Here Comes Trouble Read Online Free Page A

see how
she'd taken having her daughter's dirty laundry
aired in public. She was gaping at Janice Smith as
if she were some sort of alien being. Very strange
and not at all the reaction he'd expected.
    He shifted uncomfortably. Perhaps more had
changed in Littlemouth than he'd first thought.
    "You're aware, Quin, about the upcoming high
school reunion?" asked Cait.
    "I heard about it."
    Prissy Goody leaned forward. "My daughter is
too shy to ask you, but she hinted she'd like to go
with you."
    Stella was never too shy to speak up before, so
he couldn't see why it would be a problem now.
But maybe after her breakup she was feeling reluctant? "Thanks for the tip. I'll see what I can
do."
    Prissy gave him a big toothy grin and the other
Troublemakers looked quite pleased with themselves. A tad too pleased.
    Cait contained herself until she'd ushered
Debby and Quin out the door. Then she turned to
Janice and shrieked.
    "I thought you were going to tell him she'd
found him with another woman!"

    "He expected that. You heard him. He wouldn't
have found that at all interesting. So I ad-libbed a
little. The story I told him was true." She giggled.
"Except it took place in Muskogee and with other
people. I read about it in the paper last week and
it stuck with me."
    Prissy stood with her hands on her hips. "I wish
you hadn't told that zinger, Janice. My poor
daughter would die of mortification if she heard
such a story. I can't believe you did it."
    Janice grinned broadly. "Well, I think it worked.
Did you see the look on his face? He'll hightail it
over to Stella's place within twenty-four hours and
ask her to the reunion."
    Prissy shook her head. "He probably thinks
there's something wrong with her. My heavens,
Janice, what will you think up next? You know
there're such things as slander and libel."
    "I sure hope we know what we're doing, ladies," Prissy continued, rising from her chair. "If
we go too far, Quin may never come home again."
    "Then we'll have to see that we don't make any
mistakes," replied Cait in a voice of finality.
    "We'll tell him about Stella being a bestselling
author tomorrow," Miss Tipplemouse suggested
gleefully. "I really like that one. With him being
a famous journalist, I'm sure he'll find that interesting."

When Stella pulled into her driveway after
school the following day, her mother sat waiting
for her in one of the two matching white wicker
rockers adorning Stella's front porch.
    Stella parked, grabbed her heavy satchel, then
went to greet her mother. "You look nice today,
Mom."
    "Thank you, Stella." She eyed Stella's pastel
blue suit and white blouse. "Perhaps we should go
shopping next week? I think you could use an update."
    "My clothes are fine for my lifestyle." Her
mother wanted her to dress more like a student
than a teacher. Stella unlocked the door and waited
for her mom to go in, before using her foot to kick the door closed. "Come on in the kitchen and I'll
make us both some iced tea."

    "I can't stay long. I came to ask you a favor."
    Stella dropped her things on the kitchen table,
then went to the sink to fill the kettle with fresh
water. "What do you need?"
    "I ran into Millicent in town today."
    "That snob?" Stella rolled her eyes. Millicent
was the thorn in her mother's side. "Did she give
you grief over Elise's engagement?"
    "So, you know about it."
    "Yeah, Elise called me yesterday and told me
about her engagement. She warned me her mother
might try to one-up you over it."
    "It wouldn't have been so bad if she'd stopped
there." Her mother bit her lip, then took a deep
breath. "Stella, you have to help me out."
    "I'm not going to run off and marry the first
man I see, Mom, just to put Millicent in her
place."
    "Don't be silly. All I want is your promise."
    Stella put the kettle on the stove and turned on
the burner. "What's the promise?"
    "That you won't go stag to the class reunion
like you did to the prom. Is that asking so