“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 sister were up to. They used to scare the heck out of her high school dates. She would complain to her father, but that never did any good, and she thought that secretly he was on her brothers’ side.
Big families were just like small towns. No doubt about it. Just like the Highland clans she was reading about. According to the professor’s research material, the Buchanans were always interfering. They seemed to know every little thing the MacKennas did, and every little thing made them mad as hornets. They never forgot a slight. Jordan couldn’t imagine how they kept track of all the feuds going on.
Papers were spread out all over the table. She was trying to decipher some notes the professor had made in the margins. They didn’t make sense—numbers, names, dollar signs, and other symbols randomly scribbled. Was that a crown? Some of the numbers could be dates. Had something important happened in 1284?
She heard Jaffee laughing and looked up just as he came out of the kitchen. A man followed carrying a dinner plate with a huge slice of chocolate cake. Had to be Dave Trumbo.
The big man strode toward her with an air of self-confidence. His face was hard, as though each feature had been carved in stone. His shoulders were broad, and from the way he was dressed in a crisp white shirt, striped tie, dark gray pants, and black loafers, she knew he took time and care with his appearance. Trumbo was what her mother would call dapper. He removed his designer sunglasses and chuckled over something Jaffee had said.
He had a winning smile and an easy way about him. He looked her right in the eye as he shook her hand and told her how nice it was to meet her. Oh, he was smooth all right. She didn’t have to ask if he’d lived in Texas all his life. Dapper Dave had a slow Texas drawl. Noah was born in Texas and would occasionally slip into that drawl too, she remembered, especially when he was being flirtatious.
“Jaffee told me you were having some trouble with Lloyd, and I’m real sorry to hear it. If you want, I could have a talk with him. If he doesn’t cooperate, I’ll tell you what. I could have your car towed over to Bourbon and one of my mechanics could put it back together for you. It’s a shame you can’t just trade it in for a new car. I’ve got a deal on a brand-new Chevy Suburban no one could turn down.”
“Her car’s a rental, Dave,” Jaffee reminded him.
He nodded. “I know it is. That’s why I said it was a shame she couldn’t trade it in. You ought to go after the people who rented you that vehicle. It’s not right, doing business that way.”
Jaffee told Dave that she was from Boston, and she answered several questions about her city. Dave hadn’t been there yet, but wanted to take his family there for a vacation.
“Dave’s got a boy and a girl,” Jaffee interjected.
He nodded. “I sure do. It’s why I have to work so hard. I best eat this cake in the kitchen in case my wife happens by. She’s coming to town sometime this afternoon to get something or other done to her hair. She’s perfect the way she is, but she likes to keep up she says with the latest styles she sees in the magazines. If she sees me eating this cake, she’ll have a fit. She has me on a low-carb, low-fat, low-taste diet.” He patted his stomach. “I am getting a little thick in the middle, but this cake is worth a couple of extra miles on the treadmill.”
He didn’t look thick, he looked trim and fit. He wouldn’t stay that way though if he continued eating so much sugar. She spotted what she thought was the top of a chocolate bar wrapper sticking out of his shirt pocket. Dave did love his chocolate.
Jaffee turned to look out the front window. “Eli’s parking his truck across the street,” he said. “It looks brand-new.”
“It’s a year old this month,” Dave said. “Which is why he’s trading it in. Eli can afford any car he wants, and Lord knows, I’ve tried to get him to buy a luxury sedan, but he keeps on ordering the same pickup, just a new model, every year. He won’t even choose a different color. Always black.”
Jordan could see the rancher crossing the street. Eli Whitaker was a good-looking man—tall, dark, and admittedly handsome. She’d expected a rancher to be wearing cowboy boots and a Stetson, but he was dressed in jeans, a polo shirt, and tennis shoes.
He gave her a broad smile when Jaffee introduced her, and his hand felt warm when he shook hers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jordan,” he said.
Jaffee quickly filled him in on the reason she was in town.
“Sorry to hear about your bad luck, but if there’s a good place in the country to get stranded, I think you’ve picked the right one. You’ll find the people around Serenity just about as hospitable as they come. You let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“Thank you,” Jordan said. “Everyone’s been very helpful. My car should be ready tomorrow, and I’ll be on my way again.”
The three men stood at her table and continued to chat for a few more minutes, though they did most of the talking and she did most of the listening.
Finally Dave Trumbo said, “Well, it was a pleasure visiting with you, Jordan Buchanan, and next time you
’re in this area, you be sure to drop by Trumbo Motors. No one undersells me,” he boasted. He threw his hand over Eli’s shoulder and said, “You want a piece of cake, Eli? Let’s go back to the kitchen and let this young lady get back to her homework.”
Get back to her homework? Did he think she was in summer school?
“That’s not homework, Dave,” Jaffee said. “Those are stories she’s reading about her relatives in Scotland. Stories from way back when. She came all this way to read these papers from some professor. Isn’t that right, Jordan?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s Professor MacKenna’s research.”
Dave peered over her shoulder at what she was reading. “You understand all that?” he asked.
Jordan laughed. “I’m trying. Sometimes it’s not very clear,” she answered.
“Looks like homework to me. I’ll let you work in peace.” He turned and, with his hand still on Eli’s shoulder, headed toward the kitchen with Jaffee close behind.
Time got away from Jordan, and it was almost four o’clock when she gathered up her papers. Jaffee stood in the doorway watching her slip her laptop into her bag. He scratched the back of his neck and said, “Listen, about those commands…”
“Yes?”
“They’re not working. We’re kind of computer illiterate in Serenity, but we’re trying to catch up with the rest of Texas and the world. All the young kids learn about computers over in the consolidated schools, but we’re not quite there yet in Serenity. The town’s beginning to grow and we just got our first high school built, so we’re hoping to get some good teachers in here soon. Maybe they can even teach some of us old folks. I’ve got a nice big computer in the back, but it’s not responding to any of the commands you gave me. I did something…I don’t know what, and I ruined it.”
She smiled. “Ruined it? Unless you took a sledgehammer to it, it’s difficult to ruin a computer. I’ll be happy to look at it.”
“I’d sure appreciate it. I’ve put in several calls to computer technicians over in Bourbon, but they’re dragging their feet getting here.”
He’d been so nice to her, letting her hang out in his restaurant all day, it was the least she could do. She grabbed her bag and followed him into the kitchen. Jaffee’s office was in a little nook by the back door. The computer was archaic by today’s standards. There were cables running every which way. Most of them weren’t necessary.
“What do you think?” Jaffee asked. “Can you save her and get her running again?”
“Her?”
“I sometimes call her Dora,” he admitted sheepishly.
She didn’t laugh. His face was turning red, and she knew it was embarrassing for him to admit he humanized the machine.
“Let me see what I can do.” She figured she had plenty of time to get back to the insurance agency and finish copying the papers in the last box. There wasn’t that much left to do, so if the agency closed, she could always finish in the morning.
Jaffee returned to his work in the kitchen, and she went to work rebuilding the computer. She removed every cable, tossed out two of them, and unscrambled and rerouted two others. Once that was done, it didn’t take her any time at all to get the computer running. Next she tackled the programs someone had installed for him. They too were archaic. Jaffee was trying to run three different ones, and all of them were complicated. Had she had the time and the equipment, she would have written a new program for him. She would have had fun doing it too, and oh, God, what did that say about her? She swore then and there that if she ever named her computers and humanized them, she’d pack it in.
Since she couldn’t install new software, she decided to try to simplify one of the existing programs.
The next time Jaffee checked on her he was thrilled to see the blue screen.
“You’ve got it working again. Oh, thank goodness. But what’s all that gibberish you’re typing?”
It would take too long to explain. “Dora and I are having a little chat. When I’m finished, the program will be easier for you to run.”
After the last customer had left at eight-thirty, Jaffee closed the restaurant and sat down with her to go over the changes she’d made.
She spent an hour helping him familiarize himself with his computer. He made copious notes on Post-its and stuck them on his wall. She had already programmed in her e-mail address so he could write to her with questions if he got into a bind, but he asked that she also give him her cell phone number just in case he couldn’t get the e-mail to work.
She thought she was finished, but he handed her a stack of e-mail addresses and begged her to put those in his address book. Eli Whitaker was at the top of the list. Dave Trumbo came next. She smiled when she read his e-mail address. DangerousDealer-Dave. She added it without comment and went on to the next one.
When everything was complete, Jaffee insisted on walking her back to the motel.
“I know it’s not that far and we’ve got streetlights, but I’m going to walk with you just the same. I want to stretch my legs anyway.”
It was still hot outside, but the temperature had dropped a little with the setting of the sun. When they reached the drive that led to the motel entrance, Jaffee wished her a good night and strolled on.
Jordan walked into the lobby thinking she could take a shortcut to her room. The lobby was packed with women.
Amelia Ann rushed forward to greet her at the door. “I’m so happy you could make it.”
“I’m sorry?” Jordan responded.
Amelia Ann’s daughter, Candy, sat at the front desk. She printed Jordan’s name on a pink name tag and hurried over to stick it on her shoulder.
“We’re happy you can join us,” Amelia Ann bubbled.
“What am I joining?” Jordan asked, smiling at all the women staring at her.
“I’m giving Charlene a late-night bridal shower. You remember Charlene,” she said in a whisper. “She let you photocopy your papers at the insurance agency where she works.”
“Yes, of course.” Jordan searched through the smiling faces for Charlene’s. “It’s so nice of you to invite me, but I don’t want to intrude.”
“Nonsense,” Amelia Ann protested. “We’d love to have you.”
Jordan lowered her voice. “But I don’t have a gift.”
“That’s easy to fix,” Amelia Ann said. “How about giving her a place setting of china? Charlene chose a real pretty pattern. Vera Wang.”
“Yes, I’ll be happy to—” Jordan began.
“Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll order it tomorrow, and I’ll add it to your bill. Candy? Go wrap another gift card and write Jordan’s name on it.”
Jordan met all twenty-three women and was thankful that they were wearing name tags too. For the next hour, she watched the unwrapping of the gifts while she drank sweet punch and ate mints and white cake with thick, gooey icing.
By the time she returned to her room, Jordan was on a sugar high. Then she crashed.
She slept hard that night, returned all of her phone calls the next morning, and didn’t leave the motel until after ten. Her plan was to walk over to the insurance agency to copy the rest of the papers, bring them back to the motel, and then run over to Lloyd’s Garage and wait there for Lloyd to finish the repairs. And he would finish them, she decided, even if she had to stand behind him and prod him with a crowbar. One thing was certain: she wasn’t going to put up with any more delays or surprises.
Her plan didn’t work out. Charlene gave her the bad news. “They picked up the machine and hauled it off about an hour after Steve told the salesman he wasn’t going to buy it. Did you have a lot more to copy?”
“A couple hundred pages,” she answered
She thanked Charlene again and retraced her steps to the motel. Okay, new plan. She’d get the car, check out the copy machine at the grocery store, and if that machine didn’t have the capability of feeding the pages in, she’d look for another one.
Lloyd was pacing in front of the
garage. The second he spotted her he shouted, “It’s ready. All ready to go. Early too. I told you I’d fix it, and I did. Okay?”
He was a nervous twit. His hand trembled when he thrust the itemized bill at her. He was obviously in a hurry to get rid of her, for he didn’t even count the money she gave him.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, no,” he rushed out. “You can be on your way now.” Without a backward glance, he hurried back into the garage.
She put her purse and her laptop on the passenger seat next to her and started the engine. Everything seemed to be in working order. Lloyd, she decided, ranked up there with Professor MacKenna for weirdness. She was happy she didn’t have to deal with him any longer.
She drove directly to the grocery store and was elated to find a modern copy machine with all the bells and whistles. She was back in business. She thought she could have everything done in a couple of hours if she hurried. Then she’d call the professor and get his boxes back to him.
Better safe than sorry, she reminded herself. To be prepared in case the car acted up on the road again, she bought water and planned to stop at a filling station to buy some antifreeze for the radiator if it sprang another leak.
She carried four gallons of water, two in each arm, out of the store. The parking lot was deserted. No wonder. No one would choose to go grocery shopping in the god-awful heat of the day. Today was already a scorcher. She squinted against the sun bouncing off the cement. She felt like she was getting sunburned just walking across the lot. She placed the containers on the ground next to the trunk of the car. While she was digging through her purse for the keys, she noticed a piece of clear plastic protruding from the seam of the trunk and thought it was odd that she hadn’t noticed that before. She tried to pull it free, but it wouldn’t budge.
She found the key, slid it into the lock, and the lid sprang upward as she stepped back. Jordan looked inside…and froze. Then she very gently lowered the lid.