Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“I’m not saying a thing,” I say, laughing. “He’s over here all the time. He’ll break our doorframes if his head gets any bigger.”
“Oh, the things I wonder …” She snorts. “Not really. He’s practically married, and that’s completely and utterly off-limits. Fuck you, Jasper. And I adore Audrey. I’d shank the shit out of someone for that girl.”
All I can do is laugh.
Markie has always been feisty when it comes to the opposite sex. She’s had her fair share of duds for sure. But something changed in her when Jasper cheated on her, and I’m starting to wonder if the old, slightly more tolerant Markie will ever return.
“Think of it this way,” she says. “What do successful men want almost immediately after finding success? They want more women. And what do successful women want when they find success? They don’t want a man.”
“I don’t know if that’s true across the board.”
“It’s true across three-fourths of the board. I promise you that.”
My shoes crunch the gravel as I make my way over to the barn. The side-by-side is sitting out front, meaning that Bobby’s still around here somewhere.
“So I have a lead on my pickleball teammate,” she says. “I swear that I have looked at every man with decent athletic ability in both Sugar and Walnut counties, and I’ve come up with a list of like five guys who might work out.”
“You know that it’s just a game, right?” I ask, bracing for her to fly off the handle.
It takes one second for the pushback to come.
“This is not just a game. Nobody beats me,” she says. “And I might’ve been able to let it go—relinquish my crown … retire, if you will. But I refuse to lose to Jasper.”
I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.
“Anyway, I’m interviewing a guy from Walnut County this evening over coffee,” she says. “I hope he’s as good in real life as he is on paper.”
I giggle. “I love that you interview people for this.”
“One year, I kind of pants’d it and nearly lost the championship game because my partner had a recurring Achilles tendon issue that wasn’t disclosed to me. I won’t do that again.”
Pressing the gate, I enter the area where Pigasso lives—for now, anyway. Once the Betsy Barn remodel is finished, Pigasso will move out there to a brand-new pen. I almost have Hartley talked into letting me decorate it with twinkly lights.
“I’m going to have lunch with Audrey and Gianna tomorrow at Piper’s if you want to come,” I say. “We’re going to meet there at two.”
“Yeah, I’ll come. Did Gianna ever find a house here?”
“No. But do you remember where Nettie used to live when we were kids?”
“Yes.”
I lean against the rail and watch Pigasso sleep in the corner across from me. “Well, it’s not that house. But the green one next to it, with black shutters. Do you know the one I mean?”
“Oh yeah. I think Nettie took dance lessons there or something. The woman who lived there used to teach them out of her basement.”
“Well, that house is for sale, and they toured it yesterday, I think. I don’t know what happened with it, or if they even made an offer, but Gianna loved it.”
I can’t wipe the smile off my face. Who am I, chatting away with my sister and planning lunch dates? Knowing all the tea?
“Well, Drake’s a sucker,” Markie says. “If Gianna wants it, she’ll get it.”
We laugh because she’s absolutely right.
“Okay, I gotta go,” my sister says. “I have a tutoring appointment in five minutes. They’re always late, but the one time I’m on the phone and unprepared, they’ll be early.”
“See you tomorrow. Love you.”
“Love you, sissy. Bye.”
I blow out a happy breath and shove away from the fence.
Hartley should be back around in about an hour, and I want to surprise him. But that’ll take a shower, fresh shave, and the last piece of lingerie from my bachelorette party, so I need to get started.
Well, there’s one more piece, but I’ll never use it. Lolly’s gift.
I can never unsee that.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
Hartley
“I can pick it up on Monday,” I tell Kellan. “Will that work?”
“It should. Let me check with Receiving. Hang on.”
I lean against the counter of Wilmer’s Supply, grinning as I watch my wife tease Burt across the store. He’s clearly enchanted by her—leaning in with stars in his eyes. Can’t blame the guy. She’s put a spell on me that I can’t break, and it’s been this way for decades.
Mira’s cutoffs and boots certainly don’t hurt.
“Monday’s good,” Kellan says, returning from the back. “I checked with Marty, and he said it should be in on Friday. We’ll call you if we get it, and you can come then or just wait till the first of the week. Whatever works for you.”
“Thanks. Appreciate it.” I tap the counter with my fingertips. “Okay, Burt. Enough flirting with my wife. I’m taking her home now.”