Free The Wedding Caper by Janice Thompson Page B

right
now—just an ear to fill.
    My mind
wandered a bit—and I grew a bit uneasy with the direction it took. Just
an ear to fill. . .
    Maybe
that’s all Nikki had needed from me, too. Maybe she didn’t need my suspicions
or my internal ponderings. Maybe she just needed my support. After all, the
poor girl had her hands full with a daughter and a full-time job. Could be, a
new friend—in a new place—could walk alongside her as she figured
out how to do this “mothering” thing. Hadn’t I leaned on older women when I was
her age? Hadn’t I made mistakes along the way? And hadn’t the “mothers” of my
day lent me their ears—and their shoulders?
    Yes, I
had to conclude, listening had its benefits. It drew me back to those who
needed me—and those I needed.
    “Mom, are
you still with me?”
    I
couldn’t help but laugh as I looked into Brandi’s eyes. “Honey, I’m here. I
promise.”
    I dove
into a funny story about my wedding day, and before long, she was all smiles . We relaxed and enjoyed the rest of our
time together.
    After
arriving home, I searched for Warren to tell him about our adventures. I knew
he would get a kick out of hearing about the “Purple People Eater” bathroom.
And he was sure to chuckle over the square plates.
    If only I
could find him. I searched the house, but couldn’t seem to locate him. Next I
headed to the yard. Yep, the hedges had been trimmed, but “said trimmer” was
nowhere to be found. Back inside, I decided to check the office. Perhaps some
last-minute business had reared its head.
    To my
surprise, I found the office door closed. Weird. He never closed it. I leaned
in to the door for a listen, and was fairly sure I heard his voice. Sounded
like he was on the phone. Ah well. I could certainly talk to him later.
    I’d just
turned away when something caught my ear. What was that he said? I strained to
better hear his end of the conversation.
    “I can’t
believe I got away with it. And Annie doesn’t suspect a thing.”
    That
panic attack feeling returned and for a moment I felt as if I might faint.
Annie doesn’t suspect a thing? What in the world?
    Everything
began to spin and I leaned against the wall to keep from going down. Tears
started at once, followed shortly thereafter by a fit of coughing, which I
couldn’t seem to suppress. I moved away from the door, hoping I hadn’t aroused
suspicions. No sooner had I caught my wind than Warren joined me in the
hallway, his face oddly pale.
    “Hey,
Annie.”
    “Hey.”
Felon.
    “I didn’t
know you were home.”
    Obviously.
    He
reached to pull the office door closed behind him, as if trying to shut the
door on whatever had just happened in there.
    “I’m
here.”
    He slipped
his arms around me and gave a squeeze. I tried to squeeze back, I really did.
But something about hugging a criminal just felt. . .
wrong.
    He pulled
back and gazed into my eyes. “Are you okay?”
    Um, no . . . But thanks for asking.
    “You seem
kind of. . . quiet.”
    “Even a
fool, when he is silent, people will think he’s wise.”
    I
could’ve slapped myself silly. Why in the world did I say that out loud? A
Sheila-ism floated through my head, confirming my inability to turn back. “Once
the toothpaste is out of the tube, it’s hard to get it back in.”
    Warren
looked at me as if I’d gone mad. “Annie, I’m getting worried about you.”
    “You
are?” I backed away from him and tried to look normal. “Why?”
    The
perplexed look on his face did little to console me. “This whole wedding thing
has you. . . out of sorts. Are you feeling
overwhelmed?”
    To
say the least.
    “Because
I’m thinking you need to take a little time for yourself for a change.”
    “Oh?”
    “How
would you like a little get-away, Annie?”
    Get-away?
Sounded like something a bank robber would say. “What did you have in mind?”
    I eased
my way into the living room and he tagged along behind me behind me, still
talking. I kept on listening,