Read Online Murder Of A Snake In The Grass by Denise Swanson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Denise Swanson
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and Dad when you were engaged.”
Skye closed her eyes to the vision of Luc meeting her aunts, uncles, and cousins. But it would be a good test to see if he had really changed or not.
“Three o’clock. Don’t be late,” May ordered as she climbed into her car. “The Bicentennial Dance starts at eight, and I don’t want to miss a single minute.”
CHAPTER 7
A Day at the Pancake Races
O nce her mom left, Skye continued to sit on the sofa appreciating her newly immaculate cottage. May had thrown away most of the flowers, stuck the boxes of candy in the freezer, and stuffed all the plush animals into several giant garbage bags. Making her mother angry was a better way to get her place cleaned than hiring a housekeeper. Everything gleamed.
Bingo climbed into her lap and started to knead her leg. Skye relaxed under his massage. Her eyelids fluttered closed, only to jerk back open at the sound of the telephone.
Great. She had a feeling the caller was either Luc, Simon, or Wally, and she didn’t want to talk to any of them. Maybe she’d cheat and let the answering machine get it.
But by the third ring she couldn’t stand the suspense, and snatched the receiver from its cradle. “Hello.”
“Hi, did I get you up?” Simon’s warm voice washed over her.
“No, Mom beat you to that hours ago.”
“She heard about last night.”
“The murder was the talk of her exercise class.”
“So she still doesn’t know about Luc?”
“Well…” Skye stretched the cord of the phone to the sink and ran water into her teakettle. As she set it on the stove and turned on the burner, she answered, “Yes and no.She saw all the gifts he’d sent, so I had to tell her some of it.”
“What was her reaction?” It was common knowledge how much May wanted Skye to get married and produce grandchildren.
“Strangely enough, she wasn’t happy. It seems she’d rather have me single and living in town than married and living in New Orleans.”
“Tough choice for her,” Simon joked.
“Don’t worry, you’re still number one on her list of possible sons-in-law and fathers for her grandchildren.”
“What a relief.” His voice was a velvet murmur. “How about you? Am I still number one on your list?”
Darn, how did she get herself into spots like this? When in doubt, change the subject. “Hey, I nearly forgot. Did you see Frannie today?”
Simon let out a long, audible breath before answering, “No, but Xavier is worried. He thinks there’s something on her mind. It’s really a shame those two can’t talk to each other.”
“Sad to say, that’s the situation between a lot of fathers and teenage daughters.” Skye poured boiling water over the tea bag she had placed in her mug. “Anyway, I’m going to track her and Justin down this morning and try to get them to talk to me. No matter how cool they may seem, stumbling across a body can’t be good for them.”
“Xavier said they were going to the Pancake Races this morning. You can probably catch them there.”
“Thanks, that saves me some running around.” Skye hesitated, but she had to ask. “Uh, is Luc still at your house?”
“Far as I know. He was snoring like a freight train when I left. I’m over at the funeral home.”
“Oh, uh, good.” Skye sipped her tea and listened to the silence. She sure knew how to ruin a good phone call.
“Why? Did you want to talk to him?”
“No! Well, yes, sometime today. I want to see those foundationpapers he claims to have for me to sign,” she said hastily. “So, I guess I’d better get going, since I want to catch the kids at the Pancake Race.”
“Guess you’d better. Bye.”
“Hey, wait. You don’t know anyone who’s heading over to Laurel today, do you?”
“Xavier has to make a quick run to the Wal-Mart this morning for some cleaning supplies. Why?”
“Could he drop off a few bags of stuffed animals at the hospital for the children’s floor?”
“Sure, put them out on your step, and
Skye closed her eyes to the vision of Luc meeting her aunts, uncles, and cousins. But it would be a good test to see if he had really changed or not.
“Three o’clock. Don’t be late,” May ordered as she climbed into her car. “The Bicentennial Dance starts at eight, and I don’t want to miss a single minute.”
CHAPTER 7
A Day at the Pancake Races
O nce her mom left, Skye continued to sit on the sofa appreciating her newly immaculate cottage. May had thrown away most of the flowers, stuck the boxes of candy in the freezer, and stuffed all the plush animals into several giant garbage bags. Making her mother angry was a better way to get her place cleaned than hiring a housekeeper. Everything gleamed.
Bingo climbed into her lap and started to knead her leg. Skye relaxed under his massage. Her eyelids fluttered closed, only to jerk back open at the sound of the telephone.
Great. She had a feeling the caller was either Luc, Simon, or Wally, and she didn’t want to talk to any of them. Maybe she’d cheat and let the answering machine get it.
But by the third ring she couldn’t stand the suspense, and snatched the receiver from its cradle. “Hello.”
“Hi, did I get you up?” Simon’s warm voice washed over her.
“No, Mom beat you to that hours ago.”
“She heard about last night.”
“The murder was the talk of her exercise class.”
“So she still doesn’t know about Luc?”
“Well…” Skye stretched the cord of the phone to the sink and ran water into her teakettle. As she set it on the stove and turned on the burner, she answered, “Yes and no.She saw all the gifts he’d sent, so I had to tell her some of it.”
“What was her reaction?” It was common knowledge how much May wanted Skye to get married and produce grandchildren.
“Strangely enough, she wasn’t happy. It seems she’d rather have me single and living in town than married and living in New Orleans.”
“Tough choice for her,” Simon joked.
“Don’t worry, you’re still number one on her list of possible sons-in-law and fathers for her grandchildren.”
“What a relief.” His voice was a velvet murmur. “How about you? Am I still number one on your list?”
Darn, how did she get herself into spots like this? When in doubt, change the subject. “Hey, I nearly forgot. Did you see Frannie today?”
Simon let out a long, audible breath before answering, “No, but Xavier is worried. He thinks there’s something on her mind. It’s really a shame those two can’t talk to each other.”
“Sad to say, that’s the situation between a lot of fathers and teenage daughters.” Skye poured boiling water over the tea bag she had placed in her mug. “Anyway, I’m going to track her and Justin down this morning and try to get them to talk to me. No matter how cool they may seem, stumbling across a body can’t be good for them.”
“Xavier said they were going to the Pancake Races this morning. You can probably catch them there.”
“Thanks, that saves me some running around.” Skye hesitated, but she had to ask. “Uh, is Luc still at your house?”
“Far as I know. He was snoring like a freight train when I left. I’m over at the funeral home.”
“Oh, uh, good.” Skye sipped her tea and listened to the silence. She sure knew how to ruin a good phone call.
“Why? Did you want to talk to him?”
“No! Well, yes, sometime today. I want to see those foundationpapers he claims to have for me to sign,” she said hastily. “So, I guess I’d better get going, since I want to catch the kids at the Pancake Race.”
“Guess you’d better. Bye.”
“Hey, wait. You don’t know anyone who’s heading over to Laurel today, do you?”
“Xavier has to make a quick run to the Wal-Mart this morning for some cleaning supplies. Why?”
“Could he drop off a few bags of stuffed animals at the hospital for the children’s floor?”
“Sure, put them out on your step, and
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