Page 12 of Killer on the Homestead
“Why?” she asked, sounding casual even if her gaze was considering. “Would that bother you?”
“Why would it bother me?”
Audra shrugged. “I don’t know. But you didn’t ask it like ‘are you trying to flirt with him?’ You voiced it as a negative. ‘You’re not, are you?’”
“No, I didn’t.”
Audra looked at Franny, whose eyes were open again. “Didn’t she?”
“She did,” Franny agreed.
“Traitor,” Rosalie muttered, then whirled out of the kitchen. It didn’t bother her in the least. Not that she was going to letsome puffed-up baseball player touch her sister, but if Audra wanted to flirt, she had every right.
Every right, Rosalie repeated to herself as she got in her car and drove over to the Kirk Ranch house. Not atallin a foul mood, because she didn’t care about Duncan Kirk or parties oranything.
When she pulled up in front of the house, a lot more recently modernized than the Young house, where they scraped by year after year thanks to her selfish parents, she wasnot at all happyto see Duncan standing on the porch.
That leap in her chest was definitely irritation. She got out of the car, grabbed the bag of Tupperware, and marched it right up the stairs.
“Your mom here?”
“No, she went to town for some errands already apparently,” he said, holding up a Post-it. “Which is suspicious because she told me I could come by this morning and grab some more coffee. I’m out. I didn’t even bring my keys with me.” He jiggled the knob in frustration.
“Audra insisted I bring this stuff back this morning,” Rosalie said, holding the bag out to him. With a frown, he took it.
“Where am I supposed to put it?”
Rosalie shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? I’ve got to get to work.” But since he was here, she could tell him about the party and then not have to see him until she had something to do with the case to talk to him about.Professionally.And if she handled this, she could maybe handle making sure her sister’s heart didn’t get stomped on by this—this…
Whatever he was. “And…she also wanted me to invite you to this party.”
“Party?”
“A friend’s thing in a few weeks. It’s for an engagement, but really informal. Outdoor backyard barbeque type thing. Abunch of us are going, and Audra thought… You know, since you haven’t really lived here for a while, you might want to meet or get reacquainted with someone your age. You probably know the host anyway. Jack Hudson?”
“I played T-ball with Jack.”
“See? So you should come.”
“Because Audra wants me to?”
Rosalie tried not to growl. “She’s just beingnice. Don’t let it go to your head.”
His mouth quirked up on one side, a kind of boyish, mischievous smile that had butterflies kicking up a racket in her stomach.
“I like nice.”
Butterflies officially grounded. She stepped forward. “You touch nice, I’ll—”
“Yeah, I remember the threat. You know, I think much better about invitations when I’ve had my coffee. Want to go up to Coffee Klatch with me? I’ve been told a lie that their coffee doesn’t taste like gas-station dregs anymore.”
Rosalie blinked. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been caught so off guard. Before she could decide what to do withthatinvitation though, she heard a scream.
Both she and Duncan moved toward it simultaneously as a young man came scrambling toward them from the barn, waving both arms.
“Call nine-one-one. Call nine-one-one, now!”
Chapter Four
