Free Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood Page B

have it very often. She worries about his cholesterol and such. Anyway,” he continued, “Dave couldn’t get that cake out of his mind, and he sure didn’t want to have to drive all the way to San Antonio, which as you know is quite a trek from here. So what did he do? He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. First of all he told me about Serenity and how there wasn’t a good restaurant to speak of, and then he told me he went to his good friend Eli Whitaker. Eli’s a rich rancher who’s always looking for a good investment. Dave convinced him to give me start-up money. Eli owns this building, but I don’t have to pay rent until I start making a big enough profit. He’s what we call a silent partner. He rarely looks at the books, and some months when I get my bank statement, I see there’s been a deposit made into the account. He won’t own up to it, but I know he or maybe Trumbo is putting the extra money in.”
    “They sound like good men,” she said.
    “Oh, they are,” Jaffee replied. “Eli’s a bit of a recluse. He comes in here a lot, but I don’t think he’s left Serenity since he settled here fifteen years ago. You just might get to meet him this afternoon. Dave’s bringing him his new truck. Eli buys a new one every year.”
    Jordan thought Jaffee was about to get up, so she reached for the folder again.
    “Dave’s our best advertisement. The man loves his chocolate, and lots of folks come in because Dave told them how good the food is.”
    “Does Trumbo Motors have a good mechanic?”
    “They sure do. More than one.” Jaffee chuckled. “I heard Lloyd was giving you a hard time.”
    Her eyes widened. “You did? How did you hear that?”
    “This is a small town, and people like to talk.”
    “And they’ve been talking about me?” She couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.
    “Oh my, yes. You’re the talk of the town. Beautiful woman like you coming here, not putting on any airs at all, talking to ordinary folks.”
    She couldn’t imagine whom he was talking about. She certainly didn’t feel beautiful. And what ordinary folks had she talked to, and what did he mean by ordinary?
    “You look flabbergasted,” he said, grinning. “It’s different here than Boston. We like to think we’re more friendly, but the fact is we’re nosy. You get used to it, everyone knowing everyone else’s business. I’ll tell you what, when Dave gets here with Eli’s truck, he’ll come in for cake, and I’ll introduce you. I’ll bet good money he already knows about your car situation.”
    “But you said he lives in another town…”
    “He does,” he said. “He lives in Bourbon, but everyone in Serenity buys their cars and trucks from him. He’s got the best dealership around. I keep telling him he ought to go on television to advertise like those city fellas do, but he says no, he doesn’t want his picture taken. He’s camera shy I guess, and he likes dealing with the local folks. He’s always coming over to Serenity. His wife gets her hair and nails done over here too, so she hears the latest news from the other ladies in the beauty shop.”
    Jaffee finally got around to his computer questions, and when Jordan explained what various commands were for, he seemed satisfied. He went back to the kitchen to start a sauce, but Jordan kept thinking about life in a small town. It would drive her nuts if everyone knew what everyone else was doing. Then she thought about her family, and she realized she already lived that life.
    All six brothers were loving, sweet, and horribly intrusive. Maybe they had learned to interfere because of their jobs. Four were in law enforcement, though she probably shouldn’t count Theo because he worked for the Justice Department, and unlike Nick and Dylan and Alec, Theo didn’t carry a gun all the time. They were used to snooping into other people’s lives—but then again, as far back as she could remember, they always made sure they knew what she and her