Skeeter got up and towered over me, anger radiating from him. “We have an agreement. In fact, you owe me an answer to the offer I made you last night!”

Jed’s face showed his confusion. I doubted that Skeeter had told him anything about our conversation.

I climbed off my stool and stood, looking up, face to face with Skeeter. “At the moment, all we have is an agreement that you can use me as the Lady in Black for six months. That agreement doesn’t say a blessed thing about what I do in my free time.”

“Things have changed. Now I have a say in who you talk to, along with the when and where.” His jaw tightened, and if I hadn’t known him like I did, I would have been scared to death. A smart part of me said I should be scared anyway, but the angry part of me won out. Neely Kate, on the other hand, looked like she was about to pee her pants.

I clenched my fists at my sides, struggling to keep my anger in check. “Those aren’t the rules we agreed to and if you continue to act like a tyrant, I won’t need to answer your offer, because my decision will be perfectly clear.”

“Well, I just changed the rules, whether you accept my offer or not!”

I took two deep breaths to calm down, but I was still just as furious when I shouted, “If you think you can go changin’ the rules on a whim, then so will I. I quit!”

Jed jumped up and grabbed my elbow. “Rose, if we could just talk about this.”

I pulled out of his grasp. “I think I should be goin’ now. Before I do something I regret.” Of course, I’d probably already gone and done that, but it was too late to worry about that now. I helped Neely Kate off her stool.

“Don’t you walk away from me, Rose Gardner!” Skeeter’s voice boomed through the pool hall, making Neely Kate jump.

“You can kiss my rear end, Skeeter Malcolm!” I shouted at him as I kept right on walking.

I half expected him to stop me, but we made it out into the sunshine without incident. Neely Kate looked down at me, fear in her eyes, after I helped her into the truck. “Rose, I don’t think you should have pissed him off.”

I pursed my lips. “I’m not gonna let him bully me. I’m not scared of him.” And I wasn’t. I knew Skeeter was capable of a great many things, but hurting me wasn’t on that list. Probably.

I got into the truck and pulled out of the parking lot, trying to sort through everything that had just happened. It was a surprisingly packed experience. Had I really just quit my position as the Lady in Black, and if so, why did I have such mixed feelings about it? This was a blessing in disguise, especially if he had some connection to J.R. Simmons.

I needed to pull myself together before I let my imagination run wild about J.R. Simmons and his involvement with Atchison Manufacturing. And my birth mother.

Neely Kate rested her forehead in her hand, her elbow propped on the door. “Everything is spinnin’.”

I wanted to discuss everything we’d just discovered, but Neely Kate looked like she was close to losing her three-beer lunch. And while I didn’t want to wait before figuring out who Beverly was—it was clear she could be a danger—Neely Kate wasn’t in any shape to help. It was also obvious I couldn’t leave her alone at her house. But both of us needed time to collect ourselves. It didn’t take me long to figure out where to go.

Ten minutes later, we were standing on Maeve’s front porch. She looked pleasantly surprised to see us, but worry quickly crept into her eyes as she took in Neely Kate’s unfocused gaze and stumbling. “Is Neely Kate okay?”

“She just had a little too much drama mixed in with a lunch consisting of a few beers. Do you mind if we sit here for a bit and maybe get a sandwich and a cup of coffee—or three?”

“Of course.” She stepped aside so I could help Neely Kate into the house.

I led her to the kitchen and helped her sit at the table.

“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m fine, Rose,” she said, sounding grumpy.

“I know you are, but I had a sudden craving for Maeve’s cooking.” I caught Maeve’s gaze and she nodded.

“You girls are in luck. I have some barbeque brisket as well as some leftover spaghetti and meatballs. And of course I can always make you a sandwich if you’d prefer.”

I obviously didn’t have to worry about fitting into any little black dresses anytime soon, so I decided to take advantage of Maeve’s offer. “Spaghetti and meatballs for me.”

Neely Kate shook her head with a grin. “Brisket.”

Maeve clapped her hands, beaming. “Coming right up.”

She heated up our food, making small talk about Mason, her new position volunteering with a local after-school tutoring program, and the weather. As always, being around her was like being wrapped up in a warm blanket. Even without trying, Maeve couldn’t help but be a comfort. Before too long she set our food on the table and sat across from us. When Neely Kate glanced at the empty space in front of our hostess, Maeve said, “I ate earlier.”

“Miss Maeve, how come you always have so much leftover food?” Neely Kate asked after taking a bite.

She shifted in her seat. “Well… I love to cook and there’s always someone to feed.” She winked. “Like two hungry girls.”

When we were almost done eating—I was surprised I could eat so much in spite of all my anxiety—my cell phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket, hoping it was Mason. Instead it was a number I didn’t recognize. “Hello.”