Stormfeather Ch. 12

"What?" she said, "I waited until he was finished. Then I shot him."

The four of them laughed at the thought and Stormfeather walked onto the porch and stood framed in the doorway at that instant wondering what he'd walked into and his expression only caused more laughter.

"Please tell me," Amy smiled, "aside from going out into the middle of town, or sitting back against nice furniture on a really hot day, what's wrong with how my man is dressed right now?"

Ximena, Maeve and Sabrina smiled, but said nothing.

"That's right," the proud bride grinned, "I had the same thought."

The statement only added to Arn's curious confusion. "What was it that was being spoken of?" he asked.

"It concerned the shooting of males and the proper timing of it," Amy grinned as she held out a cup full of coffee for him.

"I do not think that there can ever be a good time to do that," he said, smiling as he accepted the cup, "I do not like being shot."

The statement brought strange looks to the faces of Sabrina and the housekeeper. "Have you ever been shot, Arn?" Sabrina asked.

He nodded a little grimly as he sipped the hot beverage.

"You can't be serious," Ximena said flatly.

"He has been shot before," a disembodied- sounding voice stated quietly. "I can see it. There are no marks to be seen, but I know it."

The other women turned in shock to regard Maeve as she sat looking at Arn with slightly wide eyes.

After a moment, she turned to Ximena and spoke quietly. "Are all of the day staff here and working?"

When Ximena nodded, Maeve said, "Then close and lock both of these doors and close the windows. I have some things to say, and they are no one's business but our own - we five here in this room."