“Lucy is pretty much incapable of running anything, but she’s good with people.” Preferring this positive topic, Jax flipped through his emails to show her the images he’d been receiving. “Sunshine will probably go into receivership; the assets are frozen. But she’s organized a group of tenants to act like an HOA and operate the place with expenditures approved by the court. There’s a lot of talent in that home, so the judge sanctioned it, for now. It will be a little difficult to refund the scammed money, so using it to house seniors seems best.”
Evie grinned at the picture of Mary Smith and Leticia Mortimer sitting at the head of the conference table. “They can handle it. When I stopped by the other day, the auras of Granny’s neighbors were almost transparent with delight. I think they’d been worrying about unlawful activities, but only Granny had been willing to investigate.”
“Mary Smith is a retired CPA. She’s setting up a legal payroll, and the court has authorized me to help their staff get real IDs.” A steady income of sorts would tide Jax over until his other cases paid off. And this was the kind of income he could appreciate. He held the video boxes in place as Evie finished taping them. “Are any of these gifts from me? Or is this a joint effort?”
Evie leaned over and kissed him, giving him a nice view down her T-shirt. “You contributed the cash. I contributed my creative talent. Let’s call it joint.”
“Together, we make one whole, right.” He tugged her head down to where he was sprawled on the floor so he could kiss her more thoroughly.
She rolled on top of him, covering him in a blanket of sumptuous Evie. Before he could carry this to the next stage, child-sized feet pounded up the stairs in accompaniment to a dog’s barking.
“Head her off at the pass, partner.” Evie rolled off and pushed him away. “I’m not done yet.”
He wasn’t in any condition to confront a ten-year old. When Loretta pounded on the door, Jax just shouted through it. “You can’t come in. Presents in progress.”
Evie kicked him with her bare toes for revealing her activity.
“Ms. Murkowski from the nursing home is on the line,” Loretta called through the heavy panel. “She wants Evie to exorcise Marlene and the other ghosts. Can I come, too?”
Evie laughed and tucked the snowy owl into the box of videos. “Sure, why not? Marlene won’t leave unless she wants to, but that place needs a good sage burning.”
She leaned over and whispered in Jax’s ear, “Do you think the court will approve witchcraft-related expenses?”
Thirty-four
Sittingon a corner of her back porch railing, painting her toe nails a flaming red, Evie admired the college boys setting up their equipment on the other end of the sprawling Victorian porch. They’d probably blow out every ancient circuit in the house once they got going, but they sounded good for now.
Top-knotted Reuben climbed out of his cellar wearing cut-offs, tank top, and cowboy boots. Evie whistled at him. He waved absent-mindedly and inspected his handiwork. He’d built a platform just beneath the porch as a kind of an elevated proscenium between the stairs and cellar, then covered half the lawn with a pine plank dance floor.
In the back of the yard, the neighbors had pushed together picnic tables from every house around. They’d been decorated with colorful birthday tablecloths and balloons, and gifts had started piling up—as if Loretta needed gifts. The kid could buy anything she wanted. Jax and Evie just wouldn’t let her, so maybe that worked out okay.
Larraine, Afterthought’s fashion designer mayoral candidate, strolled out of the house, laughing and fanning herself with a feathered fan. “Those girls will be the death of me! Were we really that silly at that age?”
“Us? Probably not, and I doubt Loretta has been before, but I’m pretty sure it’s normal for eleven-year-olds to be silly at birthday parties. Are they all covered in sequins and glitter?” Evie capped her polish bottle. She didn’t want to out-do the birthday girl’s glamor, so polish was all the dressing up she’d do.
“And rhinestones and capes and even a tutu. They have creative ideas of what to wear to a dance. And you, girl, can’t dance in bare feet. What are you thinking? Where’s your boots?” Larraine frowned in disapproval at Evie’s toes.
“I’m in charge of guarding the kids’ punch. This crowd can get rowdy real quick. The adult punch stays in the kitchen. I’ll boogie in the grass behind the picnic tables.” She swung down from the railing. “Hey, Reuben, you and Larraine need to test the stage. Let’s see your moves!”
Pounding a loose nail into the planks, he gave her the finger and returned to work. The nerd was finally emerging from his shell. She thought the shoot-out at the Sunshine corral had given him back some of his confidence.
Larraine sighed in anticipation. “He’s good. He just needs a little motivation.” She wiggled her skinny hips in their skin-tight sequined blue jeans and set off down the stairs.
Evie was pretty sure Larraine’s alligator boots had heels high enough that she almost reached Reuben’s six-foot height. Reuben stood up straight the instant she approached. Afterthought could only benefit from having the nerdy computer engineer and fashion designer in their midst.
With Mavis’s golden retriever on his heels, Jax emerged from the carriage house where he’d been tinkering with the new/used cherry-red Subaru he’d found for her. The insurance proceeds had almost covered the cost, and he’d chipped in the rest. Evie stood on the top step and leaned over to kiss his hair all over. “I do love a manly man who can stoke my engines.”
He laughed, pulled her head down until their lips met, and proceeded to show her real kisses. The band struck up a raucous chorus in accompaniment. Honey settled in the shade and waited for Barbecue Man to start the new grill. The retriever had been following Jax ever since he’d set it up.
Neighbors yahooed from the alley gate, and Evie broke away to greet the guests. Parents poured from the kitchen door bearing Pris’s legendary hors d’oeurves, although it appeared people had already been sneaking tastes.
“I have to start the hot dogs and hamburgers,” Jax murmured into her hair. “Meet you by the punch table later.”
Butterflies flitted in her insides. Evie was pretty certain no one had given her butterflies before. She’d been so positive six months ago that Jax was the kind of man she loved to hate... but all that managing authority had benefits she’d never known. She squiggled all over thinking of the evening ahead.
“Here we come,” Loretta hollered from behind the screen door.
Laughing, Evie held it open.