Carolina Moon

shoulder while her long blond hair flew behind her.
    “Lissy Harlowe.”
    Lissy cocked her head. “Do I know you? Why, I’m so sorry, I just don’t…” Those blue eyes widened. “Tory? Tory Bodeen? For heaven’s sake.” She gave a little squeal and hauled herself to her feet. She looked to be about six months pregnant from the bulge under the pale pink shirt. “Daddy said how you’d be coming by sometime this week.”
    Despite Tory’s automatic step in retreat, Lissy scurried around the desk to embrace her like a long-lost friend. “This is so exciting.” She pulled back to beam cheer and welcome. “Tory Bodeen come back to Progress after all this time. And don’t you look pretty.”
    “Thank you.” Tory watched Lissy’s eyes scan, measure, then glint with satisfaction. There was no doubt here who’d grown up better. “You look so much the same. But you were always the prettiest girl in Progress.”
    “Oh, what foolishness.” Lissy waved a hand but couldn’t stop herself from preening a bit. “Now, you just sit right down and let me get you something cold to drink.”
    “No, don’t bother. I’m fine. Did your father get the lease agreement?”
    “Seems like he mentioned he did. The whole town’s talking about your shop. I can’t wait till you’re open. You just can’t find pretty things in Progress.” She walked behind the desk again as she spoke. “Lord knows you can’t be driving down to Charleston every time you want something with a bit of style.”
    “That’s good to know.” Tory sat, and found herself eye level with the sign that identified Lissy Frazier. “Frazier? Dwight? You married Dwight?”
    “Five happy years. We have a son. My Luke’s the cutest thing.” She turned a framed photo around to show off a bright-eyed, towheaded toddler. “And we’re expecting his brother or sister by end of summer.”
    She gave the mound of her belly a satisfied pat, and wiggled her fingers so her wedding and engagement rings caught the light and flashed fire from the diamonds.
    “You never married, honey?”
    There was just enough bite in the question to let Tory know Lissy still liked being the best. “No.”
    “I just admire you career women more than I can say. You’re all so brave and smart. Y’all put us homebodies to shame.” When Tory lifted a brow at the desk and the name plate, Lissy laughed and waved her hand again. “Oh, I just come in a couple times a week to help Daddy out. Once the baby’s born, I’m sure I won’t have the time or energy.”
    And would, Lissy thought, go quickly and not so quietly mad at home with two children. But she’d deal with that, and Dwight, when the time came.
    “Now, you just tell me everything you’ve been up to.”
    “I’d love to chat, Lissy.” If you yanked my tongue out and wrapped it around my neck. “But I need to get settled.”
    “Oh, how silly of me. You must be just worn out and ready to drop.” The thin smile told Tory that if she wasn’t, Lissy certainly thought she looked it. “We’ll have our-selves a nice, long catch-up once you’re rested.”
    “I’ll look forward to it.” Remember, Tory told herself, this is just the type of customer you need. “I ran into Wade just a few minutes ago. He mentioned the house—my old house—might be available to rent.”
    “Why, it sure is. The Lavelle tenants moved on just a couple weeks back. But, honey, you don’t want to live way out there, now, do you? We’ve got some nice apartments right here in town. River Terrace has everything a single girl could want, including single men,” she added with a sly wink. “Modern fixtures, wall-to-wall carpet. We’ve got us a garden unit available that’s just lovely.”
    “I’m not interested in an apartment. I’d enjoy being out in the country a ways. What’s the rent?”
    “I’ll just look that up for you.” She knew it, of course. Lissy’s mind was much sharper than people expected. She preferred it that way. She shifted her chair, fumbled with the keyboard of her computer a bit for form. “I swear, I’ll never get the hang of these things. You know that’s a two-bedroom, one-bath frame construction.”
    “Yes, I know.”
    Scanning the screen, Lissy tossed off the monthly rent. “Now, that’s a good fifteen-, twenty-minute drive from town. This sweet little apartment I was telling you about’s no more’n a ten-minute walk on a pretty day.”
    “I’ll take the house.”
    Lissy glanced up,