"No, he's supposed to be workinginsidethe shop, not outside."
"Yeah, and besides, he's taller than that."
"Well, Franny said he was mysterious. That one looks mysterious."
I stared at the connecting door, wishing it were fully shut, or better yet, chained with a good, strong padlock. When I looked to Maisie, she winced. She held up a finger and whispered, "Hang on. I'll be right back."
She turned toward the door, but before she could take a single step, it burst wide open SWAT-team-style, and a trio of older women barreled into the back room like they were storming a castle.
The tallest one gave Maisie a toothy smile even as her eyes zoomed in on me. "So, you've got a new helper, huh?"
Maisie raised her hands, palms out. "Yeah, but he's kind of busy."
"Don't worry," the woman laughed. "We just want to say 'hi.'"
Before Maisie could respond, the trio jostled her aside and scurried toward me, offering three big smiles and one aggressive handshake.
"I'm Beverly," the hand-shaker said. "This is Carol. That's Darleen."
"Damn it, Darleen!" Carol hissed loud enough to be heard on the mainland. "We agreed not to stare."
"I'm not staring," Darleen whispered back. "I'massessing."
Beverly was still gripping my hand and showed no signs of letting go. She leaned closer to say, "So,you'rethe mystery man."
If they only knew.I gave a one-shouldered shrug. "No mystery here. I'm just a guy fixing bikes."
Under her breath, Darleen murmured, "He can fixmeany time."
Carol elbowed her in the ribs. "Darleen!"
Darleen gave her a disgruntled look. "Oh, please. Likeyouweren't thinking it, too."
I had never been a coward, and I wasn't about to become one now. Even so, I glanced behind me toward the rear exit – the actual back door, not the one leading to the front. It wouldn't take long to reach it – a few good strides at most. On the downside, I wouldn't be going alone – not with Beverly stuck to me like gum on a shoe.
I was still considering my options when she finally dropped my hand. With a throaty giggle, she said, "Oopsie. I forgot I was holding on."
Maisie hustled forward, claiming a spot between me and the women. Flashing them a small-town smile, she said, "Thanks forstopping by. It was super nice and all. But we'vereallygot to get back to work."
Beverly gave another giggle. "Oh, I bet you do."
Maisie's face flushed, and she began to sputter. "I meant work-work. You know, with bikes."
From behind her, Darleen whispered to Carol, "I did it once in a Buick. Never on a bike though."
Holy hell.I gave the back door another glance. Maybe Iwasa coward, because escape was sounding pretty damn good.
I was still considering it when Maisie gave a loud gasp. "Oh, my God. Did you see that?"
Beverly jumped. "What?"
Maisie gestured vaguely toward the front of the shop. "I think I saw Rhett Kincaid."
They all whirled to look. Beverly gave a little squeal. "The movie star?"
Maisie nodded like she meant it. "I'm notabsolutelysure, but it definitely looked like him."
I looked toward the front window. Outside, a steady stream of tourists milled along the sidewalk. I saw a few in sunglasses, but none of them looked worthy of an autograph. I stifled a chuckle.Yeah, right. Movie star, my ass.
