

Joe watched my face intently, a little too intently to suit me. What did he hope to hear?

I paused to regroup. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, after all. But how did I get out of it without looking like I was hiding something?

“You said you had a dealing with Sloan Chapman. What kind of dealing did you have?”

“I went to Jaspers on my date with Steve. Only Steve didn't really want to be there. So I went to the restroom and when I came back, he’d left. He told the waitress he didn’t feel well, but he paid for my dinner and for my cab ride home.”

“Sounds like a real gentleman,” Joe muttered sarcastically.

“Well, I guessed he didn’t have to do it, pay for my dinner and the taxi. My brother-in-law forced him into the date. Anyway, I went into the bar and decided to order a glass of wine, since it was on my list. The bartender, Sloan, was really sweet to me and helped me figure out what to order, since I didn’t know anything about wine.”

I stopped again trying to read Joe’s expression. He looked guarded.

“While I waited for Sloan to bring my drink, the guy from the DMV showed up. He saw me in the restaurant and followed me into the bar. He said he was really good with faces but couldn’t place me. It happened after Momma’s funeral, after Aunt Bessie cut my hair, so I looked totally different. In fact, I still can’t believe he recognized me.”

Joe’s eyes softened and a tiny smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Sure, your hair’s different and your clothes fit you better, but your face is still the same. You were pretty before you changed your hair, Rose.”

I blushed. I hadn’t realized he’d noticed me before I showed up on his front porch the night Momma died. “Well, he recognized my face, but couldn’t place me, and it really bothered him. He was friendly, a little too friendly, and Sloan told him I was his little sister and to get lost. Then Sloan called the taxi and I came home.”

“What happened the next time you saw Sloan?”

“Nothing, I never saw Sloan again.”

“What else?”

“What else, what?”

“That can’t be the end of your story. What else aren’t you telling me? What you told me isn’t enough to throw you into hysterical crying.”