Fortune's Twins

“This is so nice,” Irene Caldwell said, fingering the tablecloth. Irene had been a widow for ten years, and had lived at Tanner’s for six. She was quiet, had no children and generally conducted herself in a dignified manner. Her only indulgence was Benny, her aging Welsh corgi. Though Gwen’s grandmother hadn’t allowed pets, Gwen had made an exception for Benny, who was very sweet and well behaved. Besides, Irene would never have moved in without her dog, which her husband had adored. The little tan dog was twelve now but still going strong, and Gwen found she liked having him around. He was a good watchdog.

Benny had come to the porch with Irene, and now found a prime spot under the table from which he could scarf crumbs when they fell.

The other guests trickled in. Oggie arrived home from school and brought Olivia Mason with him. Olivia was a popular teacher and, with her husband, Kyle, another of the lottery winners. Gwen had also invited Jennifer Faulkner McNeil, who’d moved to Jester only recently, though she’d spent summers here with her grandparents when she was a kid. She’d returned when her grandfather died and left her his lottery winnings. Then she’d up and married Luke McNeil, the sheriff. She arrived with Vickie McNeil Perkins, her best friend and sister-in-law.

“Did anyone see Honor on her way over?” Gwen asked. Honor Lassiter was co-owner of The Mercantile with Ruby Cade. But since they’d hired teenage single mom Valerie Simms as a manager at the store, both partners had more free time. Honor had assured Gwen she would come over today.

“You must not have heard,” Jennifer said. “Honor left on a round-the-world trip.”

There was a murmur of surprise from those who hadn’t heard the latest news, Gwen included.

“That was pretty sudden,” Gwen said. “I know she’s been a bit restless since she received her lottery winnings, but I didn’t think she’d just up and leave. When is she coming back?”

Jennifer shrugged. “No one knows.”

Gwen thought that was rather strange behavior for Honor, who was a sweet, hometown girl who’d never traveled anyplace before.

Wyla was last to arrive, though Gwen wasn’t sure why she bothered. She wouldn’t touch the sweets. She was paranoid about adding a single pound to her painfully thin figure.

Gwen forced herself to be pleasant, since the woman was Stella’s friend. “Hello, Wyla, glad you could join us.”

“Hello, Gwen. Say, I hear you cornered the fella that put the bun in your oven.”

Gwen almost dropped the teapot. “What?”

“Wyla, really,” Stella scolded.

“Well I’m just repeating what I’ve heard. He showed up at the café a couple of weeks ago,” she continued, addressing everyone, assuming they wanted to hear gossip, “then followed Gwen to the boardinghouse. They talked here on this very porch before he finally took off like a scalded cat. Who else would he be but the mystery man?”

“He could be Gwen’s cousin,” Jennifer spoke up. “Or a potential boarder. He could be anyone!”

“Gwen doesn’t have any cousins,” Wyla said. She looked at Gwen. “I knew both your parents, don’t forget.”

“Wyla, for heaven’s sake, stop badgering her,” Irene broke in. “If Gwen wants to tell us who her visitor is, she’ll tell us.” But Gwen could see Irene was brimming with curiosity, though she was too polite to voice it.

Shoot. If Wyla knew about Eli’s visit, the whole town knew. Shelly wouldn’t have said anything. But those old men who hung out at the barbershop were the worst gossips in town.

Gwen sank into a chair. Stella, looking sympathetic, took the teapot from her and assumed the duties of hostess, pouring tea and passing around the pastries.

“I guess it won’t hurt to tell you,” Gwen said. “The man is Eli Garrett, and he’s the father of my babies. But I doubt you’ll be seeing him again.”

Oggie nearly came out of his chair. “He abandoned you?” Oggie didn’t mind hanging out with the ladies. He was secure in his masculinity, and besides, he would never turn down an opportunity to be near Stella. But at this moment he looked furious, doing a pretty good imitation of an outraged father figure.

“He didn’t exactly abandon me,” Gwen said soothingly. “It was more of a mutual agreement.”

“He’s still a yellow dog,” Oggie grumbled, reclaiming his chair. “If you were my daughter, I’d get out my shotgun and there’d be a wedding!”

Gwen didn’t believe for a second that Oggie had ever owned a gun of any type. But she appreciated his protectiveness, even if it was misplaced.

Further conversation about her unwedded state was halted by a god-awful noise on Main Street. Everyone looked to see a huge U-Haul truck approaching.

“What in the world…?” Irene asked.

When the truck turned onto Lottery Lane and passed right in front of Gwen’s house, she thought the driver looked familiar. A troubling suspicion began to build in her mind, especially when the truck stopped and backed into the driveway of the Carter place next door—the one Mary Kay had just sold.

“You have a new neighbor?” Olivia asked Gwen.

“It appears so. I’ll go…welcome him.” Better to face him privately than give the town, not to mention the ever-curious reporters, another bit of fodder for the grapevine.

Gwen walked as fast as she could in her present condition. The truck’s driver opened his door and descended.

“Howdy, neighbor!” Eli said with a broad grin. “Are you the welcome wagon?”

Chapter Three

Eli had seen Gwen in the throes of passion. He’d seen her sweetly shy, irritated and embarrassed. But he’d never seen her spitting mad. He liked it. Anger brought out the fire in her green eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded. Wisps of her auburn hair escaped from a bun at the nape of her neck, flying every which way in the breeze like banners of fire.

He tossed her a lazy smile. “I’m moving in. I decided I like your little town, and I thought it might be fun to have an address on Lottery Lane.”

“But…but you can’t do that.”

“Of course I can.”

She bit her lower lip, a little less sure of her footing now. “Have you even been in that house?”

“Nope. Bought it sight unseen. But I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m good with my hands, and if it has any problems, I’ll fix them right up.”

For some reason, she smiled. “You have a key?”

“Right here.” He jingled his key ring.

“Let’s just go inside and have a look.”

A sense of foreboding settled just under Eli’s ribs. Mary Kay Thompson, the real estate agent who’d sold him this house, had warned him that it was in quite a shambles. No one had lived in it for two years, and the house had been in poor repair even before that. But he’d lived in some pretty crummy places in his life. His first apartment, which he shared with a married teenage couple, had featured a hole in the roof big enough to toss a basketball through.

The outside of the faded pink Victorian appeared to be sound. One broken window on the third floor could be fixed quickly enough. A few missing shingles, some peeling paint. Nothing fatal.

The front porch was missing a few boards. He offered his hand to Gwen, to help her across the uneven surface. She hesitated at first. He suspected she wouldn’t have accepted his help if she hadn’t been pregnant. Concern for her safety won out, and she took his hand.

Her hand felt small, soft and warm in his, like a little bird. He remembered how those hands had felt stroking his body, hesitant at first, then bolder as she’d realized the power she had over him.

Better not go there. He shuttered off those memories and focused on the house, his new home. The lock was rusty, but he finally managed to wrestle the door open.

He stepped inside and flipped a light switch. Nothing happened.

“Some critter probably chewed up your wiring,” Gwen said, sounding almost happy.