Here Comes Trouble Read Online Free

yesterday. But I'm
planning to go see Brendan McCade later today."
    "Brendan has become a fine young man," replied Janice. "He makes a handsome deputy sheriff and wait until you see him in his uniform! Makes my heart flutter. Most of the young women
in town have tried to capture that one."

    "Have you seen Stella?" asked Cait in an innocent voice which was enough to make Quin take
notice. "Now, she's turned out to be an interesting
young woman."
    "I saw her in passing." He had to be careful
here. The last thing he wanted to do was let them
get wind of him groping her in a dumpster. "She's
still teaching biology?"
    Prissy nodded. "I suppose you heard about my
daughter breaking off the engagement?"
    "The engagement?" He was shocked, though
hid it well. Somehow, he'd never thought about
Stella marrying anyone. She really ought to have
mentioned it before he'd begun fantasizing about
kissing her. Besides, why hadn't his mother told
him about Stella being engaged?
    He scooted in his chair. Maybe things in Littlemouth had changed more than he'd thought.
    "To James Dexter," added Cait.
    "I hadn't heard anything about it." How could
Stella think about marrying that stick in the mud?
The kids hadn't nicknamed him Poindexter for
nothing. Quin looked at his mother, hoping for a
clue, but she had her gaze glued to her hands.
    Janice jumped in, "I hope it won't embarrass
you, Prissy, if I tell Quin?"

    "I suppose it would be best coming from me,
but I'm afraid I find it a bit too recent."
    Janice leaned forward, as if to impart hush-hush
information. "It all began when Stella took her
Maid of Honor home to see her wedding dress."
    "My daughter, Anne," chimed in Cait.
    "You do know Stella inherited her grandmother's home over on Park Street, Quinlan?"
asked Prissy.
    "I'm glad to hear she got the house," he said as
steadily as he could. "I always liked your mother.
I was sorry to hear about her death."
    "It's been several years, and while I miss her,
I'm glad Stella has her own place."
    "When Stella and Anne arrived," Janice said,
drawing the attention back to herself, "James's car
was parked in the driveway."
    "So tragic," murmured Miss Tipplemouse, obviously much moved by the story and Quin wondered where it could be leading. When he'd seen
her, Stella had looked like Stella, his childhood
best friend and the prettiest girl in town. Of course,
by the time they'd parted today, she'd looked a bit
worse for wear-more like the dirtiest girl in
town.
    "Stella and Anne went upstairs to the guest
room where Stella had hung her gown, but when
they got there, the wedding veil was missing," Janice continued. "When they'd come in, they hadn't seen any sign of James, so now with both the veil
and the groom missing, they became worried and
began to search the place."

    "Janice," said his mother. "I don't think-"
    Cait gave her an extremely pointed look while
Janice went on. "When they got to Stella's bedroom, what do you think they found?"
    "She found Dexter with another woman?"
    "No," cried Janice.
    After a moment's hesitation, the ladies all
laughed. Shrilly. What was so funny about that?
    "If only that's what it had been," said Janice,
melodramatically.
    "What was it then?"
    Janice beamed at him like he was a bright young
man. He must have asked the right question. There
was a breathless hush as each of the women became as motionless as a cobra about to strike.
    "She found the groom trying on her wedding
veil."
    "Poindexter?!"
    "Oh, my," moaned Miss Tipplemouse as she
and the other ladies leaned forward in their seats.
"Poor, poor Stella."
    He had to admit that this certainly made her
interesting-at least among the gossip set. As
proud as Stella was, though, he knew she'd taken
it hard. "Is she doing all right?"
    "Oh, dear me, yes," answered his mother. "That child has so many interests, what's a mere man
when compared to them?"

    "I'm glad to hear that." Poor Stella.
    He checked Prissy's expression to