Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 49
Bruce Wayne winked at me then tucked his check into his wallet. “Crazy like a fox.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” David asked.
“Hell if I know, but it sure sounded good.”
I shook my head laughing. “I’ll be in touch, Bruce Wayne.”
He nodded, turning solemn. “You do that.”
Muffy and I headed back to the nursery, me feeling like I’d let Bruce Wayne down. Not long after, I was assembling some potted plants in the back of the shop when I heard Violet call out, “Well good afternoon, Reverend Jonah.”
My breath stuck in my chest. That man made me nervous, even on my own turf.
“Call me, Jonah. I insist.”
“Of course. Silly me.” Violet giggled. “What can I do for you, Jonah?”
“I was hoping to see Rose.”
I cringed. I’d been hoping to avoid him.
“She’s in the back. Let me get her.” Violet poked her head into the open doorway leading to the back room. “Someone’s here to see you,” she sing-songed.
Groaning, I set the plant I was holding on the work table, not stopping to wash my hands.
“Well there she is, the miracle worker!” Jonah beamed.
I shook my head. “Bruce Wayne and David did all the hard work.”
“But they were only implementing your vision. You have definitely found your calling, Rose.”
“I helped,” Violet said, her voice rising.
Jonah turned to her and smiled his TV smile. “Of course you did.” Then he turned back to me, leaving a stunned Violet in his wake. She wasn’t used to people dismissing her so easily, and she sure as Pete didn’t like it. “I’d really like for you to come to church as my special guest tomorrow for the late service. I want to introduce you to the congregation.”
“Isn’t that your televised service?” Violet asked.
“It sure is.”
I took an involuntary step back. “Oh…I don’t know…”
“We’ll be there.” Violet said, walking around the end of the counter and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Should we be there at a special time?”
Jonah’s smile faded a tiny bit. “The service starts at 10:30. Perhaps you could come at 10:15, so we can make sure you’re seated in the front.”
As soon as I got Jonah Pruitt’s check, I didn’t want to be anywhere near him. But Miss Mildred’s lecture had been nagging at me all day, along with what Neely Kate had said to me. What if I could find out something about Miss Dorothy and Miss Laura’s murders? If I had that ability to figure out what happened, wasn’t it my obligation to do just that? And if Jonah Pruitt was the murderer, then going to his church was a good opportunity to try digging up some information on him.
“Okay,” I agreed, but try as I might, I couldn’t make it sound enthusiastic. “Thank you for inviting us.”
Jonah clapped his hands together. “Well, now that that’s settled, I have one other thing to discuss.” He leaned closer.
Oh, dear Lord. I hoped he wasn’t going to ask me out on a date.
Neely Kate slipped inside, her eyes wide with anticipation.
“You did such a wonderful job on the church that I’d love to have you work on the parsonage too.”
I blinked, stunned. “You mean your house?”
He grinned. “While I do live there, it belongs to the church.”
“And you want the Gardner Sisters Nursery to do some work there?”
“Well, I was hoping you would do it.” He took my hand in his, and I stopped myself from jerking it back.
Violet looked confused, as though she wasn’t sure whether she should be happy we got the business or upset that he specifically requested me. But then again, Violet was more a weeding type of girl, while I’d always been of the get-my-hands-dirty variety. Maybe she was relieved.
Neely Kate was practically jumping up and down in the doorway, reminding me that there was more at stake here than just me. This was a chance to give Bruce Wayne more work.
“Why thank you, Reverend.” I said, uncomfortable that he was still holding my hand. “I’d love to see what we can do with the landscape of the parsonage.”
“Now, now, what do I keep telling you about calling me Jonah?” He laughed and looked back over his shoulder at Neely Kate. “Isn’t she something else?”
Neely Kate smirked. “She sure is.”
Jonah turned back to face me. “Wonderful. Why don’t you plan on coming by the parsonage on Monday morning at nine?”
I forced a smile. “I can’t wait.”
“But first you’re going to be my special guest tomorrow!” Thankfully, he dropped my hand.
The way he kept saying special guest reminded me of Hansel and Gretel for some reason. Was Jonah planning something devious? No, I told myself. My imagination was running wild. He was just being friendly.
So he could get me to sign over all my worldly possessions.
Violet’s smile spread so wide it was a wonder her face didn’t crack open. “We wouldn’t dream of missing it, now would we?” She jabbed her elbow into my side.
“Can’t wait.”
“Well, I’ll see you lovely ladies tomorrow.” Jonah turned around and left. Neely Kate could barely contain her squeal.
“I told you!” she whisper shouted. “I told you it would work!”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” David asked.
“Hell if I know, but it sure sounded good.”
I shook my head laughing. “I’ll be in touch, Bruce Wayne.”
He nodded, turning solemn. “You do that.”
Muffy and I headed back to the nursery, me feeling like I’d let Bruce Wayne down. Not long after, I was assembling some potted plants in the back of the shop when I heard Violet call out, “Well good afternoon, Reverend Jonah.”
My breath stuck in my chest. That man made me nervous, even on my own turf.
“Call me, Jonah. I insist.”
“Of course. Silly me.” Violet giggled. “What can I do for you, Jonah?”
“I was hoping to see Rose.”
I cringed. I’d been hoping to avoid him.
“She’s in the back. Let me get her.” Violet poked her head into the open doorway leading to the back room. “Someone’s here to see you,” she sing-songed.
Groaning, I set the plant I was holding on the work table, not stopping to wash my hands.
“Well there she is, the miracle worker!” Jonah beamed.
I shook my head. “Bruce Wayne and David did all the hard work.”
“But they were only implementing your vision. You have definitely found your calling, Rose.”
“I helped,” Violet said, her voice rising.
Jonah turned to her and smiled his TV smile. “Of course you did.” Then he turned back to me, leaving a stunned Violet in his wake. She wasn’t used to people dismissing her so easily, and she sure as Pete didn’t like it. “I’d really like for you to come to church as my special guest tomorrow for the late service. I want to introduce you to the congregation.”
“Isn’t that your televised service?” Violet asked.
“It sure is.”
I took an involuntary step back. “Oh…I don’t know…”
“We’ll be there.” Violet said, walking around the end of the counter and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Should we be there at a special time?”
Jonah’s smile faded a tiny bit. “The service starts at 10:30. Perhaps you could come at 10:15, so we can make sure you’re seated in the front.”
As soon as I got Jonah Pruitt’s check, I didn’t want to be anywhere near him. But Miss Mildred’s lecture had been nagging at me all day, along with what Neely Kate had said to me. What if I could find out something about Miss Dorothy and Miss Laura’s murders? If I had that ability to figure out what happened, wasn’t it my obligation to do just that? And if Jonah Pruitt was the murderer, then going to his church was a good opportunity to try digging up some information on him.
“Okay,” I agreed, but try as I might, I couldn’t make it sound enthusiastic. “Thank you for inviting us.”
Jonah clapped his hands together. “Well, now that that’s settled, I have one other thing to discuss.” He leaned closer.
Oh, dear Lord. I hoped he wasn’t going to ask me out on a date.
Neely Kate slipped inside, her eyes wide with anticipation.
“You did such a wonderful job on the church that I’d love to have you work on the parsonage too.”
I blinked, stunned. “You mean your house?”
He grinned. “While I do live there, it belongs to the church.”
“And you want the Gardner Sisters Nursery to do some work there?”
“Well, I was hoping you would do it.” He took my hand in his, and I stopped myself from jerking it back.
Violet looked confused, as though she wasn’t sure whether she should be happy we got the business or upset that he specifically requested me. But then again, Violet was more a weeding type of girl, while I’d always been of the get-my-hands-dirty variety. Maybe she was relieved.
Neely Kate was practically jumping up and down in the doorway, reminding me that there was more at stake here than just me. This was a chance to give Bruce Wayne more work.
“Why thank you, Reverend.” I said, uncomfortable that he was still holding my hand. “I’d love to see what we can do with the landscape of the parsonage.”
“Now, now, what do I keep telling you about calling me Jonah?” He laughed and looked back over his shoulder at Neely Kate. “Isn’t she something else?”
Neely Kate smirked. “She sure is.”
Jonah turned back to face me. “Wonderful. Why don’t you plan on coming by the parsonage on Monday morning at nine?”
I forced a smile. “I can’t wait.”
“But first you’re going to be my special guest tomorrow!” Thankfully, he dropped my hand.
The way he kept saying special guest reminded me of Hansel and Gretel for some reason. Was Jonah planning something devious? No, I told myself. My imagination was running wild. He was just being friendly.
So he could get me to sign over all my worldly possessions.
Violet’s smile spread so wide it was a wonder her face didn’t crack open. “We wouldn’t dream of missing it, now would we?” She jabbed her elbow into my side.
“Can’t wait.”
“Well, I’ll see you lovely ladies tomorrow.” Jonah turned around and left. Neely Kate could barely contain her squeal.
“I told you!” she whisper shouted. “I told you it would work!”
