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A loud squawk cut her off and made them both jump. Mona came marching toward them, her face reddened with anger, a raised frying pan in her right hand. “Retirement, my fanny. It’ll be a cold day in August before you put this old mare out to pasture. Now, Abigail, I suggest you get before I really lose my temper.”
The frying pan was one of those old cast-iron ones that had to weigh a ton, and it did, judging by the way it kept inching down, causing Mona to pitch forward slightly, teetering. Max was about to relieve her of it before someone really did get hurt, when Herbert surprised her from behind and lifted the pan out of her hand.
“For cryin’ out loud, Mona, have you stopped taking your pills again?” Herbert set the pan on top of a tall bookcase out of her reach.
“Dammit, Herbie, whose side are you on?” Mona smacked him on the upper arm. “How’s a body supposed to make a living?”
With a weary sigh, Herbert slid Max a helpless look. “Come on, Mona, you haven’t done that for almost twenty years.”
“Viagra, honey, Viagra is changing everything. We’ll be open again. You’ll see.” She looked at Max. “You’re a businessman. Tell him.”
Everyone turned to Max, Herbert with an expression of dread, Abby with amusement glittering in her eyes. Max cleared his throat. “I hadn’t really thought much about that.”
“What’s there to think about?” Mona put her hands on her hips. “You get a supply of the stuff and we’ll pass them out. There won’t be enough hours in the day once all those old goats from Bingo start lining up.”
Max took a deep breath. He was a worldly, laid-back guy. He could handle this conversation, even if Mona did look like she could be his grandmother.
He made the mistake of looking at Abby for help. A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth and her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Yeah, Max,” she said, her forehead wrinkling in a thoughtful frown. “You could order Viagra by the bushel, pass it out like candy and put all these ladies back to work. After all, it is legal in this county.”
Max gave her his best smile. If she thought he would cower, she was wrong. He was a Bennett. Made of strong New England stock. He could handle anything.
“Yoo-hoo! Anybody home? I have a surprise.”
Everyone turned toward the high-pitched voice coming from the kitchen.
“In here, Candy,” Mona called out.
Two women appeared at the door. Both seventyish. Both grinning. One holding her hand behind her back.
“I have a surprise,” the shorter one drawled, glanced behind and tugged on a leash.
The world’s ugliest lizard lumbered forward and stuck out its very long tongue.
“Her name’s Tami,” Candy said. “Isn’t she adorable?”
Max told himself he wasn’t going to faint. But he put a steadying hand on the couch just in case.
4
“WHAT IS THAT?” Max asked, relieved his voice hadn’t cracked.
“An iguana,” the short blonde said, her artfully made-up face scowling at Max’s abruptness. “Who wants to know?”
“Okay, Candy, don’t go getting your knickers in a twist.” Mona stepped between him and the other woman. Not that Max had any intention of getting closer. Especially not as long as the overgrown lizard’s tongue kept swiping the air. “This here is Maxwell Bennett, Lily’s nephew.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Candy looked him up and down. “You came all the way out here yourself, did you? Figured you’d send some fancy lawyer to take care of things all neat and tidy.”
God, Max wished he had. “Nice to meet you, Candy. Now about this thing…” He gestured to the iguana, then took a hasty step back when it moved. “Tell me it isn’t some sort of pet.”
Candy narrowed her gaze. “She’s a she, not an it, and I already explained her name is Tami.”
Mona sighed loudly. “You haven’t met Estelle yet, Max.” She inclined her head toward the other woman with short silver hair, much more conservative in her blue shirtwaist dress next to Candy’s tight jeans. “Estelle?”
She was smiling at Herbert and paying them no attention.
Mona looked from Herbert to the silver-haired woman, and she planted both hands on her hips and started tapping one foot. “Estelle?” Her tone was sharper this time.
“Hmm?” Estelle turned an absent gaze toward them.
“I am trying to introduce you to Mr. Bennett.” Mona’s hands remained on her hips, and with her fiery blue eyes she issued Herbert a brief warning before forcing a smile for Max.
He checked out the position of the iguana before stepping forward to offer his hand, and caught Abby’s smirk out of the corner of his eye. She’d been so quiet he’d almost forgotten about her. She was obviously aware of his discomfort and enjoying it far too much.
Trying to ignore her, he smiled at Estelle. “Pleased to meet you. How long have you been, uh…” to his annoyance, he stumbled for a suitable word “…working here?”
A shriek coming from Abby startled them all, drawing their attention. Even Mona stopped scowling at Estelle and frowned at Abby. “What in the hell has gotten into you?”
But Abby’s anger was clearly reserved for Max alone. She marched up to him, stopping only inches away, then tilted her head back and glared. “That is my grandmother you are speaking to,” she said through gritted teeth. “She does not work here.”
“Oh, get off your high horse, Abigail.” Mona huffed. “You saying she’s too good to work here?”
Abby blinked, but she kept her attention on Max. “I’m just saying she doesn’t. And she has no business staying here.”
The tension in the room raised the temperature by ten degrees. And Max had no intention of fanning the flames. He looked away from Abby and stared at the iguana. It stared back. “I’ll tell you who has no business here. It’s that disgusting tongue-wielding reptile.”
Candy gasped. “Disgusting? Tami is not disgusting. She’s my new pet.” Her face softened as she looked at the creature. “Aren’t you, sugar baby?”
“You think you’re keeping her here?”
“Why not?” Candy’s overly plucked eyebrows arched in challenge. “Where do you usually keep a pet?”
“One like that?” Max snorted. “In a zoo.”
“Over my dead body.” The blonde folded her arms across her chest, the movement giving the iguana’s leash more slack, and the animal took two steps toward Max.
Hell, it was his dead body he was worried about. He backed up, and stepped on Abby’s foot.
“Ouch!” She gave him a light jab to the ribs.
He grunted, more in surprise than anything else. “For crying out loud, I didn’t do that on purpose.” When their eyes met, she tried to signal something he didn’t understand.
“I don’t get it,” Candy said. “What’s it to you if I keep Tami here? None of you girls mind, do you?”
Mona shook her head. “She’s gotta be better than that tarantula you had last year.”
“Or that monkey who kept hiding our garters,” Rosie added.
“He was a mean-spirited little thing.”
Were they putting him on? Max looked at Herbert who had sat down, pretty much ignoring everything, and picked candies out of a blue glass dish.
“What about you?” Candy turned to Estelle. “You helped me pick Tami out so I assume you vote she stays.”
“Uh, excuse me.” Abby cleared her throat. “Gramms is coming home with me.”
At this point, Max didn’t give a damn what anyone did. Maybe it was time to cut his losses. He was a minute away from telling Herbert to take him back to the airstrip. These people were all nuts. He eyed the iguana who stood between him and the door.
And then he caught the look on Estelle’s face. Of course he didn’t know her, so perhaps he was wrong, but she looked awfully close to tears. He glanced at Abby. Fear clouded her eyes.
Oh, hell, it was probably his imagination. He didn’t know her either. Nor was this domestic dispute his problem. His gaze reluctantly shifted to Abby again. He hated seeing her beautiful brown eyes so panicked.
“What’s wrong with your grandmother staying here a while?” he asked, knowing he would regret it.
Disappointment spread across Abby’s face. “She has a perfectly fine home she shares with me. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“What I’d like to know,” Candy cut in, “is why keeping Tami is such a big hairy deal.”
“Because I don’t like reptiles,” Max said, his patience gone.
“What difference does that make? You’re not living—” Candy stopped, her gaze narrowing in suspicion. “You’re not moving in here.”
Max reacted with a short bark of laughter. “Don’t be ridiculous.” He shook his head. He was still packed. If he had half a brain he’d head back to the plane right now. But then he briefly caught a glimpse of Abby’s shiny brown hair. “Look, I’ll only be here a couple of days to take care of business. I’m thinking about staying here instead of the motel. But that—” he stared pointedly at the iguana “—has to stay outside until I’m gone.”
Candy opened her mouth to protest, but Rosie stuck an oatmeal raisin cookie in it.
“That seems reasonable,” Mona said, “now how about you tell us what kind of business you’ll be doing?”
He gave her a censuring look. “My business.”
Mona chuckled. “You remind me of Lily. Stubborn as an old mule.”
“If Mr. Bennett will be staying here, obviously there isn’t enough room for you, Gramms.” Abby locked gazes with Estelle. “I’ll help you get your things.”
“Now, hold on there.” Candy’s voice was a little garbled until she swallowed her bite of cookie. “We have three extra rooms since Misty got married and Ginger went back east. And, of course, since Lily, God rest her soul, headed for the great beyond.”
“Don’t forget the sewing room,” Herbert chimed in. “You gals never use it. I could even fix it up some if you like.” Mona’s suspicious gaze swung from Herbert to Estelle. “How come you never offered to help us fix things up before?”
Herbert rubbed the side of his chin, looking slightly sheepish. “Now, that’s not true. I repaired the back steps twice. Plus you know I’m pretty busy most days.”
“Yeah, running down to the Vegas strip and betting on those damn fool Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.” Mona sniffed and cast another piqued look at Estelle. “At least that’s what you been telling me.”
Max was about to put an end to this ridiculous conversation when Abby’s expression caught his interest. She had an unusually expressive face, and it wasn’t difficult to see how her thoughts had unraveled. She was just as worried about anything going on between her grandmother and Herbert as Mona seemed to be. He wondered what that was about, and his interest surprised him. God knew he had many faults, but curiosity wasn’t one of them.
Abby’s gaze slowly swung his way, as if she’d felt him watching her. An unexpected pink tinted her cheeks and she looked really cute. Not his type, but cute.
“I could use some help in the kitchen,” Rosie said, breaking the brief silence as she headed down the short hall, “especially if everyone is staying for supper.”
“I’ll go change my clothes and be right in,” Estelle called to her, carefully avoiding Abby’s gaze.
“I need to talk to you, Gramms.”
“In a minute.” The older woman waved a hand and hurried down the opposite hall.
“And you,” Mona said, pointing a scarlet-tipped finger at Herbert. “Outside. I have a thing or two to say, and I don’t think you want anyone hearing it.”
Worry puckered the man’s brows. “Gee, I’d really like to Mona, but I told you, I’m working.” He turned a pleading look to Max. “Maybe we should go see if Southby is back from fishing.”
“No rush.” Max’s slow grin met with Herbert’s squinty-eyed threat. “Go visit with Mona. And take your time.”
“Come on, Tami.” Candy tugged the leash but the iguana seemed preoccupied with Max. It stuck its long tongue out again as if trying to see if it could reach him. It couldn’t but Max inched back anyway.
“Go. Scat.” He tried to shoo it, but it kept staring at him like he was dinner.
Behind him, Abby giggled.
He growled in exasperation.
“We’re going already.” Candy jerked on the leash and this time Tami obeyed, and they started down the same hall Estelle had taken.
“I hope there’s a back door through there,” Max called after them.
Candy didn’t so much as look back, and Max pretty much figured she planned on sneaking the little beast into her room. The motel was beginning to sound awfully good.
He turned to Abby. “What are you grinning at?”
Lifting a shoulder, she pressed her lips together and slowly shook her head.
She hadn’t smiled much but when she did her entire face changed. It lit up like sunshine on crystal-clear water. Her bow-shaped lips were a natural pink. Perfect. Tempting.
“Didn’t your parents ever take you to the zoo when you were a kid?” she asked, letting her mouth curve again.
“Yes, they did. In fact, I like zoos. They have bars and cages.”
She shook her head at him.
He snorted. “I didn’t see you running up to give it a scratch behind the ears.”
“Touché.”
Max’s curiosity stirred again. Her response surprised him. What he’d expected was a more down-home word or phrase, but not something Taylor or one of his other friends would say. “Tell me the truth. You don’t think it’s weird that Candy has pets like tarantulas and iguanas?”
“You want the truth? I think it’s weird that any state would legally sanction brothels in this day and age.”
“Oh, brother.” Max scrubbed at his eyes. He’d gotten up too damn early. “So, back to lecturing.”
“Wrong.” She shook her head. “I’m not, really.” She studied him for a moment. “Truth time again. If you hadn’t inherited this place, would you have bought it?”
