LITMIR.BIZ

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have a good day,” Teresa said.

      “You do the same,” Mary Vaughn said with even less sincerity.

      Outside Town Hall, she was about to cross Main Street when she saw Tom getting out of his car. She brightened immediately.

      “Hello there,” she called out. “I was just looking for you.”

      For an instant he looked confused, but then recognition apparently dawned. “Mary Vaughn, isn’t it?”

      “You have a wonderful memory,” she said. “I’m sure it must be so confusing when you first move into a new town. Not that I’d know, of course. I’ve lived here all my life. There’s not a nook or cranny of Serenity that I don’t know like the back of my hand. The same with the people who live here. I know all their dirty little secrets.”

      “Oh?”

      She flushed under his vaguely disapproving gaze. “Not that there are that many dirty little secrets, of course. I just meant that I know everyone real well. I could give you a crash course, if you like. In fact, if you have the time, I’d love to buy you lunch over at Wharton’s or Sullivan’s. Sullivan’s is the best we have to offer. Have you eaten there yet?”

      “I have,” he said. “It’s terrific and I appreciate the invitation, but I’ve had a jam-packed morning and the afternoon doesn’t look much better. I’ m just going to have a sandwich at my desk. I think Teresa has already ordered it.”

      Mary Vaughn backed down at once. “Another time, then. How’s your house hunting going, by the way? Howard told me you’ve been looking. I’d be happy to show you some properties. I could fax over the material on the ones you might like.”

      “Do that,” he said. “But I’m not sure when I’ll get to them. I’ll call you, okay?”

      She bit back a sigh. She was striking out on all fronts today, but she’d live to try again. After all, that’s what she did. She put on a cheerful smile and survived. She’d been doing it her whole life and there wasn’t a soul in town who’d ever guessed how good she was at covering up her problems.

      “Call anytime,” she told him with her sunniest smile.

      Then she walked away with her back straight and her pride mostly intact.

      “Did Mary Vaughn get her claws into you?” Teresa asked the minute Tom walked into his office.

      “What?” he asked distractedly. “Mary Vaughn? I just ran into her on the street. I’m not even sure what she wanted.”

      “You,” Teresa said, following him into his office. “She wants you. Didn’t I warn you about that the other day? Trust me. I’ve seen that glint in her eyes before. Last time, she was after Ronnie Sullivan, but Dana Sue put a quick end to that.”

      He looked up. “Teresa, I’m not interested in gossip.”

      But he had been aware of Mary Vaughn’s interest. She’d asked him to lunch. Her offer to show him real estate had seemed like an afterthought.

      He had no interest, however, in sharing this with Teresa. “The only thing she’s interested in,” he said, “is selling me a house.”

      Teresa rolled her eyes. “Men!” she muttered with a huff. “Your sandwich is on your desk. Ham and cheese on rye. I had ’em add some lettuce and tomato, so you can pretend it’s healthy.”

      “Thank you. Give me fifteen minutes before you put any calls through, okay?”

      “It’s my lunch hour, too. I’m sending the calls to the answering service,” she informed him.

      Better yet, Tom thought. He took a bite of his sandwich and the lukewarm soda Teresa had left with it, then picked up the phone, dialed the number for The Corner Spa and asked for Jeanette. He had legitimate business to discuss and a new strategy for rattling her. He was looking forward to giving it a try.

      When she picked up, she sounded frazzled.

      “You busy?” he asked. “This is Tom.”

      “I’m in the middle of a treatment. Can I call you back?”

      “Will you?”

      “Of course,” she said, sounding miffed. “Unless, of course, you’re calling to ask me out, in which case, I’ll say no now and save us both the time.”

      He laughed. “While I would love to ask you on a date, I’m not sure my ego could withstand another rejection. I wanted to get together to discuss this vendor business for the festival.”

      “Really?” She sounded skeptical.

      “Cross my heart,” he said. “Howard’s going to be on my case about this any day now and I want to be prepared.”

      “You want to meet about business,” she repeated. “In your office?”

      She sounded suspicious, but also perhaps a little disappointed. That was exactly what he’d hoped for.

      “Or wherever suits you,” he said blithely. “I can come there or we can meet for coffee. I don’t think that could be construed as a date. Your choice.”

      She was silent for so long he thought maybe he’d lost the connection. “Jeanette?”

      “I’m thinking,” she said. “Come here at six o’clock. We can have some iced tea on the patio. The place is pretty quiet at that hour.”

      “You’re going to let me come into The Corner Spa?” he asked with feigned amazement.

      “Actually, I’m not. You’re going to come around the outside and meet me on the patio. There will be no males sneaking into this place on my watch.”

      “Darn. So close,” he said with not-entirely-feigned disappointment. “I’ll see you at six.”

      “Right,” she said, already sounding distracted again.

      “Jeanette,” he said, “I’m looking forward to it.”

      He was already hanging up the phone, when he heard her shouting, “This is business!”

      “Whatever you say, darlin’,” he murmured as he hung up. “Whatever you say.”

      “Business!” Jeanette muttered to herself at least fifty times as the afternoon sped by. If Tom was coming over here on business, she’d eat a jar of their most expensive moisturizer. He’d used the festival to get past her no-date rule, the sneak! Well, she was on to him. If he didn’t start talking business five seconds after his arrival, she was kicking him out. She might have to call on Elliot to provide the muscle, but he’d be so out of here.

      “You look ticked off,” Maddie said, popping her head into Jeanette’s office just before six. “Anything I need to know?”

      She was not about to explain that Tom was coming to the spa for business. Maddie would laugh her head off.

      “Nope. Everything’s under control.”

      “Okay, then, I’m heading home on time for once. See you tomorrow.”

      “Have a good evening.”

      “You, too. Any special plans?”

      “Just a business meeting,” Jeanette replied, and then could have kicked herself. While she had a certain amount of autonomy in running the spa services, she usually kept Maddie apprised of any decisions or meetings on the horizon. She should have avoided mentioning the stupid meeting at all.

      To her dismay, Maddie halted in her tracks. “What kind of business meeting?”

      “Not spa business,” Jeanette told her. She sighed. Might as well spit it out. “Christmas festival business.”

      Maddie’s eyes immediately got a wicked gleam, which was exactly why Jeanette hadn’t wanted to

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