Free Dead Case in Deadwood by Ann Charles Page B

"What the hell? Elsa’s
daughter owns that little bakery in Central City. Maybe she’ll bring some of
her mama’s favorite doughnuts to share."
    I pointed at his faded jeans. "You don’t happen to have
a nice shirt and pair of pants stashed somewhere around town, do you? Like at
Cooper’s?"
    "Or next door at Miss Geary’s," Aunt Zoe said.
    Her neighbor was one of Harvey’s on- and off-again
girlfriends. At least once a week, his Ford pickup sat in her drive overnight.
    "It’s your lucky day, girly-girl. One of my old flames keeps
her dead husband’s suits hanging in her spare closet, and wouldn’t you know, I’m
his exact size."
    No shit. "What are the chances?"
    That his old flame still mourned her husband so much made my
throat burn a little in sympathy.
    Harvey’s eyes twinkled. "Pretty damned good. She’s a
picky woman."
    "You mean she likes her boyfriends to be built the same
as her husband?"
    "Yep. Saves her from adjusting the inseam."
    My heart twanged. Blue stories like this made me determined
not to fall in love. There was too much to lose. I already had my hands and
heart full with my two kids. "That’s so sad."
    "Sad? What are you talking about?" His eyebrows
were all scrunched up again.
    "Your old flame’s undying love for her dead husband."
    He snorted. "You have the story all wrong. He was a cheatin’
asshole. She likes me to dress up like him so she can spank me for being a bad
boy."
    "Blahhh!" I plugged my ears too late.
    Aunt Zoe covered her eyes and shook her head.
    Maybe going to the viewing with Harvey tonight wasn’t such a
great idea after all.

Chapter Six
    My day had begun with a visit to Mudder Brothers Funeral Parlor
to view a dead body, so ending it with a return to the century-old, two-story renovated
house and its massive front gable seemed fitting.
    Same place, different dead body.
    I really needed to get a life.
    It was Friday night, for crap-sake. I should be spending my
time staring into Doc’s eyes, a bottle of Merlot and a thick T-bone steak
separating us, clothing optional.
    Instead, here I was leaning against one of Mudder Brothers huge
neoclassical front-porch columns, watching the sun set behind the hills while I
waited for Old Man Harvey to show up in his Sunday best … or rather some fancy
duds belonging to an S&M-loving widow’s dead hubby.
    Jeesh. With friends like Harvey, who needed television?
    I’d insisted Harvey take the Picklemobile without me to go
get his suit. Knowing what I did about the widow’s extra-curricular activities,
there was no way I’d be able to look her in the eye without my cheeks flaming.
    After Aunt Zoe had dropped me off at Mudder Brothers, I’d
tried to scope out the parking lot behind Doc’s office from my porch viewpoint,
searching for a certain red-headed Realtor’s black Jeep parked in the vicinity
of Doc’s Camaro. But there were too many pickups and RVs in the lot to see much
in the twilight. I squelched the temptation to race over there and search the
lot one vehicle at a time. My jealousy hadn’t reached the temporarily insane
level … yet.
    Once again, I reminded the silly, needy teenage girl in my
head that there was more to life than Doc Nyce. Things such as dead bodies and
their missing parts.
    I picked at some loose paint on the column. Dang it, where
was Harvey? The clock was ticking and I wanted to get in and out of Mudder
Brothers while the place was filled with other people who’d distract George
from my presence.
    I pulled out my cell phone and checked the time again. Frowning
at the screen, I debated about calling Doc, going so far as to pull up his
number. Was he with Tiffany? Were they out to dinner as she’d mentioned in
their earlier call?
    A knot of jealousy coiled in my stomach, taking my breath
away. Damn it.
    Life was so much easier without men and sex. But lonelier. Not
as colorful. I thought of Doc’s mouth and a thrill raced over my skin. Or as exciting.
    I typed a text message: Hi.
    Before I