The Liar

The pattern changed when the door opened; the bell jingled, then the pattern fell back into place. Changed again when a shadow crossed over it. He barely noted the man as more than that—a shadow that changed the pattern briefly.

Then the story ended, and Callie ran straight to him.

“Did you hear? Did you? Grommel’s wing got better, and Thaddeus got to keep him! I wish I had a dragon.”

“Me, too.” He reached down for Chelsea’s hand.

“Can we get a book?” Callie wanted to know. “About Thaddeus and Grommel?”

“Sure. Then I say we get ice cream cones and head to the park.”

They got the book, and since it turned out there was already a second adventure written, he bought each girl the new one, then ice cream that dripped in strawberry streams faster than the kids could eat them.

He used the water fountain in the park to deal with sticky hands before he worked off the ice cream high by chasing the girls around, up and down the big play station.

When he dropped down, feigning defeat, the girls ran circles around him.

Callie tugged Chelsea’s hand so they moved a few steps away, and began to whisper.

“What’s the secret?”

“Chelsea says boys are supposed to ask.”

He sat up cross-legged. “Ask what?”

More whispering, then Callie gave an innately female head toss and marched to him. “I can ask if I want.”

“Okay.”

“Can we get married? We can live in your house, and Mama can come, too. ’Cause I love you.”

“Wow. I love you, too.”

“So we can get married like Emma Kate and Matt, and we can all live in your house with Snickers. For happy ever after.”

Undone, he drew her in. “Let me work on that.”

“No tickles,” she said, rubbing his cheek.

“Not today.”

“I like tickles.”

He drew her in again. Fathoms deep, he thought. “They’ll be back.”

He took out his phone at the signal.

Sorry it took so long—fires all out. On my way back.

He kept an arm around Callie as he answered.

In the park, smoking cigarettes and having a couple beers. We can switch off from here.

Her answer came moments later. Don’t litter. I’ll be there in ten minutes.

He slipped the phone back in his pocket. “Your mom’s on the way, Callie.”

“But we want to play with you!”

“I have to go to work. But before I do . . .” He shoved up, grabbed up both girls like footballs and had them squealing as he raced around the play set with Snickers running after them.

He caught sight of the man who’d come into the bookstore—or he thought it was him—at the far end of the park. Found himself holding the girls just a little closer.

Then the man glanced to the left, grinned, waved and strolled off toward someone Griff couldn’t see.

Kids, he thought, setting the girls down so they could chase him. They made you suspicious of everything and everyone.

•   •   •

SHELBY ZIPPED THROUGH the rest of the day, doing the switch—kids and cars—with Griff, dropping the girls off at Miz Suzannah’s. She gave Callie an extra hug, thinking it was her first genuine sleepover—one outside family.

Back to the salon for hair, and at Crystal’s insistence, makeup. While she’d have preferred seeing to her own face, she couldn’t find a way to say no without insulting Crystal. But her nerves showed enough for Crystal to vow not to “tart her up.”

It certainly saved time, having herself fussed over like a celebrity, while she sent and answered texts from hotel catering, from the florist, from Emma Kate.

And too many to count from Miz Bitsy.

They kept her faced away from the mirror while they worked in tandem, then swung the chair around with a flourish for the big reveal.

All doubts vanished.

“Why, I look amazing!”

“Played up your eyes more than you usually do,” Crystal began, “but kept it subtle. So it’s elegant, like your hair.”

“I’ll say I’m elegant. And I look like me with a boost—not like the two of you fussed over me for near to an hour. I love it, Crystal, and I’ll never doubt you again. And Granny, my hair is just wonderful. That thin band for just a little sparkle sets off the curls you’ve got tumbling out the bun in the back.”

“A few loose tendrils around your face,” Viola added, fussing with them a little more, “so it doesn’t look like you spent five minutes on it—just spent the right five.”

“I don’t know if the rest of me can live up to what y’all have done, but I’ll try my best. Thank you, thank you so much!” She hugged them both. “I’ve got to go. I’m determined to be at the hotel before Miz Bitsy. I’ll see you both there.”

She calculated she’d have the house to herself for an hour before her mother got home—two if Ada Mae opted to get her hair and face done up at the salon first.

She wouldn’t need two.

She grabbed a Coke out of the kitchen, took a breath. She’d planned on wearing her simple black dress, but with the Grecian style Granny had come up with, she reassessed as she went upstairs.