Page 58 of Chilled

“I don’t know how you do it. I’ve never seen little boys with such good manners,” Nick commented.

Sitting closest to Brandon, Brenna ran a hand through his hair and smiled down at Luke, her love for her nephews obvious in the way she’d hugged them and gotten down on the floor to play with them before dinner.

But little boys needed to let loose, whoop and holler. These guys were too quiet.Must be their company manners,Nick reasoned.

“It’s a matter of expectations,” Stan said. “You let them know their limits and you enforce them. I think too many people allow their children to misbehave.” He glanced at Brandon. “You and Luke may be excused.”

“Thank you, sir.” Brandon climbed down off his chair, gathered his plate and cup and carried them into the kitchen. The smaller child slipped out of his booster seat and followed suit. As soon as they’d deposited their dishes, they left the room and climbed the stairs to their rooms.

“Stan’s been very hands-on with the boys. Everywhere we go, people comment on how well mannered they are.” Alice smiled at her husband. On the surface, Alice Klaus appeared to be a happy, supportive wife to an enterprising, if a little overly rigid, husband. She kept a spotless house and a neat and orderly life. Apparently a life Brenna’s mother wanted for her youngest daughter, regardless of whether it was right for her.

Nick set his fork on the table, his plate clean. “Thank you for an incredible meal, Mrs. Klaus.”

“Please, call me Alice.” She stood and collected his plate. “How about some dessert? I baked a chocolate cake this morning.”

“That would be wonderful.” He patted his belly, wondering where he’d find room for more, but willing to risk the added pound for home baked cake.

Brenna rose from the table. “I’ll help you with the dishes. Then we’ll have to run.”

“You need to be married, Brenna. Have a family like Stan and Alice.”

Brenna leaned over and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Yes, Mom.”

The simple gesture and agreement warmed Nick’s heart. Brenna knew her mother wasn’t in her right mind, but she didn’t hold it against her.

His gaze followed her through the door into the kitchen. When the door swung closed, he realized he was alone with Brenna’s brother-in-law and her mother for the first time.

So far, Nick hadn’t been impressed with Brenna’s brother-in-law. The man didn’t go out of his way to make his guests comfortable. He left it all up to his wife.

“Stan, Brenna tells me you’re in the communication industry.” Nick smiled, reminding himself that he wasn’t supposed to be in interrogation mode; besides, this was just friendly curiosity. “What exactly does that mean?”

Stan pushed his chair back and folded his napkin on the table. “I own a business that supplies sixty percent of Riverton’s cable television, telephone and Internet.”

Nick sat forward. “Do you keep a store of supplies on hand for your customers?”

Stan’s face registered mild surprise. “Well, yes, of course. I have a warehouse full of supplies. My customers trust me to give them efficient and timely support. If their system goes down, I’m there.”

“That kind of work must keep you pretty busy, huh? Seems like my Internet back home is always going down.” Nick lifted his water glass and sipped.

Stan’s chest swelled. “My company prides itself in the backup systems and the redundant servers we have in place to ensure uninterrupted service.” The man was proud of his business and quick to warm to the subject.

“What would you say is the leading cause of a customer’s down-time?” Nick asked, not really caring about the answer, but wanting to fill dead air. Marian Jensen sat silent in her own world.

“Operator error,” Stan said without hesitation. “Most people don’t know any more about their computers than they do about their cars. Some have trouble locating the on-off switch.”

“Ever have any supplies pilfered from your warehouse?”

With a frown, Stan asked, “You going somewhere with this?”

“Just curious. Seems like computer parts can get expensive.”

“Yes they can. That’s why I had a security system installed at the warehouse. Only authorized personnel can enter.”

“How many people are authorized?”

“I and the four repairmen I have on staff. Why do you ask?”

“I guess you’ve heard on television we found Dr. Drummond.”

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