Page 18 of A Poisonous Plot

“This is what we discussed on the phone,” he said. “But––”

Lily cut him off. “It’s great. I didn’t mean it’s too much. I just didn’t think about how I’d carry it.” It wouldn’t be heavy, but the trays of raspberries and strawberries needed to be kept flat, which would make them awkward to carry across the island.

“Are you on foot?” Gordon asked.

“Yes. I don’t have a car.”

“I can give you a lift.”

“Thanks,” Lily said. “I’ll need to figure something out in the future.” Maybe she could get a bike with a trailer.

“We can also deliver, if you’d like.”

“That would be great,” Lily said. “I’d obviously pay a delivery fee.”

Gordon waved a hand dismissively.

“Hi!” Sally said, striding outside and placing an affectionate hand between Lily’s shoulder blades. “I saw a flyer about the opening of the ice cream shop. It’s exciting.”

Lily forced a smile. “Yeah.”

“Do you have a spare poster?” Sally asked. “We could put one up here.”

“Not on me. I have extras back at the shop.”

“I’ll grab one when I drop you off,” Gordon said. “Us small businesses need to help each other out whenever we can.”

“You’ve already been very helpful,” Lily said. “I really appreciate it.”

“Have you got time for a drink before you head off?” Sally asked.

Lily’s eyes drifted inside and she thought of the green smoothie. Immediately, her stomach clenched in protest. It wasn’t the smoothie that had made her ill, though. Was it? Could you get food poisoning from a smoothie? It seemed unlikely.

“I’ve got to get going,” she said weakly. “I have a busy week of making ice cream ahead of me and I want to get started.”

Sally bunched her shoulder up as she smiled. “Another time. I’ll see you for the opening if not before. I can’t wait to try the ice cream.”

“Thanks,” Lily mumbled as Sally waltzed away again.

Gordon had just lifted the tray of raspberries when Denzel walked over, a pair of gardening gloves hanging limply out of his back pocket.

“Need a hand?” He didn’t wait for a reply before picking up the tray of strawberries and bag of lemons.

Gordon glanced over at him. “I’m just going to drive Lily home with this lot.”

“I’m heading to Hugh Town,” Denzel said, flashing Lily a smile. “I can drop you off.”

“Thanks,” Lily said, uncomfortable with the feeling of needing help. “If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.”

They loaded everything into Denzel’s truck and Lily thanked Gordon before they set off.

“I can’t believe the ice cream shop is finally going to open again,” Denzel said as they pulled away along the narrow road.

“Do you remember it from before?” Lily asked, turning in her seat and watching his features.

“Yeah. That feels like a lifetime ago. It kind of was. Most of your lifetime, anyway.”

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