Taneea smirks, causing the diamond stud above her lip to glint in the light. “Accusations don’t mean anything unless they’re true.”
“I didn’t do anything I need to explain or justify to you.” Miss Delia’s voice is deep and stern.
Taneea hoists her bag farther up her shoulder. “Then you shouldn’t care if I work for him. By the way, I start tomorrow.”
Heavy footsteps clomp up the walkway leading to the front of the house. A second later Jack and Cooper trudge up the porch steps. They must be finished in the backyard. Cooper wipes his work boots on the mat before opening the screen door. Jack follows and does the same.
Whoa. The air fills with the pungent scent of their hard work and sweat. It stinks but at least it’s overpowered Taneea’s heavy perfume.
Cooper removes his baseball cap, then folds it in half and shoves it into the back pocket of his jeans. “We cleared as much of a path as we could for you, Miss Delia. You should be able to roll your wheelchair back there now, but I still think we ought to lay another stone path for you. I’m afraid you’re going to get stuck in the grass.”
She waves away his concern. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I don’t have much need to go back there anyway. Maybe just one or two trips. Emma can handle the bulk of what needs doing out there from now on.”
Jack collapses on the couch next to me and drapes his arm around my shoulder, unleashing the full brunt of his armpit stench. I catch my breath and jerk out of his grasp. “Gross!” I push him, unfortunately laying my hands on his soggy shirt. “And get off the sofa, you’re going to make the fabric reek too.”
“What? You don’t like Eau de Man?” Jack laughs as he flexes his muscles.
I choke on the odor that’s so strong I can almost taste it. “Not really.”
Miss Delia levels her gaze at him. “Neither do I. Get up.”
Jack springs off the furniture. “Sorry, Miss D.” His eyes are filled with contrition.
She shakes her head as her lips strain to hold back a smile.
“Maybe you and Cooper ought to hit the shower before we go home,” I say, not looking forward to the ride back in an enclosed car.
Cooper shrugs. “No point. We didn’t bring a change of clothes.” Turning toward Taneea, he breaks out into a mile-wide grin. “Hey. Nice bag. My stepmom had one just like it.”
My earlobes tingle. For real? Since when did he like anything that was Missy’s? Or even notice her stuff at all?
She beams. “Hey to you. I haven’t seen you around much lately.” She slips her hand into the white, puffy tote and retrieves a tube of hand lotion. Flipping the top, she squeezes a dollop into her palm and rubs it in, spreading the yellow cream across her knuckles and between her fingers. The fragrance is thick and musky. What’s with this chick and her weird scents?
“Yeah, we’ve been busy.” He lifts the bottom of his shirt to wipe the trickle of sweat from his brow, exposing his ripped abs and the tiny mojo bag I made to protect him from black magic. What the heck is he thinking? Maybe he’s dehydrated and delusional from the heat.
Taneea stares at his perfect six pack. “Me too.”
Jack nudges Cooper’s side with his elbow and clears his throat.
Cooper drops his shirttail and laughs. “This is Jack. He’s too shy to introduce himself.”
Jack scowls. “Am not.”
“Are too.” I smirk, trying to keep the mood light. And to keep from yelling at Cooper for flashing Taneea, or at her for gawking at my boyfriend like he’s supper.
“I’m Jack.” He extends his palm but she leaves him hanging, apparently still fixated on what else lies beneath Cooper’s shirt. Jack drops his hand and stares at her, likely waiting for her to notice the lull in the conversation. His gaze travels to her zebra tank. I don’t need our twin sense to know he’s debating whether to ask if she just broke out of the zoo.
Finally Taneea drags her eyes from Cooper long enough to give Jack a cursory glance. “Hi.” Then she quickly steps toward Cooper. “You know we really should hang out more.” She grips his biceps and bats her eyes, then giggles and give him a squeeze. “Wow. You’re strong.”
Fire roars in my stomach as my nails dig into the soft flesh of my palms. Without thinking I leap to my feet and gape at the sight of her skin on his flesh. A thousand words churn in my brain, crashing into each other, and causing a massive traffic jam that keeps them from traveling to my mouth.
To make matters worse, rather than shirking from her touch, he chuckles. “Thanks.”
I try to say something but she’s still caressing his muscle—and he’s not shaking her off—plus my heart’s racing a million miles a minute, so only a guttural grunt makes it past my lips.
Cooper’s head tilts in my direction. For a second, his blue-gray eyes seem to register my extreme displeasure and distress but then he scratches his temple and the recognition seems to evaporate. He turns his gaze back to Taneea. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. I know you’ve been pretty bored around here. Do you want to come to my stepmother’s funeral? It’s not a party, but there’ll be decent food afterward.”
Jack head snaps in my direction and he mouths, “What the—” Which is exactly the same thing I’m thinking. I know Cooper is trying to be a nice guy, but this is way over the top. And totally inappropriate.
“Sure. Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.” She grins and flashes me a glance.
“It all depends on when the coroner releases her body. I’ll let you know.”
“Great. Text me.” She finally releases him to root through her purse for a piece of paper and pen. Leaning against his broad back for support, she scribbles a number, folds the scrap in half, and tucks it into his other back pocket, the one without the baseball cap.
“Dude, I forgot something in the backyard.” Jack charges forward, his normally olive skin magenta, and pushes Cooper backward toward the front door. “I need your help.”
Taneea yawns and pats her mouth. “I’m tired. You don’t mind if I take nap, do you, Great-gran?”
Miss Delia hitches her brow. “Course not. You need to rest up for that job of yours.” Her voice is laden with so much sarcasm you’d have to be deaf not to hear it.
“Thanks. See you later, Emma. At the funeral party.”
My breath quickens as I imagine smearing that smirk from her face but that would only convince her that she’s gotten to me. No, she will most definitely not win this war. Cooper is my boyfriend. Not hers.
I plaster the fakest smile I can muster. “Right. See you then.”
She pivots and saunters down the tiny hall to the second bedroom and slams the door.
I turn to Miss Delia, an inferno blazing in my gut. “Can you believe that? Who does she think she is? Literally trying to steal Cooper right in front of me.” I’m so angry I’m surprised I’m not exhaling flames.
Miss Delia’s eyes are cold. “You’ve got to put your boy problems aside. We’ve got bigger trouble in store.”
“What could possibly be bigger than boyfriend stealing?” I sigh, exasperated and so wrapped up in my angst whirlwind that I momentarily forget the curse that threatens Cooper’s soul. Which is horrible because as far as problems go, that’s a biggie.
Miss Delia claps her twisted hands. “Get a hold of yourself, Emma. I don’t give a hoot about who likes who, or who shows up at a party. Claude Corbeau has offered my great-granddaughter a job. Believe me, it wasn’t because he thought she’d make a good assistant.”
That jerks me back to reality. “Why do you think he did it?”
She sucks her front teeth. “I don’t know. But I suspect it was to help him gain information on me. Who knows what she’s already told him? Or what she might have said about what we do in that kitchen? In a big stone mortar.” She glances toward the closed swinging door.