Page 38 of Small Town Swoo
Xander dropped into one of the patio chairs and dug into the container with a fork. “Damn, this is good. Where did it come from?”
“Ari made it last night. She sent me home with leftovers for dinner tonight.”
“Hope you guys have a backup plan.” Xander took another huge bite.
“I’m actually having dinner with her again tonight, and there’s a second container Dad can eat. So you’re welcome.”
Xander was quiet for a moment, and I thought for sure he was about to give me shit for all the time I was spending with Ari. Instead, he surprised me.
“Speaking of Dad, he’s been acting a little strange lately.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just kind of secretive, I guess.”
“Secretive?” I walked over and pulled out the chair across the table from him.
“Yeah. Like last weekend, he supposedly went away on a fishing trip.”
“So?”
Xander shook his head and swallowed. “That makes no sense. Where? With who?”
“His fishing buddies?”
“They’re all here. Why would he need to leave town to go fishing?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t know he was going to be gone. I bumped into Ari in the kitchen the day I got here, and later that night she told me he was away for the weekend, and he’d asked her to look after Fritz.”
“That’s another thing. Why wouldn’t he have askedmeto look after the dog?”
I shrugged. “Because you’re busy with the bar?”
He forked more pot pie into his mouth and shook his head. “I don’t buy it. Kelly and I think something else is going on.”
“Like what?”
“Well, she’s been away from Nashville for the last month. It’s the first leg of her North American tour,” he added proudly.
“That’s cool.”
“Anyway, while she’s in Nashville, she shares a big house with her mom, Julia. They’re close,” he said, scraping the side of the container. “When she comes up here to visit me, often her mom comes with her. Sometimes we all hang out together—Kelly and her mom, me and Dad.”
I tilted my head, wondering where this was going. “Where’s Kelly’s dad?”
“Who knows?” He stuck a bite in his mouth. “He’s a jackass that abandoned his family a long time ago and only shows up when he feels like it. He’s got addiction issues, which Kelly has tried to help him with many times, but he doesn’t want to get better. Last fall, Julia finally said enough is enough and threw him out. The divorce should have been final already, but he’s contesting a bunch of shit because he thinks he has a right to money Kelly’s earned.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course.”
“Anyway, Kelly said after the last time they visited Cherry Tree Harbor, which must have been in early March, her mom started to act a little weird.”
“Weird how?”
“Like hiding her phone when Kelly would walk in the room, lowering her voice and going into her bedroom whileshe was talking to someone on the phone, closing the door. Then Kelly would hear her laughing and talking like she was flirting. One time she put her ear on the door.”
“And?”
“And she swears she heard her say the name George.”
