The Tea Series Read online

  Cassia would hear none of it. She approved of the liquid magnesia I had carefully swabbed on each sore. She approved of the foods I had prepared and fed in such small quantities. She said they were grand first steps, but that we would need to take into consideration the whole of Mrs. McCann. We went about cleaning the entire cottage. We beat those rugs within an inch of their being. We tidied and dusted and washed down the window sash with bleach and water. I worked hard, as was my call, but Cassia worked just as hard for nothing more than the joy of helping others and a cup of tea.

  When we had the house in order she went to her valise and told me that next we would treat the senses. She brought a number of vials to Mrs. McCann and asked her to smell each one. When they hit upon one that Mrs. McCann found pleasant, Cassia stopped, made a note of it, and stored all of her vials away. She told me she would be back soon, put on her cape with a flourish, and was gone.

  Why does my phone only ring when I am busy? I didn’t even take my eyes off the journal. “What?”

  “Are you alright, love?”

  “Oh, sorry, Mom, I was in the middle of something, but I’m good. What do you need?”

  “I was hoping that you might help me. Normally I would ask your sister, but she seems to be in a tizzy right now, something about her boss’s wife and criminal charges.”

  “I have to call her about that. What can I do for you?”

  “I would be grateful if you could do a little research and buy me a dancing pole.”

  “A dancing pole? You mean a cane?”

  “No, I mean a dancing pole. Like the strippers use.”

  I held the phone away from my face to make sure it was actually my parents’ picture I saw there.

  I had slipped into another dimension, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it.

  “Can you do that for me, love? The sooner the better. If we can get a good price and they are sturdy and easy enough to install, I may purchase more.”

  I know the O’Flynn family has been making big changes lately, but thinking about my mother wrapped around a pole in a boa and stripper heels was more than my brain could handle. I once saw a pair of those heels with the Lucite part a really pretty green with little shamrocks imbedded in there. I was going to get them for Teagan for her birthday and forgot all about them until just this second. Now they will forever be associated with my mother. That can’t be good.

  “Mom, I don’t know anything about them. Where are you going to put it?”

  “The first I think will go in the family room. If that works well, then we will install another in the bedroom. Perhaps another near the bath.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “Mrs. Ladner.” Like her saying that cleared anything up.

  “Mrs. Ladner what?”

  “As you know, her health has taken a turn in the last few months. She has had more and more trouble getting in and out of her chair, or her bed, or using the toilet. I gave it a great deal of thought. They sell a special device — that is little more than a pole — that you can reach for to steady yourself or pull yourself up. The devices I have seen are categorized as medical devices and are quite dear, but I am aware that they sell a dancing pole much more inexpensively. If I am correct, you are even able to find mobile poles so that there would be no need to harm her carpet or ceiling.”

  “Okay, I got it. How much do you want to spend?”

  “Whatever it takes. This will be a gift from your father and me.”

  “So my father is giving his neighbor a stripper pole?”

  “Won’t that just set the tongues to wagging?” My mother laughed good-naturedly.

  “I’m sure it will. I’ll let you know what I find and if we can make it work. If not, we can always have the guys just buy a length of pole and some of those end thingies like they have on towel bars for the bath and make one of our own.”

  “What fun would there be in that, love?”

  “I’ll make sure there is a stripper on the box.”

  “Very well. Let me know what you find.”

  And with that she was gone.

  I’ve stepped over a line.

  I’m stripper-pole shopping for my mother.

  I need tea.

  NINE

  I LET THE phone ring forever, but Teagan didn’t pick up. When it went to voicemail all I said was: “If you don’t call me back, I won’t tell you about Mom, Daddy, and the stripper pole. It has LED lights. I’m just sayin’.”

  It took three minutes.

  “Stripper pole? Mom? Dad? Really?”

  I made it sound slightly more exciting than it really was, but it kept her on the phone long enough that I could tell she wasn’t mad at me anymore.

  “So, what’s happening with Honey?”

  “The whole thing is being dismissed. It took a little convincing, but when it all came down to it, she’s harmless, she didn’t take anything, and the people she was stalking were so relieved to find out the whole story that they were thrilled she was caught. Now they are going to deal with their family members. You know, there is something to be said for having enough money to pay your bills, but not enough that anyone is going to mess with you to take it away.”

  “So you aren’t mad at me anymore?”

  “Not for that. Give me a minute. I’ll think of something.”

  “Then I won’t tell you about the trunk.”

  “What about it? If you lead me down that path one more time, just to shut the lid on it, all puns intended, I swear to God, Cara, I’m gonna hurt you.”

  “Actually, I got so upset I dumped the whole thing out. I was going to keep the trunk but put all the stuff from inside of it in garbage bags and give it to you or Mom to deal with.”

  “Me. That is too much work to put on your mother. Wouldn’t be right.”

  “Yeah, right. Anyway, when I dumped everything out, there was a journal kind of thing.”

  “How did we miss that?”

  “My overdeveloped sense of paranoia when it comes to that trunk is the only answer I’ve come up with. I blame you for that, by the way. Your paranoia is contagious. But I really think I was just being stupid.”

  “Since it blames you, I’ll agree to that one. So, what’s in the trunk?”

  “I haven’t really opened anything yet.”

  “Dammit, Cara.”

  “But I am reading the journal, and Bernie seems to have taken a picture of each thing in the trunk and then written the story behind the thing.”

  “Great. So there is a strand of pearls and Bernie wrote something like: Got these at Jameson’s?”

  “No, it is a lot more detailed than that. If you have forgiven me for the whole Honey thing, you can come over tonight for dinner and take a look at the journal.”

  “What are you serving?”

  “Anything you want.”

  “I should pick something that would make you stand up all day and make your foot explode, but I’m not that vengeful. How is your foot, by the way? Still swollen and painful from the bites?”

  “Fire ants sting, they don’t bite, and it still hurts like hell.”

  “Good to hear. How about I bring dinner with me, since it was kind of me who got you involved in the whole Honey thing, and then you can show me. What time does A.J. get home?”

  “How about we do it at seven?”

  “What about Suzi?”

  “What about her?”

  “Should I get dinner for her too?”

  “You are a kind and caring soul, Teagan.”

  “Yes, I am. Text me and let me know.”

  “I will.”

  “Besides, that way I get to play with Evelyn.”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  A.J. is a fast healer, but not that fast. Normally, the guys would go shoot hoops while we were fixing dinner, or in a case like tonight, after dinner was done but before everybody left, because my apartment really isn’t big enough to have that many people hanging around without something specific to do. But A.J. is
still pretty banged up, so shooting hoops was out of the question. He and Jessie decided to go to the apartment clubhouse and shoot pool instead.

  Suzi, Teagan, and I cleared the table and straightened up.

  Evelyn supervised from her Moses basket.

  Once we got everything under control, and Suzi plugged in Evelyn — I know that is a very unromantic way to describe breastfeeding, but it is a term that my family has always used and is a term of endearment — we sat on the couch and talked.

  “Finally. So, what’s up with the trunk? You said on the phone that you were going to fill me in. It’s the only reason I fed you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “That goes without saying. What did you read?”

  I handed the journal to Teagan. She leaned over so that Suzi could see too. Evelyn had no interest.

  “What does it say, or are we supposed to just read it for ourselves?”

  “You can read it if you want to. I read the opening and half of one story before Mom called and asked me to buy her a stripper pole. I’ve been trying to scrub my brain ever since.”

  The look on Suzi’s face was priceless.

  “Your Mom asked you to buy her a stripper pole? I don’t even want to know this.”

  “It’s cheaper than a medical device that is basically the same premise. It’s for one of her neighbors to help pull herself up out of a chair and get her feet under her before she takes any steps.”

  “That’s actually pretty clever. At least until someone comes into the house and sees it. Then there might be some explaining to do.”

  “Tell me about the journal, dingleberry.”

  “I think you might want to read it yourself. At least until the part I got to. How about you guys read it while I change Evelyn and take her for a walk. Some fresh air would be good.”

  “That would be great. Thanks. I was going to bring her out earlier, but it was just too hot and muggy.”

  Evelyn and I decided to walk down to the mailboxes and then for a jaunt around the water retention pond. We were about three fourths of the way when I heard Jessie and A.J. They weren’t really yelling, but they weren’t exactly being quiet.

  Jessie was saying something about how he wouldn’t allow that to happen, and A.J. was saying something about how it always happens and how he isn’t going to lie for him and he isn’t going to risk his relationship with me or with my family over something so stupid.

  Part of me wanted to just hang back and listen. Okay, eavesdrop. But then Evelyn decided that life wasn’t working for her and started to cry, and the guys heard her, and they both whipped around, and there I am, standing with a crying baby. It was obvious I’d heard something, but they weren’t sure what.

  “You guys interested in dessert?”

  Jessie thumped the pool cue onto the table. “I have work in the morning. I’m going to go grab Teagan. We’re out of here.”

  We made eye contact, but A.J. didn’t say a word. He didn’t say anything to Jessie either. A.J. took Evelyn from me and said, “Let’s go.”

  “Okay.”

  By the time we got back, Jessie was all but dragging Teagan out of the apartment. She looked more confused than annoyed. I did the “call me: thing with my thumb in my ear and my pinky toward my chin. She nodded, but didn’t slow down.

  Suzi was standing up, not quite knowing what to do. “Well, that was weird.”

  A.J. handed the baby to her. “What happened?”

  “I was about to ask you the same thing. Jessie walked in. Looked at Teagan. Said, ‘We’re gone.’ Grabbed her and kind of half-lifted her off the couch, and they went out the door.” Suzi looked at her brother. “What happened? You guys go to play pool, and the next thing he comes back all pissed off. What happened?”

  “Nothing. His life. He can do what he wants. I’m not getting in the middle of it.”

  I didn’t even ask. I figured he’d tell me later. Then Teagan would tell me Jessie’s side. I’d know what was going on soon enough.

  I’m getting better at that.

  Suzi begged off dessert. She said she was going to take the baby home and give her a bath and put her to bed.

  I doubt she had her door unlocked before A.J. snapped. “Aren’t you going to ask?”

  “Sure. Do you want dessert?” I gave him my best smile.

  “You know what I meant.”

  “Obviously something happened. I heard you guys.” Before A.J. could say anything I put my hand up to stop him. “All I heard was you saying you didn’t want to be put in the middle of it. You just said that again. So, fine. I won’t put you in the middle of it. Seems like whatever it is, is between Jessie and Teagan. She’s a big girl. She’ll figure it out.”

  “Thanks.”

  I gave him a hug. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For caring about me and my family.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too. I’m going to go take a shower. I’ll be out in a little bit. You want to watch a movie?”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “Pick one. I suck at it. Every time I pick a movie, we hate it.”

  “You want tea?”

  “Can you put on the kettle when you hear the water go off?”

  “I still haven’t figured out how to make you a proper cup, have I?”

  “Don’t worry about it. My dad still can’t fix my mother a cup of tea, and he’s had a lot more practice. Besides, he’s pretty much the perfect man.”

  A.J. tried to look injured. “And what am I?”

  “The perfect man for me.”

  “Good save.”

  “Actually, it wasn’t a save. It’s how I feel.”

  So I didn’t make it to the shower… alone.

  Teagan called early. Really early. “You mind telling me what happened last night?”

  “I was going to ask you. All I know is that Jessie and A.J. were talking, close to yelling, when I went walking over there with Evelyn last night. Jessie said something that made A.J. say that he wasn’t going to be put in the middle of it, so I didn’t ask, because he doesn’t want to be put in the middle of it.”

  “Jessie isn’t talking either. I get the feeling that he either asked A.J. for something and A.J. said no, or he did something that he shouldn’t have done. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what it could be.”

  “We could make a list of all the things that men do that make them yell at their future brother-in-law to keep quiet about. Isn’t that how you usually approach this stuff? With a gazillion conspiracy ideas to make me all paranoid?”

  “That’s what I do to you. That is not what we do with me. You are the comforting sister. So comfort me!”

  “I’m sure it’s nothing. You know how guys are. A.J. is still kind of beat up from that whole thing out in front of his studio. Maybe Jessie wanted to take care of the problem like in the movies. He could probably do that.”

  “You’re right. It’s probably something like that. Jessie is a little over protective. I never got to read the journal last night.”

  “Put on a blinker before you change subjects so fast.”

  “Sorry. Blink. Blink.”

  “That’s better.”

  “You’re an idiot, dingleberry.”

  “I learned from the best.”

  “Don’t start. I got a couple of paragraphs in, and Suzi and I were talking about Evelyn, and then Jessie barged in.”

  “When do you want to try again?”

  “Tonight?”

  “Are you bringing Jessie?”

  “Not tonight, he has a work thing.”

  “I’m pretty sure A.J. does too. They’re still doing most of the work out of Morgan’s office, so I get confused about his schedule. I’ll check the calendar and let you know.”

  “Cara?”

  “Hmm?”

  “You sure you don’t have a bad feeling about this?”

  “I get bad feelings about everything. Teagan, you’ve been officia
lly engaged about a minute and a half. Don’t tell me you’re all weirded out already. The guys are allowed to have a conversation without us knowing the details. Practice what you preach and all that. You would tell me to be reasonable. I’m being reasonable.”

  “Yeah, that’s what’s weirding me out.”

  “I’ll text you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Teagan showed up ten minutes early. That’s really not like her. “I don’t want food. Not real food. You got anything good?”

  “I’ve got cantaloupe.”

  “Don’t make me hurt you, Cara.”

  “What’s your problem, Teagan?”

  “Well, let’s see. My boss — ”

  “Partner.”

  “Okay, fine, my partner isn’t sharing any information with me about the whole Honey thing.”

  “I thought you said it got dismissed.”

  “The legal stuff did, but there’s something going on because that older couple that Honey was following are now clients of ours. Big clients. Like you said, I’m his partner now, right? I try to get all the details, and I’m basically sent back to my office. He didn’t pull that kind of crap when I was an employee. Why’s he doing it now? And why are these people who just had their house broken into — by the boss’s wife no less — now clients?”

  “Good question.”

  “Oh, I’ve got more. So, even if I put business aside, then I’ve got personal issues. Like what the hell is Jessie doing? Why is he yelling at A.J.? Why isn’t he telling me what is going on? I’m almost his wife, right? Why is he keeping secrets from me?”

  “The last time he kept a secret from you it turned out pretty well. That whole weekend was full of secrets and surprises. Think about that.”

  “Yeah, well, as much as that was the best weekend I’ve ever had, I don’t think that anything in planning it would have caused A.J. to yell at Jessie that he didn’t want to be involved.”

  “You are being you. Stop it.”

  “I’m not being me, I’m just, okay, I’m being me, but who else am I supposed to be?”

  “Listen to your mother.”

  “She isn’t here.”