Free Hot Licks by Jennifer Dellerman

like to tell you yes, it’s not my place. You’ll need to speak with Andreas or Melinda.”
    More thigh rubbing. It made Gwen think Dennis was nervous. But about what, she didn’t know. Other than this one mishap – which he’d insisted he hadn’t instigated – he’d been a model employee.
    “Yeah. You’re right.”
    Pulling up to the shop, she told him, “Try and get some rest. I’ll meet you back here in an hour.”
    She smiled at the sharp salute he executed as he slammed the door shut and then drove off. A glance in the side mirror showed his diminishing image, and a crooked one at that. Her eyes rolled. How like a man to hid any weakness. The guy was clearly in pain and should have stayed home. The job was physically taxing and all the walking and bending couldn’t be good for his sore ribs.
    As she neared the B&B, she slowed, keeping her eyes peeled for any wandering cats. Several lived at the Orchards, ridding the barn and grounds of rodents and terrorizing the birds from the trees. She always found something else to do, post haste, when one of the felines caught what they were after.
    Pulling to a stop by the kitchen entrance at the rear of the house, she got out and immediately spotted the calico cat sprawled upside down in the sun by the opening to the crawl space beneath the house. She said a polite hello, smiled when he meowed back, and walked up the stairs to the kitchen.
    While the guests who wanted lunch would soon be assembling in the dining room, Gwen, along with the family members, took their lunch in the kitchen. Outside work meant dirt and, especially in the summer months, lots of stink and sweat. It didn’t make for a pleasant atmosphere for paying customers.
    Today as she stepped through the door, she saw Melinda leaning against a section of the long brown and black granite countertop, the pastel colors of her sun dress complementing her skin. She was speaking with Annie, the elderly woman that ran the household like a drill sergeant.
    Annie Whithers not only cooked for the family and the guests, she kept the huge house spic and span with the aid of two women who came in daily. Her husband was the handyman as well as the tender of the immediate grounds.
    While every Felix family member pitched in when needed, they all seemed to defer to Annie and Bob when it came to their specific jobs. That alone spoke volumes to Gwen at their respect for the older couple.
    When Annie and Melinda saw Gwen, their
    conversation ceased and they both turned their heads to look at her. Feeling uncomfortable at interrupting an undoubtedly private conversation, Gwen hastened to say, “Should I come back?”
    Melinda lips curved in a warm smile. “No, not at all, dear. We were just talking about recipes. Come on, you must be starved.”
    Recipes her rear end. Unsure, Gwen hesitated, but then her stomach rumbled making the decision for her.
    “Yeah. A bit.”
    “Sit, sit. How about a turkey sandwich and some potato salad?”
    As Annie was already bustling about, gathering the ingredients, Gwen figured it was a rhetorical question.
    “Sounds fabulous.”
    “Tea?” Melinda asked, reaching in one of the two industrial size refrigerators for the beverage as Gwen walked to the kitchen sink.
    “Ah, sure.” While Gwen washed off her hands she glanced over her shoulder to see Annie mouth something to Melinda who responded with a sharp nod. Definitely a private conversation. Gwen turned off the tap, deciding to eat and run, and settled onto the bench seat of the long wood kitchen table.
    “We had quite an interesting service today,” Melinda chatted happily as she laid a large iced tea in front of Gwen and then placed another across the table, settling gracefully into the padded wood chair.
    Gwen looked up from where she was running a finger across a deep groove on the top of the table. Service? Oh, yeah. It was Sunday. “Oh?”
    Melinda nodded. “Indeed. Our pastor was introduced to a book called The Five Love