A Town Called Valentine(71)
He looked deeply into her eyes, and she thought of all the risky, athletic things she could do with him—in bed. But she was getting ahead of herself, she thought, eating another handful of GORP. Nate chuckled softly, as if he knew what she was thinking.
Admitting to Nate that she felt like a coward where her biological father was concerned spurred Emily to action. The next day, she stopped by St. John’s to see Cathy Fletcher, her mother’s high-school friend. Once again, she didn’t reveal her mother’s pregnancy, but with careful questioning, she got Cathy to reveal the names of two boys who occasionally hung out at the Riley family store when Delilah worked after school.
They were no longer boys, of course. Steve Keppel was now the building and grounds supervisor at the Royal Theater, according to Cathy.
She’d already met the other man—Hal Abrams, the owner of the hardware store. She didn’t want to make Cathy suspicious, so she didn’t ask any detailed questions, but her mind was buzzing. She tried to remember everything about Hal, but he’d been quiet compared to the coffee-drinking ranchers. He had sandy-colored hair, and hers was strawberry blond. That wasn’t too different.
Cathy didn’t think Delilah had actually dated either of the boys, but obviously she’d been with someone. Unless her mom had been forced—no, Emily wasn’t going there. Her mom freely got involved with men throughout her life, and she’d started in Valentine Valley. She’d never had any hang-ups where men were concerned. There wasn’t one particular type, either. She’d dated construction workers and lawyers, even a professional baseball player once. Men had been captivated by her easy charm and her pointed interest in them.
There was one other person Emily could turn to with her questions before approaching her possible dads directly—Doug Thalberg. He’d known her mother well enough to lend her money. Surely he might be able to hazard a guess about the identity of her father, or perhaps confirm Cathy’s suggestions.
And Monica offered her the perfect opportunity the following day when Emily showed up for work.
As Emily set out her carrot cake, Monica breezed in from the workroom and groaned. “You are going to make me fat.”
“But think how happy you’re making your customers.”
“I don’t know. This used to be an occasional thing for me, but with you here, I’m starting to hear from people how much they look forward to sampling. Are they even buying when they come in, or are they just getting fat themselves?”
Emily laughed. “No, they’re honestly buying. I sold that lovely ceramic vase Mrs. Ludlow painted.”
“Oh, good, because that’s been here a while, and I was starting to feel guilty whenever Mrs. Ludlow asked about it. She’ll get a nice check when I do the monthly consignment payout.” She glanced at the carrot cake again. “You know, Missy was down here late last night. She’d left the apartment to make a call on that smart phone that never leaves her hand. When I came down to work on the Thalberg arrangements, I caught her eating several of yesterday’s mini cupcakes. You’d have thought she was committing a crime. God forbid a sister have hips. We’re not alike in that department.”
Emily smiled, but it faded as she studied Monica. “Are things any better between you?”
Monica shrugged. “Mom keeps us busy when we’re together, visiting family, shopping in Aspen. You’ve been a big help letting me get away. I’m feeling guilty that you’re not able to work on your renovations as much.”
“Don’t be. Now that the drywall is up, and that cracked wall mirror gone, I’ve been able to start the prep work before painting.” She hesitated. “But I didn’t mean to sidetrack from you and Melissa.”
“There’s no me and Melissa anymore, so let’s not discuss it. We’re two people with different interests, and living with her is helping me come to terms with that.”
That didn’t sound like they’d made any progress at all, but Emily knew it was time to drop the subject.
Monica briefly consulted the large calendar on the counter. “You up for doing a delivery for me this morning?”
“Of course!” Emily had already driven Monica’s minivan adorned with the flower-shop logo.
“Several arrangements have to go to the Silver Creek Ranch. I think Mrs. Thalberg’s sister is coming to visit, and she wants fresh flowers to liven the place up.” Monica eyed her. “I assume you don’t mind visiting Nate’s family? His dad’s waiting for the delivery.”