Read Online Grilling the Subject by Daryl Wood Gerber - Free Book Online Page A

at arm’s length and forced a smile. “‘Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.’ Who said it?”
    â€œOmar Bradley.” I cocked a hip. “Has my father been coaching you?”
    Katie offered a silly smirk. “Yep.”
    Throughout my life, my father had made me memorize famous quotations. Apparently, he was challenging my pal to do the same thing. Per Dad, you never knew when you needed a mental pick-me-up. Today, he was right.
    â€œTell him he’s in my prayers,” Katie said.
    â€œI will.”
    â€œThat Sylvia Gump.” She clucked. “I’m not surprised she’s dead. She fought with everyone.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI saw her the other day at the café, arguing with that pretty actress.”
    â€œD’Ann Davis?”
    â€œThat’s the one.”
    The telephone near the register jangled. Bailey answered, then waggled the receiver. “Jenna, for you. It’s Rhett.”
    I told Katie to hold that thought and took the telephone from Bailey. “Hi.”
    â€œI just heard,” he said. “How are you? How is your dad?”
    The concern in his voice made me well up. I dabbed the tears with my fingertips before they could fall. “I’m fine. He’s fine.” I recapped the situation. “I’m telling you what I told everyone else: sunny side up for now. Dad will tell me when he needs my help.”
    â€œ
Our
help,” Rhett said.
    â€œThanks. You have no idea how much that means to me. What’s the rest of your day like?”
    â€œBusy. We have a lot of Wild West events on The Pier today. Want to stop by later?”
    â€œI might.”
    â€œGreat. I look forward to seeing you. Love you,” he added, as if he said it every day of the week. He never had.
We
never had. Did he realize? There was a slight hesitation before he hung up. I cradled the telephone and tried not to make too much of his parting words. People say things all the time they don’t mean. Did he love me? Did I love him?
    Katie inched closer and leaned her elbows on the sales counter. “You’ve got that”—she twirled a finger—“dreamy look in your eyes.”
    â€œDo not.”
    â€œDo.”
    We have been friends for so long, we can return shorthand taunts like badminton birdies.
    â€œAbout Sylvia—” I stopped as a blur of black whizzing by the front window caught my attention.
    Katie followed my gaze. “What are you gawking at?”
    I wasn’t sure. A person, definitely—I couldn’t make out whether it had been male or female—but a quiver of uneasiness swizzled up my spine.
    â€œNothing,” I muttered, hating that I was so jumpy. I shook my shoulders and then shimmied my whole body in an effort to shed whatever was going on with me. My father was innocent. No one was spying on me. Whoever had slipped past the door must have been a beachgoer and disappeared down the steps leading to the ocean. Totally innocent.
    â€œJenna? Are you okay?” Katie asked.
    â€œYep. Back to Sylvia.” I tucked my hair behind my ears. “Did you hear what she and D’Ann were arguing about?”
    â€œNot really, but D’Ann was looking plenty feisty if you ask me. She was bouncing around on the balls of her feet like a boxer and throwing air punches.”
    â€œMaybe they weren’t arguing at all. Maybe D’Ann was telling Sylvia about a new role she got in a movie.”
    â€œGee, I hadn’t thought of that,” Katie said. “Bad me. Always thinking the worst.”
    â€œStop it,” I chided. Katie rarely thought the worst ofanyone. I, on occasion, did, and right now I couldn’t help wondering whether D’Ann, like the others in my father’s neighborhood, had some sort of beef with Sylvia that might have made her lash out.
    â€œAre you ready for me to bring in the goodies for