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I couldn’t resist a dig at her. “So, the faintness passed?”
“It disappeared this morning like a fart in the wind. I feel fine now.”
Of course it did. “There’s a strange car outside. Who’s here?”
“Nobody. That’s Angela’s.”
“No.” I cocked my head. “Angela’s?” How did she rate a car like that?
My aunt shook her head and turned on her heels. “Peacock,” she scoffed.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You men are all alike. A bunch of grown-ass peacocks strutting around with your showy rides, and pissed off if a woman dares to have one as fancy as you.” She lifted a finger in the air. “You’re envious.”
“Not me,” I called after her.
She stopped and turned. “Anything you say, dear. Angela is cooking tonight. You can help if you like.”
I nodded toward the stairs. “I have work.” The idea of joining Angela in the kitchen with knives close at hand was cringe-worthy.
“Suit yourself. And, by the way, she mentioned there’s a problem with the Wi-Fi in the cabin,” she said before continuing around the corner.
I took the stairs up to my office without grumbling out loud that I didn’t like being ordered to eat whatever glop Angela concocted, or that she was already complaining about the accommodations that had been just fine for Grace and her husband. The day that woman left couldn’t come soon enough.
I could offer to take care of the dogs and pack Angela off to a hotel in another town, or maybe another state. That would solve all our problems and be well worth the hotel charges, and even enduring Grace’s little ankle-biting mutt.
It wasn’t long before my aunt called from downstairs. “Dinner will be ready in five minutes.”
I checked my watch and went back to the emails I was reading. Even an extra five minutes downstairs near Angela was worth avoiding.
My phone rang, and a welcome name popped up on the screen.
“Grace, do you miss us already?” I asked in greeting. “If you’re coming back early, I’ll gladly upgrade you to first class.”
“Ha, ha,” she laughed. “Not hardly. Actually, we were thinking about extending.”
Longer than a month?Jesus. I might as well hire someone to replace her. “Can you afford that?” After an uncomfortable pause I continued. “Hey, in all seriousness, I hope you’re having a good time, and I’m glad you called. I have a question.”
“Honeybunch, we don’t want to be late,” I heard her husband say.
“Boone, I need a favor,” she said.
“If it will get you back early.”
“Stop it. This is serious.” Her tone said I’d gone too far with the early-return jokes. “I need you to help my sister find a job.”
That statement floored me. “Why? I thought your stepsister was just dogsitting for you.” I emphasized thestepin stepsister. I’d made a point of keeping a mental separation between evil Angela and steadfast Grace. In no universe I understood could they be blood sisters. Grace was too nice.
“We may only be sisters because our mothers had the same bad taste in men, but we’re still family, and she needs a job badly.”
How did a girl who drove a car as expensive as hers have money trouble?
Grace deserved frankness from me. “I don’t see how I can help.”
“Boone, I’m asking you as a favor to me, not her. She’s obviously had a bad argument with her boyfriend and needs a break.”
“Baby, we gotta get there before they give away the reservation,” Dirk reminded her in the background.
