Read Online Jackrabbit Junction Jitters by Ann Charles - Free Book Online Page A

lowered the book, his pale blue eyes frosty. “Damn
it, Claire. I knew this would happen. What’s wrong with Mac? He has a good job,
a nice house, and a savings account.”
    Claire snatched the book from his hands. “It’s not—”
    “I told her the same thing last night.” Kate lifted her chin
like she was a good little girl who deserved a chocolate-chip cookie and a pat
on the head.
    Claire would give her a pat all right. A solid whack with
the library book should ring her bell. “Listen, I never—”
    “I know.” Gramps said. “You never stay with one man for more
than a couple of months. What did Mac do? Ask you to take your coat off, unpack
your bags, and stay awhile?”
    She slammed the book on the counter. “He said he loves me.”
    “Oh, well then.” Gramps crossed his arms, a smirk on his
face. “By all means, you’d better start running, Chicken Little, because the sky
is surely about to fall.”
    Kate giggled.
    “Would you two shut up! I’m not leaving Mac.” At least she
didn’t think she was, not yet anyway.
    “Then what’s with the book on Ohio?” Kate asked.
    “It’s Jess’s.” Damn them both for needling her.
    Gramps stared at Claire for several seconds, then he sighed
and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not that again.”
    “Yeah, that again.”
    “What?” Kate’s gaze darted back and forth between them.
    The phone shrilled on the wall next to Claire. She picked up
the receiver. “Yes?”
    “Aren’t you supposed to say the name of the store when you
answer the phone?”
    “What do you want, Chester?”
    “I need to speak to Harley, Miss Crabby-Ass.”
    She held the phone out to Gramps.
    “I’ll take it in the rec room.” He pushed through the
curtain.
    Claire waited to hear his voice on the line and then hung
up. Kate flipped through the book on Ohio, whistling.
    Claire had been waiting for this opportunity all morning. “Kate,
I need you to watch the store for a bit.”
    “Why? Can’t Mom do it?”
    “None of your business why, and Mom’s taking a nap.”
    “Claire, I’m in the middle of a good tan. I just stopped in
for more lotion.”
    “Too bad. You said you’d help out if I stayed, remember?”
    Kate cursed. “Fine.” She rounded the counter as Claire
headed for the curtain. “But don’t take forever.”
    Claire tiptoed past Gramps, who had his back to her while he
grunted out Yes’s and No’s into the phone. She crept down the steps and closed
the door to the basement office behind her.
    Ten minutes later, she had the bookcase partially emptied and
light enough to move without hemorrhaging a kidney. As she grabbed the side to
lift it, Kate slammed into the room. “What are you doing, Claire?”
    Claire stood, wiping her damp hands on her shorts. “Nothing.”
    “Oh, bullshit.” Kate edged around Claire. “What’s that?” She
pointed at the door in the wall.
    “A door. Who’s watching the store?”
    “Ruby’s back.” Kate crossed her arms over her chest. “And
don’t patronize me, Claire. I know you’re up to something. Your eye is ticcing.”
    Claire touched her eyelid. She couldn’t feel it ticcing.
    “Ha! Gotcha. Are you trying to sneak into Ruby’s safe?”
    “It’s not Ruby’s.”
    Claire lifted the bookcase out of the way. There was no use
trying to sidetrack Kate now. She was like a badger—once she’d sunk her teeth
in and locked her jaws, short of cutting off a limb, there’d be no getting rid
of her.
    “I don’t think Ruby even knows it exists,” Claire told Kate.
“And if you tell anyone about this, I’ll play barbershop again while you’re
sleeping.”
    Kate shot her a dirty glare. “Touch my hair and die.”
    “Nobody needs to know about this door, especially Jess.”
Claire emphasized her point with a finger poke to Kate’s shoulder. Jess tended
to follow in Paul Revere’s footsteps when it came to spreading news. “Got it?”
    “Sure, whatever.” Kate waved off Claire’s warning. “It’s