Joy to the Wolves (Red Wolf #1) - Terry Spear Page 0,69
I ordered our meals for lunch.”
“Oh good. I can’t wait to see what my fortune cookie has to say.”
* * *
Josh couldn’t believe Brooke could be in possession of vases worth that much money. Here he thought all this stuff was just a bunch of junk worth only something to a collector, but never that much. He was thrilled for her and hoped it was true. “Where did they come from?”
“My great-aunt had been collecting things forever. She always had a nose for knowing when something could be valuable. I can’t believe she hadn’t sold any of this stuff yet though.”
“They might not have been as valuable years ago.”
“That’s true.” Brooke smiled and hugged him. “I couldn’t wait to tell you. They still might not be the real thing.”
“Do you want me to take them over and put them in your safe at the house?”
“Yes. Just don’t drop them.”
He laughed. “That would be a good way to ruin a day.”
She gave him the safe combination, security code, and the keys to her house.
“I’ll be right back.” He made sure the vases had enough packing peanuts to protect them, sealed the boxes, and then carried them to the back door.
* * *
She opened it for him, and he walked through to the courtyard. She had some more customers who picked up several items and wanted to pay for their purchases. She was trying not to feel excited about the prospect of selling the vases for all that money, but she couldn’t help it. She was thinking of all the renovations she could do to the shop, the kitchen, bathroom, other rooms. The attic. And the house too. She couldn’t imagine having that much money or what to do with it.
Knowing the vases would be in the safe, particularly after the brutish intruders had broken so much of her glassware and porcelain, she felt relieved.
She assisted some of her customers and then found the regular bells her great-aunt had put up over the door when it wasn’t the Christmas season and went to hang them up. Brooke wanted to hear the tinkling sound of the bells when people were coming and going, and she hated when she only heard the squeak of the door alerting her that customers had arrived. She needed to oil that door.
She was hanging the bells when the food came, and she paid for it. A couple of her customers came to the checkout counter, and Brooke said, “I’ll be right back.” She carried the Chinese takeout into the kitchen, then returned and waited on them.
Josh returned. “I smell the food. I was going to pay for it.”
“You planned that perfectly,” she teased him. “Why don’t you eat, and once I’m done here, I’ll join you.”
After her customers left, she joined Josh in the kitchen, where he was sitting at the table enjoying his Hunan chicken.
Then he got a call. “Yeah? Roger Thornton? Thank you.” He ended the call. “That was the name of the man who owns the black pickup truck that was parked in front of your place, Brooke.”
“Is that the man who rented the reindeer from you and was upset about paying more?”
“No. I still wonder if it doesn’t have to do with him. I need to speak to the owner of the truck though.”
“Are you going to do it while the shop is open?”
“Yeah. His business is only about five miles from here. Will you be okay if I go check it out?”
“Yeah. You won’t be that far away.”
“I won’t be long, and I’ll see what he has to say. How’s your beef and broccoli?”
“Great. How’s your Hunan chicken?”
“Perfect.”
She thought Josh was going to eat and run, but he waited while she finished eating.
“I’ll stay and assist customers until you finish eating.”
She smiled. “Thanks. Open your fortune cookie and see what your fortune says.”
He cracked open his fortune cookie and flattened the strip of paper. “‘A golden egg of opportunity falls into your lap this month.’”
“That sounds like a good fortune.” She finally finished her meal and opened her fortune cookie. “Mine says, ‘In the end, all things will be known.’ I was hoping it would be as vast a fortune as yours.”
He laughed. “I get the golden egg.”
“Then I’m going to have to stick with you.” The door jingled. “That’s my cue. Back to work.”
“I’m heading out.”
“Good luck getting the truth out of the guy.”
“I sure hope it’s going to be that simple,” Josh said.