Part 14 (1/2)

The phone rang a handful of times, then transferred to voice mail. Even that didn't give any clue about the phone's owner because the recorded message was the generic one that had been programmed into the phone at the factory. Disappointed, I disconnected, stuffed the number into my pocket, and glanced around the store.

I'd been so preoccupied for the past few days, I felt as if I was seeing it for the first time after a long absence, and that added a layer of guilt to what I was already carrying after taking time away for the basketball team.

Time to get my priorities in order, I told myself. I'd let myself be distracted long enough. As customers came through the door, I put everything out of my mind and gave the shop my full attention.

My run-in with Dwayne Escott the night before had reminded me of my promise to deliver a box of caramels to Marion the next time I was in her neck of the woods. Between customers, I boxed up a selection of candies especially for Marion: caramel squares, walnut caramels, caramel peanut candy bars, pecan caramels, ginger cream caramels, b.u.t.terscotch caramels, and, in honor of the season, pumpkin caramels.

I took my time, selecting carefully to make sure I included time-honored favorites and a couple of new selections Karen and I had recently added to Divinity's repertoire. Once I had the box packed to my satisfaction, I peeled off my gloves, closed the lid, and positioned one of Divinity's gold-edged labels over the seal.

It wasn't until Liberty burst through the door like a cyclone, upsetting the peaceful atmosphere I'd been enjoying, that I realized she'd been gone for lunch far longer than an hour.

She blew through the seating area, tossed her sweats.h.i.+rt into a corner behind the counter, and beamed in my direction as two customers approached the register. ”Go on,” she said, shooing me away. ”You've got plenty of things to do. I can take care of this.”

She smiled brightly and chatted with the women about the weather, keeping them engaged in conversation as she rang up their sales. She seemed to have everything under control, so I went into the kitchen. The sticky molds I'd used for the lollipops were still on the counter, waiting for my attention. I filled the sink with warm, soapy water and gave them what they wanted.

A few minutes later, I heard the bell over the door, and silence descended until I heard a voice behind me. ”Abby?”

I turned to find Liberty in the open doorway. ”Yes?”

”Need any help?”

”Thanks, but I'm just was.h.i.+ng up a few things. Didn't Karen leave you anything to do?”

Liberty nodded. ”A few things.”

”Go ahead and do that. I'll be finished here in just a few minutes. ”

”Okay.” Liberty started to turn away but stopped herself. ”Have I done something to offend you, Abby?”

I shook my head quickly. ”Of course not. Why do you ask?”

”You always seem so . . . distant. It's almost as if you don't want me around. If that's the case, I'll go. Just say the word.”

Standing in the kitchen and looking into her wide blue eyes, I felt about two inches tall. ”You haven't done anything to offend me,” I a.s.sured her. ”I've just been busy. And distracted. A lot has happened in a very short time, and I'm not going to be around all the time. We hired you because I can't be here to help Karen the way I used to be.”

”Oh. Okay.”

I turned back to the sink, but she didn't move, and I realized we weren't finished talking. ”Is there something else?” I asked over my shoulder.

”Can I ask you a question?”

”Okay.”

”Karen told me that you came back to Paradise after living away for a long time.”

”That's right.”

”How did you get people to accept you being here again?”

The question touched a nerve. I shook the water from my hands and grabbed a towel. ”Are you having trouble?”

Liberty let out a soft laugh. ”You could say that. I guess part of the problem is that I don't really know that many people anymore. I didn't spend a lot of time in cla.s.s when I was in school, and most of the kids I hung out with are long gone now.” She leaned against the counter and crossed one foot over the other. ”The ones who are still around are . . . I don't know . . . they're just not the kind of people I want to a.s.sociate with now. I've changed, I guess.”

”So what's the problem?”

”Well, I want friends. Rutger's always busy, and I hate being alone. But you and Karen are the only friends I have, and I'm not sure you even like me.”

Heat crept into my cheeks. ”I don't dislike you, Liberty. I just don't know you very well yet. It takes me a while to warm up to people, that's all. The rest of the town is a lot the same way,” I a.s.sured her. ”Folks around here have long memories, but they're loyal. Just give them time.”

She didn't say so, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that she didn't believe me.

”Obviously, you know people around town,” I said, trying to encourage her. ”I saw you talking to Dwayne Escott earlier.” Okay, so I had a tiny ulterior motive for bringing that up. Sue me.

Liberty's gaze shot to mine, but I couldn't tell if I'd surprised or frightened her. ”Dwayne. Is that his name? I recognized the face, but I couldn't remember who he was.”

My eyes roamed her face as I tried to decide if she was lying to me. ”Don't worry. I'm sure he never suspected a thing. You looked like you were saying h.e.l.lo to an old friend.”

”Really?” She let out a relieved sigh. ”Well, that's good. I mean, it was obvious that he knew me, and I'm always so embarra.s.sed when that happens.”

My feelings about her did another about-turn. ”Yeah,” I said with a smile, ”I hate that, too. So how do you know Dwayne?”

”We went to high school together. No, that's not really true. We were in the same cla.s.s in high school, but we didn't really know each other. I wasn't in cla.s.s often enough for any of those guys to know me. I was surprised he even recognized me.”

”Those guys?”

”Yeah. He was one of the kids who ran around with Kerry Hendrix.”

”Dwayne Escott was?”

”You didn't know that?”

I shook my head, trying to picture Kerry and Dwayne in the same room, much less the same teenage clique. I just couldn't get the image to form. ”I had no idea. They were close friends?”

”Yeah, those two and a couple of others. I forget their names, though. I wouldn't have remembered Dwayne's if you hadn't told me.” She slipped an ap.r.o.n over her head and grabbed the gla.s.s cleaner and a rag. ”And then there were the girls. Always a dozen girls or more hanging all over them. To tell the truth, I had no use for them or the girls who thought they were so hot.”

There was another image that just wouldn't pull together for me: Dwayne Escott being fawned over by teenage girls.

”Well, look,” Liberty said, ”I've kept you from the dishes long enough, and Karen wanted me to clean those candy jars before she got back from lunch, so I'd better get busy.”

I nodded absently, still trying to piece together what she'd just told me. Lou Hobbs-or whatever his name was-had known Kerry Hendrix. Kerry Hendrix and Dwayne Escott were good friends, or at least they used to be. And Lou had been ”shot” a few hundred yards from Dwayne's front door. If that was a coincidence, I'd run down Prospector Street in nothing but my underwear.

Chapter 24.