“I know you can’t give me details about your cases, but this wouldn’t have anything to do with Ed and Lynn Morrow, would it?”
Helen regarded her with surprise. “Why would you ask that?” she said in a way that to Flo’s ears was answer enough.
“I know you took her case. I also know that Sarah and Travis are worried sick about Lynn. They used to live next door, you know, in Sarah’s parents’ house. Raylene’s there now, and she mentioned a few things to Sarah. I guess Raylene gave Lynn a part-time job, and she’s been trying to have Lynn and the kids over for dinner a couple of times a week, but they all seem to think things are pretty bad.”
“How did all this information get from Raylene and Sarah to you?” Helen asked curiously.
“Liz, of course. Living in the guest cottage behind Sarah and Travis, she sees them all the time. They’ve become like family. Sarah confides in her.”
“And Liz naturally mentioned it to you,” Helen concluded. “The Serenity grapevine at its best.”
“It’s not always a bad thing,” Flo reminded her. “I know it can hurt being the talk of the town, but sometimes it lets people know when folks need help. I can’t abide idle gossip, but this is different. At least, that’s how it seems to me.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
She regarded her daughter intently. “So, just how bad are things? Is there anything I can do? I’ve been in that position, a single mom with nowhere to turn. If I can help, I’d like to. Liz feels the same way, but we’re at a loss about what we could do without offending Lynn’s pride.”
Helen looked at Flo with amazement.
“Is that incredulous look on your face about your not believing I have a compassionate bone in my body or because you’re stunned by my insight?” Flo asked wryly.
“I guess I’m just surprised that you’d want to get involved when neither of you knows Lynn that well. It’s very thoughtful of both of you, but you’re right. I don’t think Lynn’s open to a lot of outside help right now. Admitting there are problems, even to me, is hard for her.”
“Are you going to be able to fix this for her?”
“I hope so,” Helen said. “I’m just afraid it’s going to take longer than I anticipated.”
“Well, if you need backup, you can count on Liz and me. Frances, too, more than likely, if she’s feeling up to it.” Flo regarded her daughter with a grin. “At our ages, we don’t mind stirring up a little trouble, if need be. Might be fun to land myself in jail for a worthy cause.”
Helen looked vaguely alarmed. “What sort of trouble are you contemplating?”
“Picketing outside of Ed’s office came to mind,” Flo said eagerly. “Folks expect their insurance people to behave responsibly. A little public humiliation might go a long way toward making him shape up and do the right thing by his family.”
Helen’s expression lit up momentarily, but then she shook her head. “Much as I love that idea, I think we’ll stick to a legal approach for now, Mom. But believe me, if I can’t get him to change his ways in a big fat hurry, the three of you are welcome to take him on.”
Flo nodded. “Just say the word. I’m pretty good at making up protest signs, if I do say so myself. They turned out real good for that antibullying rally, and the ones Liz dreamed up in support of Laura Reed at the school were downright inspired. All those civil rights demonstrations Liz carried out years ago taught her a thing or two about effective protests.”
“I can’t deny that the three of you played a big part in rallying public sentiment,” Helen said. “Let’s see how this plays out in court next week before we take the next step, okay?”
“Whatever you want,” Flo said, then stood up. “I hate to leave you with the dishes, but I need to run.”
Helen regarded her with a startled expression. “It’s still early. Don’t you want to stay and help me tuck in Sarah Beth?”
Flo took a deep breath, then blurted, “Actually I have a date.” She held her breath, waiting for Helen’s reaction. It was pretty much what she’d expected—her daughter looked as if Flo had spoken in a foreign language.
“A date? Since when? Who?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you all about him next time I’m over,” Flo said breezily. “I don’t want to keep him waiting. We’re going over to Columbia dancing.”
“At this hour?”
“You just said yourself that it’s still early. And I’m a night owl.”
Helen frowned. “Since when? You didn’t used to be.”
“Because I had to be up and out the door for work at the crack of dawn,” Flo explained patiently. “Now I can stay up as late as I like.” She pressed a kiss to her daughter’s cheek. “Love you. Tell Sarah Beth good-night for me.”
She grabbed her purse and hurried out before Helen could gather enough of her wits to do the kind of cross-examination that Flo knew was coming sooner or later. To Flo’s way of thinking, later was better.
For all her open-mindedness about most things, when it came to her mother’s social life, Helen was downright stuffy. She had been ever since Flo had carelessly mentioned leaving a box of condoms in the nightstand beside her bed as they were driving away from Boca Raton. The poor girl had nearly had a heart attack right there on I-95! Flo hoped to avoid causing that reaction a second time.
* * *
Lynn dressed with extra care in the morning. She told herself it was simply because she always tried to look nice when she was working for Raylene in her upscale boutique. She knew, though, that the pink blush on her cheeks and the mascara she was applying had more to do with Mitch stopping by than it did with impressing Raylene’s customers.
She was in the kitchen with a pot of coffee brewed when Mitch tapped on the back door.
“Come in. It’s open,” she called out.
He walked into the kitchen, frowning. “Do you leave that door unlocked all the time?”
“Only when I’m expecting someone to pop in from right next door,” she said.
“Well, it’s a bad idea,” he grumbled, clearly not placated.
“Duly noted,” she said, amused by just how far his protectiveness seemed to go.
His gaze narrowed suspiciously. “You’re not really paying a bit of attention to me, are you?” he asked.
“Honestly? Not so much.”
“I’m beginning to think you and Raylene are going to be the death of me. She refuses to wear a hard hat in a construction zone. You leave the door open for anyone to just walk in. I was taught to look out for women.”
“And I was taught to look out for myself,” she replied.
“Then do it,” he said with frustration.
She regarded him with a tolerant expression. “Coffee?”
“Are you trying to change the subject?”
“Yes,” she said, already pouring the coffee into a mug. “Otherwise, I fear our working relationship is going to get off to a very bad start. Besides, you seem to be caffeine-deprived. That would explain the cranky mood.”
Mitch shook his head and sighed. “You’re probably right.” He set the laptop on the table. “Is this okay for now?”
“Sure. I’ll make room for it on my desk later.”
“I have the printer in the truck.”
“Looks as if the laptop will work with mine,” she said. “Let’s hold