Mrs. Avery's Adventures

Chapter 3

The café was only a couple doors down from Piper"s gallery, but she knew before she reached the outdoor seating area that Joel had arrived before she did. Daisy gave the secret away; her tail was wagging furiously as she tugged at her leash. She knew Scout was there.

When Piper spied Joel and Scout at one of the outside tables, she gave a wave and had to chuckle to herself as she watched Daisy put on her diva persona. The tail slowed to just a few twitches, her head held high, and there was a sashay to her walk as they made their way towards the two waiting for them. Daisy would never let on how excited she was to see Scout; it suited her personality more to make him come to her.

"Hey there,” Piper said. “You didn"t have to wait long, did you?"

"Not at all, but I did place our orders,” he told her. “It looks like they are having a busy morning here today."

Joel had gotten to his feet as he watched Piper and Daisy approaching and he held the chair out for her, proving chivalry wasn"t dead. Piper appreciated it. Joel"s serious face had broken into a grin when he saw Piper, but as he looked around him, the smile faded. He still wasn"t used to Pelican Harbor and the intimacy of a small town. Piper noticed that he nodded his head at people when they greeted him, but he didn"t go out of his way to engage in conversation. She put that down to years of working undercover. Joel was a former investigator specializing in rescues. His partner, Scout, was a beautiful Akita; not the breed you"d normally associate as being a K-9 dog.

"Thanks. It does seem busier here today, but I guess we’re going to have to get used to that as the Promenade becomes more popular. Which is just what Charlotte wants, and as one of the shopkeepers, it’s what I want too. How are you enjoying Pelican Harbor? Are you beginning to feel a little more comfortable here?"

Joel looked at her and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I guess it"s starting to grow on me. I"m just not used to being off assignment. And between my dad and the chief of police—they keep pushing for me to stay here. I have a lot to think about. One wants me to retire, the other one wants me to work. Not sure if I"m old enough to retire, but I"m also not sure I want to work for a small-town police department, either."

Piper didn"t have a chance to answer him. The waitress had arrived and was setting down her coffee cup in front of her. She and Joel had talked about his dilemma on and off over the last couple weeks, and she knew the decision weighed on his mind. But she also knew he was getting calls from his former boss, urging him to return to his previous job. Personally, Piper hoped he would stay. She enjoyed spending time with the quiet man, and they were beginning to develop a close friendship. Joel had been instrumental in helping her solve the murder of the bookstore clerk, and that had given them a special bond. But regardless of Piper"s mothers’ pushing and Joel"s father hinting, neither one of them were interested in taking their friendship to another level. And they both knew it would be a constant battle of reminding parents they were content with their lives.

"Hey there Scout, how are you today?" Piper reached down to scratch the dog’s ear. He’d laid his head in her lap, looking for attention. His tail wagged in pleasure as her fingernails found the right spot behind his ear. With his greeting finished, he walked back over and sat next to Daisy, clearly not wanting to move from the younger dog"s side.

"Scout will be happy to see Tessa this morning. I didn"t get a chance to give him much of a run," Joel said as they watched the dogs.

"Me, too. Thank God for Tessa. The dogs love her, and she"s so good with them. I understand she"s gotten a couple other people who want her to walk their dogs, as well. She"s developing quite a little business."

"You"re right, she"s very good with dogs. I wouldn"t trust just anybody with Scout. But he"s taken to her very well, and of course, anywhere Daisy goes, Scout wants to be there too."

"I know. They are so cute together."

The two shared a laugh as he looked down at the dogs now lying side by side. Daisy had her eyes closed contently, while Scout kept his open, watching out for the young dog next to him.

Joel asked Piper how the gallery was coming, and she spent the next few minutes catching him up on the list of things she had accomplished. When he looked suitably impressed, she laughed and told him there was still plenty to do, mentioning Valerie had a list of things, as well.

"Are you getting any time to go out and take pictures?" he asked as he took a drink of his coffee.

"Not as much as I"d like, but once I have everything in place, I"ll have more time, and I"ll be able to get back to doing what I love."

Joel gave a nod of understanding as he looked around at the tables filling up around them. As he was looking around, Piper saw Tessa approaching, and she pulled out a chair for the young woman to join them.

Dropping her backpack on the table, she greeted them with a bright smile and the energy of the young.

"Thanks, but I"m not staying long,” Tessa said. “I want to get these two out on the beach and exercise. When we’re done, you want me to bring them back to the gallery, right?"

Piper didn"t have a chance to answer; it was Daisy who barked in agreement, and the longhaired, athletic girl bent over to give both dogs a hug.

"All right then, I guess we have a plan. Come on, you two, let"s get moving." Making sure both dogs were firmly attached to their leashes, Tessa grabbed her backpack, waved goodbye, and headed towards the beach. Joel and Piper watched as she wove her way amongst the shoppers and tourists who were making their way to and from the beach via the boardwalk. The boardwalk was used to connect the shopping plaza to the main thoroughfare of the tourist area.

It was a busy section of Pelican Harbor. Not only was the beach there, but there was an open marketplace with tourist shops lining the roadway on the beachside. And in between the tourist shops and the marketplace was a favorite hangout for everyone.

It was Mooney"s. He served great food and good drinks. He offered lots of atmosphere, along with often unwanted advice for Piper and an insider"s knowledge of where the best fishing spots were for the locals.

"He threatened to kill her this time." Piper heard a familiar voice a couple tables over, and she turned with a frown, just in time to hear the second voice join the discussion.

‘I"ve never seen such a vicious argument. I thought for sure they might come to blows," added the second, higher-pitched voice.

"That"s right, he even threatened to stuff it down her throat until she choked." The voices had risen in volume as they talked, drawing the attention of several people from the nearby tables.

It was the Lumpkin brothers, and they were enjoying their favorite pastime: spreading gossip.

Joel heard the conversation as well, and his head turned sharply to see what was going on. Piper noticed his shoulders tense and thought for sure he was going to get up and question the two men. She reached out her hand, laying it on top of his to stop him.

"It"s okay Joel. I know what they"re talking about it, and wasn"t anywhere near as bad as they are making it out to be," Piper said.

Joel ran his fingers through his hair as he turned back to Piper, clearly conflicted.

She hastened to reassure him. "I"m sure those two old busybodies are talking about my neighbors, the Strauss"s. Yes, they had an argument this morning, but they argue most mornings. It"s not a big deal. And it never gets violent; those two just loved to gossip. Every time they say something, it gets bigger and bigger. Trust me, there"s nothing to worry about. David and Lily Strauss have a solid marriage, and neither one of them would ever hurt the other."

She could see that Joel was fighting with his police instincts, but when Piper squeezed his hand, he turned back to her and smiled.

"Well, I guess you know your neighbors best. I"ve run across those two men before. As a matter of fact, my father put them in their place the last time when they were spreading stories about one of his patients."

"I think they hear part of the conversation and then let their imaginations run, filling in the rest of it. I tried to encourage them to join a mentoring program for high school kids. With their energy and imagination, that would be great for kids, but I haven"t had much luck. I"m not giving up either," Piper laughed and shook her head.

Before Piper could say anything else, her phone rang. With a grimace, she looked down at it. "It"s Valerie. I better take this, who knows what"s come up this time."

Joel motioned with his hand for her to go ahead and she answered the phone. It was a short conversation, and she was writing notes on a napkin as she talked. When she ended the call, she looked at Joel with a mischievous grin.

"So, do you have any pressing plans for the next hour or so?"

"Why?" he asked hesitantly.

Piper tapped on the napkin with her finger before she answered. "I am being sent on a shopping excursion, and I need some strong arms to help me carry some of the things on this list."

Piper sent him a pleading look, and Joel smiled back. "You"re in luck,” he said. “My afternoon is free. I"m at your disposal."

"Great. I really appreciate it, but let"s finish our coffee first and enjoy the few moments we have left before another phone call comes in."

The two of them picked up their coffee cups and gave them a light tap together in a conspiratorial manner, happy to be able to relax a little while longer.

When they got up to leave, Piper caught the Lumpkin brothers looking over at her and Joel. Piper smiled at the brothers, but she was wondering how soon they would be talking about her and her coffee companion.

She knew it was inevitable that they would.

***

PIPER TOSSED HER HAT on an empty hook on the wall, returning it to her collection. She kicked off her high-heeled shoes and moaned in relief. Piper lived in high heels, and the fact that she was moaning was a testament to how much walking around Valerie had her doing the rest of the afternoon. Joel had helped her pick up all the items on her list, and together they’d gotten everything safely to the gallery. When they arrived at the gallery, Tessa was there with the dogs. Joel grabbed Scout and made a hasty retreat, clearly not interested in doing any more shopping.

But Piper didn"t get off that easily. There was still much to be done, and Valerie was waiting for her with another list.

Seeing what was in store for the rest of her afternoon, Piper had asked Tessa to take Daisy to the house. "Just let yourself in. There"s soda in the fridge if you want one. I really appreciate it, Tessa."

The young woman had happily agreed and left before Valerie gave her a list of things to do, as well.

Once all the purchases had been put aside, Valerie and Piper spent hours walking back and forth across the gallery, getting a feel for the traffic flow they wanted the patrons to follow. And there was the constant up and down the stairs as Piper retrieved one file after another for Valerie to compare purchases.

Daisy greeted her at the door, but Piper barely even acknowledged the dog. Instead, she walked in her bare feet across the cool tile floor to the kitchen. There, she grabbed a glass and a bottle of wine and poured herself a much-needed reprieve.

"Come on, Daisy, we’re going outside, and the phone is going off," Piper called to the dog.

With her wineglass in one hand, Piper reached over for her phone to turn it off just as it rang. She hesitated for a second, but then realizing she only would have to call whoever left a message back, she decided to answer it and get it over with.

"Hello?" Even Piper could hear the weariness in her own voice

"I"m sorry to bother you, Piper. But you wanted to know when my orchids were in their peak of bloom. My favorite one just opened up, and you"re not going to want to miss getting pictures of these." Piper relaxed when she recognized her neighbor, David Strauss’s voice.

"Oh, David, thank you so much for remembering me. I have to be honest; I"m exhausted. Would you mind if I came over in the morning?"

She could hear the man smiling as he answered, telling her that first thing in the morning would be perfect. "I"ll leave the greenhouse door unlocked so you can just go in there and not bother Lily,” he said. “I have an early morning appointment, but you don"t need me for the pictures."

Piper agreed, promising not to wake Lily up, and thanked her neighbor one more time. Before she could be disturbed again, she clicked the off button on her phone and put it on the kitchen counter. Then, calling to Daisy, she walked out to sink into the hammock swing that was in a secluded corner of her garden. She loved the swing. Nobody could see where she was; the neighbors could look across the lawn and not see her, and her mothers could look down the pathway and not see her. The only one that knew she was there was that ornery squirrel who loved to tease her dog. This was just the spot that Piper needed.

She relaxed for a couple minutes, sipping her wine and thinking about the phone call she just had. David was so proud of his orchids and he’d been after her to get some pictures of them, both for her own use at the gallery and for him, too. He even prepaid to have the photos done.

"What do you think, Daisy?” Piper said, looking at her dog. “It"ll be a nice way to start the morning, and I love walking around David"s orchid house. Yes, I think that"s a perfect way to start the morning."

Closing her eyes, she gave the hammock a little bit of a push and relaxed as the wind ruffled her hair, and the squirrel chattered at her dog.