and Julieanne?"
"Yes," she practically broadcast her glee. "I'm the youngest of all the sisters." She hugged me again.
"If I'd read this in a book, I'd call it contrived. Coincidences like this just don't happen." I blurted. "This is too weird." I sat down on the ground. Clancy came next to me and put her head on my lap, knowing I needed comforting.
"What's wrong?" Marianne asked softly. "I thought you'd be happy to meet me. I've heard so many wonderful things about you from my sister."
"Nothing's really wrong, I guess. I was just surprised. Flabbergasted, actually. Honestly I am happy to meet you. How many sisters are there?"
"Seven. And one brother. Georgianne is the oldest, then Julieanne, the two you know. And I'm the baby. Well, except for Brother."
The baby indeed. She was well into her 50s, but had such joie de vivre that I should have recognized her as Julieanne's sister, although she didn't have the same loudness that characterized the second oldest. She had the look of Georgianne, appearing snooty, even if she might not be. Then it hit me--maybe I had been using the word "snooty" when they just had upturned noses. Of course, Georgianne really had been snooty when we first met, talking about people behind their backs and putting them down. Perhaps I would start using the word "judgmental" about her, because her sister Julieanne wasn't snooty. I'd played cards with her once a few months ago and she was a delight. Marianne appeared un-snooty as well, but that nose. That nose turned up just enough that I feared it might collect rainwater in a storm.
My thoughts returned to the present as I noticed George walking toward us. Before he could tell me why he was frowning, I quickly introduced him to Marianne Norman and he was as surprised as I was, but was sweet and gentlemanly with his comments. Then he turned his attention back to me.
"Sam," he said, taking both my hands in his, "I'm sorry. But right now, Sheriff Taylor is the only one available in Lost County. He has one deputy, but he's on his honeymoon in Las Vegas. He's asked if I could stay and help for a few days." He stopped talking and just looked into my eyes.
Of course I melted. How could I not? My handsome, balding, getting-a-middle-aged-spread love of my life felt bad that our vacation was interrupted.
"It's fine, George. My goal was to get away with you and Clancy. Of course my goal was to get away from murder too. So I hope this turns out to be nothing."
"I guarantee we will still have an awesome vacation," George said. "If we're here until the day after tomorrow then we'll still have time to drive to the Grand Canyon, stay one night, and come back."
"Maybe we could put off the Grand Canyon until the next time," I ventured the suggestion.
"NO!" He almost yelled it, the word was so vehement. "No," he said more quietly. "We have to go there."
I didn't understand his obsession with getting to the Grand Canyon on this trip, but I let it go. He had so few quirks compared to me, that it was easy for me to overlook them.
Sheriff Taylor approached.
"Marianne," he said, with a big grin. I couldn't help but notice his great teeth that seemed a matched set with hers. Made him even handsomer.
"Jeremiah," she responded, with a little nod, and an almost coy smile.
"Something going on here," I muttered under my breath. Clancy was the only one who heard me. She nodded too. It was almost like Jeremiah's and Marianne's happiness was contagious. I looked at my sweetheart and hoped he got infected too.
"Can you direct us to the nearest motel?" George asked the question of both of them.
They looked at each other before Marianne deferred the answer to Jeremiah, and he spoke.
"We only have one motel in town. It's right on the far side of the cafe here," he pointed, indicating the small building on the other side of the gas station.
"Okay," George said, and it looked like he tried to force a smile.
"Sorry," Jeremiah said and put out an arm to stop us.
"Are we
"Yes," she practically broadcast her glee. "I'm the youngest of all the sisters." She hugged me again.
"If I'd read this in a book, I'd call it contrived. Coincidences like this just don't happen." I blurted. "This is too weird." I sat down on the ground. Clancy came next to me and put her head on my lap, knowing I needed comforting.
"What's wrong?" Marianne asked softly. "I thought you'd be happy to meet me. I've heard so many wonderful things about you from my sister."
"Nothing's really wrong, I guess. I was just surprised. Flabbergasted, actually. Honestly I am happy to meet you. How many sisters are there?"
"Seven. And one brother. Georgianne is the oldest, then Julieanne, the two you know. And I'm the baby. Well, except for Brother."
The baby indeed. She was well into her 50s, but had such joie de vivre that I should have recognized her as Julieanne's sister, although she didn't have the same loudness that characterized the second oldest. She had the look of Georgianne, appearing snooty, even if she might not be. Then it hit me--maybe I had been using the word "snooty" when they just had upturned noses. Of course, Georgianne really had been snooty when we first met, talking about people behind their backs and putting them down. Perhaps I would start using the word "judgmental" about her, because her sister Julieanne wasn't snooty. I'd played cards with her once a few months ago and she was a delight. Marianne appeared un-snooty as well, but that nose. That nose turned up just enough that I feared it might collect rainwater in a storm.
My thoughts returned to the present as I noticed George walking toward us. Before he could tell me why he was frowning, I quickly introduced him to Marianne Norman and he was as surprised as I was, but was sweet and gentlemanly with his comments. Then he turned his attention back to me.
"Sam," he said, taking both my hands in his, "I'm sorry. But right now, Sheriff Taylor is the only one available in Lost County. He has one deputy, but he's on his honeymoon in Las Vegas. He's asked if I could stay and help for a few days." He stopped talking and just looked into my eyes.
Of course I melted. How could I not? My handsome, balding, getting-a-middle-aged-spread love of my life felt bad that our vacation was interrupted.
"It's fine, George. My goal was to get away with you and Clancy. Of course my goal was to get away from murder too. So I hope this turns out to be nothing."
"I guarantee we will still have an awesome vacation," George said. "If we're here until the day after tomorrow then we'll still have time to drive to the Grand Canyon, stay one night, and come back."
"Maybe we could put off the Grand Canyon until the next time," I ventured the suggestion.
"NO!" He almost yelled it, the word was so vehement. "No," he said more quietly. "We have to go there."
I didn't understand his obsession with getting to the Grand Canyon on this trip, but I let it go. He had so few quirks compared to me, that it was easy for me to overlook them.
Sheriff Taylor approached.
"Marianne," he said, with a big grin. I couldn't help but notice his great teeth that seemed a matched set with hers. Made him even handsomer.
"Jeremiah," she responded, with a little nod, and an almost coy smile.
"Something going on here," I muttered under my breath. Clancy was the only one who heard me. She nodded too. It was almost like Jeremiah's and Marianne's happiness was contagious. I looked at my sweetheart and hoped he got infected too.
"Can you direct us to the nearest motel?" George asked the question of both of them.
They looked at each other before Marianne deferred the answer to Jeremiah, and he spoke.
"We only have one motel in town. It's right on the far side of the cafe here," he pointed, indicating the small building on the other side of the gas station.
"Okay," George said, and it looked like he tried to force a smile.
"Sorry," Jeremiah said and put out an arm to stop us.
"Are we
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