woman was tall, slim, and wore a short silk dress skimming tanned, very well-toned thighs. Tall metallic high heels matched gold bracelets and hoop earrings.
Rachelâs smile froze on her face. She raised her beer to her lips but didnât take a sip.
âShit. A She Devil has staked her claim,â I said.
Simon at least had the decency to stand a little straighter. He looked like heâd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Margaretâs eyes narrowed. âWe canât leave her hanging. Cover me. Iâm going in.â
âWhat do you mean?â
She pushed to her feet and crossed toward Rachel, Simon, and the She Devil.
âWell, hey,â Margaret said as she moved to the bar beside Rachel and picked up her five. âNever seen you here before.â
Groaning, I slid out of the booth and came up behind Margaret in time to catch Rachelâs shocked expression. âHi, Mr. Davenport.â
âSimon. Please call me Simon.â
âRight. Sure.â I looked at She Devil. âHi, Iâm Daisy McCrae. My sisters Margaret and Rachel.â
She Devilâs smile didnât reach her eyes. Sheâd sunk her talons into Simon, and she was not going to let go. âElizabeth Wentworth. Nice to meet you. But I know Rachel. We cheered together in high school.â
Rachelâs smile turned brittle as she smoothed her hands over worn jeans and surveyed Elizabethâs watered-silk dress. âElizabeth. You look great.â
Rachel and I were the same year as Elizabeth in school but I hung with the drama kids and the nerds. Rachel and Elizabeth were strictly with cheerleaders and football players.
Iâd never formally met Elizabeth but had heard stories. Passive-aggressive. Lots of lip gloss and hair spray. Dated the backup quarterback. âAnd you look, well, like youâve been working hard.â
Simonâs gaze sparked with interest. âYou two went to high school together?â he asked.
Elizabeth laughed. âHard to believe, right? Rachel, you still work in your parentsâ bakery? Gosh, she used to make the cutest cupcakes for the team. Of course, we were all on diets and couldnât eat a bite.â
âRachel and I both own the bakery now,â I said.
âTheyâve done some catering for my company,â Simon offered.
Rachel drew in a breath. I kept waiting for the perky smile guaranteed to make everyone feel as if it would be okay. Her lips flickered at the edges but the hundred-watt smile would not fire.
âSo what brings you all here tonight?â Elizabeth said as she glanced beyond us to see who else was here.
âMy sisters are giving me a going-away party,â Margaret said. âIâve a job working on an archeological dig.
Elizabeth looked bored. âAwesome.â
Simon to his credit raised a brow. âWhere?â
âSt. Maryâs Church up in Maryland. On the bay. Leaving tomorrow.â Her grin broadened. âOld bones rock my world.â
âSounds like a great challenge,â Simon said.
âIâm working for Simonâs company,â Elizabeth offered. She smoothed a manicured hand over perfect hair. âVice president of sales. So far breaking all quotas.â
âSuper.â Margaret glanced at Rachel. Weâd made fun of Elizabeth when we were in high school. If one of us were having a petulant moment, we were pulling an
Elizabeth
.
Rachel seemed to have forgotten. Whatever had fired when sheâd first spoken to Simon was extinguished, and now she had a hurtpuppy vibe.
As I scrambled for reasons to drag Rachel away, Margaret turned and wobbled, and her beer sloshed wildly in her hands. The beer splashed up all over her, Simon, and She Devil.
She Devil arched back as if sheâd been splashed with acid, but Simon remained calm. He reached for a napkin, She Devil squawked, and Margaret apologized.
âI can be such a klutz,â Margaret
Learning to Kill: Stories