sighed and studied my jaw. “You need to put ice on that.”
“I will.” For now, I had to get to Charles before visiting hours were over.
Chapter 37
Unfortunately, Charles had experienced some sort of breakdown and wouldn’t see me that afternoon. So I headed back to my car after checking in with Detective Pierce and promising him I was going to try again the next morning, if Charles hadn’t been released. Maybe it was a good thing our date had been canceled. Was it a mistake to go out with Pierce? More than likely. It was almost five, so I didn’t see a reason to go back to the office. At the moment, all I needed was a hot bath and a stiff drink.
Until Tessa called, saying she and Donna were meeting at Vassallo’s for a drink.
I swung a U-Turn in the middle of the street and headed for the ancient bar while reaching for my bag and the concealer in it. After parking, I liberally piled it on along with lip-gloss before walking slowly across the darkened sidewalk and inside the bar in a useless attempt to hide my newest limp.
Vassallo’s was at the older end of town and had been there forever. The floor and bottom half of the walls were red shag carpet, and the tables were dingy and wooden. But the food was fantastic and the patrons local. I moved toward a tall table in the back.
“What happened to you now?” Tess asked, reaching over to check my jaw.
“Rough day.” I hopped up on the red leather stool and reached for the bowl of peanuts. “What’s going on?”
Donna, her dark hair curled around her face, motioned for the waitress and pointed at me. “We’re celebrating. I closed on the McGilley place across the lake.”
I grinned and then winced as pain shot through my skull in response. “That’s awesome.” It’d be a fantastic commission. Her brown eyes sparkled, and in her white business suit, she looked all professional and grown up. If I wore a white suit, it’d be brown and bloody and covered in mud by now.
The waitress set a large wine glass in front of me, and Donna poured immediately from the bottle.
I leaned in to read it. Blue Oak Cabernet. Nice. “You’re obviously paying,” I murmured, taking the glass.
“Obviously,” Tessa agreed, shoving her titian hair away from her face. She wore a white shirt and dark jeans, obviously just off work.
My sisters had both found jobs where nobody shot at them. They were definitely smarter than I was, at least at the moment.
“Cheers,” Tessa said, holding up her glass.
We cheered, clanked, and then I drank down half of my glass. Man, it was good. Spicy and oaky and delicious. I reached for more peanuts. “What’s new?”
Donna tugged the peanuts her way. “Tess has a date with a preacher.”
I coughed out a nut and then took a sip of wine. “What?”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “He’s a nice guy. A preacher at that nondenominational church out on the prairie. Name is Dan Teskey, and he comes into the restaurant a lot.”
Donna snorted. “Tessa and Teskey. Could it get any cuter?”
I tried not to laugh. But a nondenominational church? “We’re Catholic.” Like seriously Catholic on both sides.
“God and I are tight,” Tess returned, stealing the peanut bowl from Donna. “I don’t think He’d mind if I dated somebody who preached His word and knew how to drink. This guy drinks Scotch. I like that in a preacher.”
It would be nice for the family to worry about Tessa instead of me for a while. “Is he cute?”
“Over six-foot, dark brown hair, really green eyes. He’s seriously cute and nice and built like a linebacker.” Tess leaned closer. “He brought me flowers when he asked me out.”
Now that was just sweet.
She lifted an eyebrow. “You?”
There was a lot to say, but I wasn’t ready to share about Aiden. “I did have a date with Detective Pierce to Sheriff Franco’s in Silverville tonight, but he got caught at work and had to reschedule.”
“Silverville?” Donna breathed, her eyes sparkling. “Oh, dude. That would’ve been a mistake.”
“Did you just say dude?” Tessa snorted. “As funny as that is, she’s right. You do not want to go on a date in Silverville. You would have been married by sundown.”
I nodded. “I know.” Enough about me. “Donna?”
She shrugged. “No date. Dry spell.”
“Now that’s just a pity.” Nick Basanelli suddenly appeared at the table, his shirt sleeves rolled up and his collar loosened. He looked long