“I heard that the vehicle looked just like Rachel’s.”
Gossip traveled faster than the speed of light in Winslow Heights. The grapevine hadn’t wasted any time.
“I don’t think Rachel would try to kill Josh. Besides, I was with her later in the day when she got the call about him. She was truly upset when she heard the news.”
“There are a lot of people who wouldn’t be surprised if she did,” Lindsey replied with a shrug. “There have been rumors around town that she and Josh are having problems. Some say that Josh and Shelly are sleeping together. They say that’s why Leo was so upset the night of the party.”
Shelly? As in Leo and Shelly? This was something new. Did Lindsey realize that Rachel thought thatshewas the affair partner? It was far too confusing and had way too many players in this game.
“Who is saying this?” Cat asked. “Sometimes, rumors are just rumors.”
“Winnie said it, and she’s Rachel’s best friend and business partner. She would know.”
If Rachel had told Winnie that she thought Josh was sleeping with Shelly, why on earth had she told Cat that he was sleeping with Lindsey? Did she think that Josh was sleeping with all the women in town? Was this simply some sort of paranoia? It didn’t give Rachel a great deal of credibility.
A better question might be why Winnie was spouting Rachel’s personal business to other people. It made Cat think that Rachel needed different friends.
The bell over the door rang again, and a couple walked in, immediately cooing at Tiger, who had been sitting patiently while Cat and Lindsey had talked. The dog began jumping around and yipping when he saw that it was his parents.
“I’ll call you about lunch,” Cat promised as she moved toward the exit. Lindsey had her hands full with the customers who wanted to book their next appointment. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Lindsey waved goodbye, and Cat turned down the sidewalk and headed to Tate’s. It had been a strange conversation. If Lindsey was having an affair with Josh, she was one cool customer. As for Shelly sleeping with Josh, she couldn’t take that seriously either. Leo didn’t seem like the type of guy who would pick a fight in public where many people could overhear them.
It was one more thing in all of this mess that didn’t make a lick of sense.
Frankie’s arms were crossed over her chest, her lips pressed into a thin, mutinous line. She was gloriously angry, and Tate wasn’t about to take a bit of the blame. It all belonged to Zack, and that’s where she should be directing her ire.
“I told him to tell you,” Tate said, not bothered in the least about throwing his oldest sibling under the bus. His brother should have fucking known better. “Cooper told him to tell you. He decided differently.”
“You could have told me. Either one of you,” Frankie replied, the words short and clipped. “But you didn’t.”
“It was his mistake to rectify,” Tate explained. “And don’t try turning this around on us just because you don’t want to arguewith Zack and lose. We’re not taking responsibility for this. If you’re pissed off, talk to him.”
Zack, for his part, didn’t appear to be all that chastened. He was sitting at the bar, casually sipping a whiskey. Cooper, on the other hand, had a wicked grin on his face, clearly enjoying the sparring.
“I don’t really give a shit,” Sam declared with a roll of his eyes. “We know now. Sure, it would have been better to know before, but it’s not like we don’t get to see everything, right? You’re not hiding anything else?”
Sam was the pragmatic sibling. He didn’t like getting upset about something unless he truly needed to. Perhaps that was why he’d been able to work with their dad for so many years. Joel Winslow’s antics barely seemed to register with Sam.
“Not a thing,” Cooper assured him. “All of the items are in Zack’s spare room.”
“Are you sure there’s not anything else you’re not telling us?” Piper asked, her lower lip trembling and her eyes shining with unshed tears.
Shit, they’d hurt her feelings. Frankie was mad, but Piper was hurt. That was ten times worse.
His mother had done the same thing. She’d tell him she wasn’t angry, just disappointed. That had to be the worst declaration ever in parenting.
I disappointed her. Dammit.
Piper was so like their mother in many ways, not just looks. Their personalities were similar, as were their noses and chins.
“I don’t like seeing this,” Uncle Mark finally said from his perch on a barstool, soft drink in hand. “Brothers and sisters arguing. It’s sad. Lily’s passing should have brought you all together, not torn you apart.”
“Sadly, that didn’t happen,” Zack replied, his voice soft. “But I guess there’s still time.”
“Winslows suck at working as a team,” Cooper said bluntly. “We’re all a bit self-absorbed.”
Poor Lucy and Jane were sitting off to the side and looking uncomfortable, possibly second-guessing their involvement with a Winslow brother.
