Adverse Possession (The Anna Albertini Files #3) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,41
in air. Saying anything like that to our grandmothers was akin to waving a red flag to an angry bull. “It wasn’t like that.” Oh, it was exactly like that.
A couple entering the diner caught my eye. They turned toward us and I bit back a smile. It was Kelsey Walker and Teddy Thompson. While his injured arm was still in a sporty black sling, his other hand was pressed to the small of her back. She’d dressed in a light white summer dress with tall blue wedges. “Hi, Anna,” she said, hesitantly walking closer.
“Hi.” Their meet-cute was the best ever.
She gestured to Teddy. “You remember Teddy?”
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi.” He had a couple of bruises across his clavicle, no doubt from the wreck. “Um, Kelsey and I were at the station giving additional information about the wreck, and we, um, thought we’d grab lunch.” His blue eyes were earnest, and they might be just getting lunch, but the palm of his hand was still on the small of her back, and she didn’t seem to mind.
If my job as a lawyer didn’t work out—again—I might think about starting a dating service or something. “That’s great. Have you heard anything?”
Kelsey’s eyes widened and she leaned forward as if she had great gossip. “Yeah. The police found the women who were in the truck, and they were arrested last night. That’s why we were asked in to answer more questions and identify them. I’m sure you’ll be called in, too.”
I probably already had been, but Oliver hadn’t gotten a chance to give me all of my messages before I dashed out to meet Nonna for this stressful lunch. “I’m glad you’re both okay.”
“You, too.” Teddy ushered Kelsey past us toward a booth even farther back.
Nonna partially turned her head to watch them go. “They make a cute couple. Isn’t that the youngest Walker girl?”
Gerty tsked her tongue. “So sad about her older sister.” She looked back at me. “I heard that Kelsey was charged in the murder. It can’t be true, is it?” Then she pivoted to look at her grandson. “You’d know, wouldn’t you?”
Nick took a drink of his water. “I can’t talk about ongoing cases, Grams.”
Good answer.
Gerty turned to me. “Well? What do you know?” The sparkle of her silver cross necklace caught the light.
Legal ethics dictated that I couldn’t even name my clients, much less talk about their cases. The bell over the door dinged and I turned, hoping I knew who’d entered. Anything to get the topic of conversation away from me. I squinted and then instantly changed my mind.
“Hey!” Yelled the blonde woman who’d smashed her truck into my car. “What were you saying to the police?” She ran toward us, and I began to tense, but she went right by our table to Kelsey and Teddy’s table.
The brunette followed but unfortunately recognized me. “It’s you,” she bellowed, pausing at the counter. “You’re all in this together.” Her hair was all over and her shirt dirty. It must’ve been a rough night in lockup. Glaring, she looked frantically around and then snatched a pastry off the turret.
She wound up to throw it.
Chapter 16
I ducked, and the pastry flew right over my head.
“What in the world?” Gerty gasped, swiveling in her seat to stare at the brunette.
Not intimidated by her miss, the brunette snatched two donuts and heaved them at me. One smashed into my neck, and the other one hit Nonna’s shoulder. Oh, God.
Nonna pushed me out of the seat and dragged her purse with us. Chocolate frosting covered her shoulder.
“No, Nonna,” I began, stumbling to my feet and trying to wipe vanilla cream filling off my neck.
“This is not how a lady behaves,” Nonna snapped, yanking her wooden spoon from the purse. It was well worn with dents in several places along the handle—mostly from being clanked against pots. Mostly.
I backed away until my butt was against a barstool and I could see everyone at once. Protecting Nonna and Gerty was the only important consideration right now.
The blonde behind me screeched and yanked Teddy from the booth. He slid on the first pastry but pivoted his body to keep his injured arm away from her. Pain and panic widened his blue eyes. Kelsey immediately exploded from her side of the booth and crashed into the blonde, sending them both spiraling between bar stools and into the counter. Teddy spun and tried to reach for Kelsey with his good arm.