Chapter Fourteen
Ripley stopped her cruiser and watched Nell unpack her car. The sun had gone down, and with the cold snap that had slapped the island with a wicked northeast punch, any tourists were snuggled into the hotel sipping hot drinks.
Most of the natives would be sensibly settled in front of the television or finishing up dinner. She was looking forward to engaging in both those activities herself.
But she hadn't managed a one-on-one with Nell since the evening she'd come to the door.
"You're either getting a very late start or a really early one," Ripley called out.
Nell hefted the box and hunched inside the fleece-lined jacket she'd mail-ordered from the mainland. "A second start. The book club that Mia runs is back from its summer break. First meeting's tonight. "
"Oh, yeah. " Ripley got out of the car. She was wearing an ancient and well-loved bomber jacket and hiking boots. Her summer-weight ball cap had been replaced by one of plain black wool. "Need a hand?"
"I wouldn't turn one down. " Happy that she sensed no lingering animosity, Nell gestured with her elbow to the second box. "Refreshments for the meeting. Are you going?"
"Not a chance. "
"Don't like to read?"
"No, I like to read, I just don't like groups. Groups are made up of members," she explained. "And members are almost always people. So there you go. "
"People you know," Nell pointed out.
"Which gives my stand a firmer base. This group's a bunch of hens who'll spend as much time pecking at the latest gossip as they will discussing whatever book they used as an excuse to get out of the house for the evening. "
"How do you know that if you don't belong to the club?"
"Let's just say I have a sixth sense about these things. "
"All right. " Nell adjusted the balance of her box as they walked toward the rear entrance. Despite the weather, Mia's salvia hung on, as red and sassy as July. "Is that why you don't accept the Craft? Because it's like joining a group?"
"That would be reason enough. Added to that, I don't like being told I have to fall in line with something that started three hundred years before I was born. "
A blast of wind blew her ponytail into a thick, dark whip. She ignored it, and the cold fingers that tried to sneak under her jacket. "I figure whatever needs to be dealt with can and should be dealt with without cackling over a cauldron, and I don't like having people wondering if I'm going to come flying by on my broom wearing a pointy black hat. "
"I can't argue with the first two reasons. " Nell opened the door, stepped into the welcome warmth. "But the second two don't hold. I've never once heard Mia cackle, over a cauldron or otherwise, and I've never seen anyone look at her as if they expected her to jump on a broom. "
"Wouldn't surprise me if she did. " Ripley strode into the main store, nodded at Lulu. "Lu. "
"Rip. " Lulu continued setting up the folding chairs. "Joining us tonight?"
"Are they holding the Ice Capades in hell?"
"Not that I've heard. " She sniffed the air. "Do I smell gingerbread?"
"Got it in one," Nell told her. "Is there any special way you want the refreshments set up?"
"You're the expert there. Mia's upstairs yet. If she doesn't like the way you've done it, she'll tell you. "
Nell carried the box to the table that was already waiting. She'd made some pricks in Lulu's shell, but had yet to crack all the way through. It was, she admitted, becoming a personal challenge.
"Do you think I can stay for some of the discussion?"
Lulu peered narrowly over the tops of her glasses. "You read the book?"
Damn. Nell took out the plate of gingerbread first, hoping the scent would sweeten her chances. "Well, no. I didn't know about the club until last week, and-"
"A person's got an hour a day that can be put to reading. I don't care how busy they are. "
"Oh, stop being such a bitch, Lulu. "
Nell's jaw dropped at Ripley's command, but the sidelong look she risked showed her Lulu's reaction was a happy grin.
"I can't. It goes down to the bone. You can stay if this one stays. " She jerked a thumb at Ripley.
"I'm not interested in hanging out with a bunch of females chattering about a book and who's sleeping with who, who shouldn't be. Besides, I haven't had my dinner. "
"Cafe's open another ten minutes," Lulu told her. "Split pea and ham soup was good today. And it'll do you good to spend some time with females. Explore your inner woman. "
Ripley snorted. But the idea of the soup-in fact, any food that she wasn't obliged to fix herself-held tremendous appeal. "My inner woman doesn't need any exploration. She's lean and mean. But I'll check out the soup. "
She sauntered toward the steps. "I might stay for the first twenty minutes," she called back. "But if I do, I want first crack at that gingerbread. "
"Lulu?" Nell arranged star-shaped cookies on a glass plate.
"What?"
"I'll call you a bitch if it'll help bring us closer as people willing to explore our inner woman. "
Lulu gave a snort of her own. "You've got a quick mouth on you when you want to. You carry your weight and you keep your word. That goes a way with me. "
"I also make superior gingerbread. "
Lulu walked over, picked up a slice. "I'll be the judge of that. See that you read October's book before the next discussion. "
Nell's dimples flickered. "I will. "
***
Upstairs, Ripley annoyed Peg by demanding a bowl of soup minutes before closing.
"I've got a date, so if you don't finish this before my time's up, you'll just have to wash the bowl yourself. "
"I can dump it in the sink the same as you would, for Nell to deal with in the morning. Give me a hot chocolate to go with it. Are you still stepping out with Mick Burmingham?"
"That's right. We're snugging in and having a video festival. We're watching Scream One, Two, and Three. "
"Very sexy. If you want to take off, I won't snitch to Mia. "
Peg didn't hesitate. "Thanks. " She whipped off her apron. "I'm gone. "
Appreciating the fact that the cafe was empty, Ripley settled down to enjoy her soup in blissful solitude. Nothing could have spoiled her pleasure more quickly than hearing the click of Mia's heels on the floor barely one minute later.
"Where's Peg?"
"I cut her loose. Hot date. "
"I don't appreciate you giving my employees permission to leave early. The cafe doesn't close for another four minutes, and it's part of her job description to clean the case, counters, and kitchen after that time. "
"Well, I booted her along, so you can kick my ass instead of hers. " Intrigued, Ripley continued to spoon up soup as she studied Mia.
It was a rare event to see the cool Ms. Devlin heated up, and jittery. She was twisting the chain of the amulet she wore around her neck, continued to worry it as she strode over to the display counter and hissed.
"There are health regulations about cleanliness in food services. Since you were so generous to Peg, you can damn well scrub this up yourself. "
"In a pig's eye," Ripley muttered, but felt a tug of guilt that threatened to spoil her appetite. "What bug crawled up your butt?"
"I have a business to run here, and it takes more than stalking around the village looking cocky, which is your specialty. "
"Oh, get fucked, Mia. It'll improve your humor. "
Mia rounded back. "Unlike you, fucking isn't my answer to every whim and itch. "
"You want to play the ice maiden because Sam Logan dumped you, that's your. . . " Ripley trailed off, despising herself even as the hot color in Mia's face drained. "Sorry. Out of line. Way out of line. "
"Forget it. "
"When I sucker punch somebody, I apologize. Even if you did come in here looking for a fight. In fact, I'll not only apologize, I'll ask you what's wrong. "
"What the hell do you care?"