Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 108862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Then she sighs and shifts her weight onto her other leg, and all her hair blocks my view of Lance.
“Tell me I’m not crazy,” she nearly commands me.
Why me? I want to ask back, but something in her eyes tells me I’d better just comply. “You’re not crazy.”
“You’re just like your mama, y’know that? Sweet and honest as an apple pie. She was always someone I could count on. Shame she and your papa left town about the time I got elected.” She lets out a weary little sigh, then throws me a wink. “But they left the best thing behind in you. Y’know why everyone trusts you, sugar? ‘Cause you always think of others before you think of yourself.”
I avert my eyes. “Thank you.”
“And it’s why I need your honesty right now. Was the flub big enough to warrant a talk? What’d you think?”
I’m not sure when I started wringing my hands. But here I am, feeling like an awful person, about to lie to the Mayor of Spruce.
Until from around Nadine’s hair comes Lance with a, “Honey, darling, no one noticed, you’re making an anthill out of a mole.”
She blinks, turning to him. “I’m fairly sure that ain’t how that sayin’ goes.”
He gives her shoulder a pat. “What you should be asking him is how he pulled off those gorgeous centerpieces.”
“Wait a dang sec. The ones on the tables?” She turns two big eyes onto me. “Those were yours? I’d just assumed they were done by the same company as everythin’ else!”
“Well, y’know what they say about people who assume …”
“I recommend not finishin’ that thought if you plan on goin’ home with your head still attached to your shoulders,” she cuts him off in a terrifyingly sweet tone.
“Fair.” Lance smiles and slaps a hand onto my shoulder. “It’s a wonder more people in town don’t ask Wyatt here for more. He’s far more capable than anyone gives him credit for.”
Nadine gazes at me, appearing wounded. “It ain’t that I don’t think Wyatt here’s capable, not at all! I just … I just don’t want to overburden the sweetie with my big needy nonsense.”
“Overburden? Please. Wyatt farts flowers in his sleep.”
That earns an enormous cackle from Nadine that turns heads. And a passionate flush radiating from my cheeks like lava. When she recovers, she says, “Come to think of it, I could use a consult on a little gardening idea I’ve been battin’ around my brain.”
“He’ll be happy to chat with you first chance you got,” Lance says on my behalf, patting my back.
“Oh, I sure will,” she says with a warm smile at me. Then some other thing seems to catch her attention behind me, because she shouts, “Hey, Trish! Don’t run off yet! We still need to—Wyatt, are you comin’ to brunch? Come to brunch, we’ll talk more.” And then she’s off chasing Trish across the grass.
I turn to Lance. “Thank you.”
“For what?” he asks with a smirk.
I take a breath and waste no more seconds. “I’m really sorry about last night. I still feel bad.”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m so past that. Grudges give wrinkles. Ask my boyfriend’s ex-wife, bless her sweet little heart. Besides, that’s not why I came over here.” He throws an arm over my back, pulls me in, and lowers his voice. “Where’s your Iron Giant?”
I blink. “My what?”
“He kept looking at you like you were the only person in the whole damned place.” He eyes me. “Spill the tea, Wy-Guy.”
“There’s no tea,” I instantly snap.
“You answered too fast.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“That, too.” I try to pull away, but he keeps me glued to his side and presses on. “Chad also picked up on it. And if my lunk of a hunk picked up on it …?”
“Lance …”
“Seriously, are you his emotional support florist?”
I finally break free and face him. “He’s barely my neighbor.”
“And did you know he’s protective?” He shakes his head. “You were kicking back drink after drink without a care. I lost count, worrying about you from across the yard where Bonnie—bless her soul—was chewing my ear off about her crazy ma-in-law Clarice.”
“I … was really that bad …?”
“Seems like I didn’t have to worry at all.” He eyes me. “Diego took at least three drinks right out of your hands. All you did was laugh. Then he got you a water bottle at one point, too, and when you left it on a table and started wandering off, he went right after you, never letting you out of his sight.”
“You’re lying.”
“If only I was.” He lifts his eyebrows. “Whether or not you two really are a thing, I’ll leave that up to you. But I saw what I saw.” He glances over his shoulder when a truck revs in the parking lot. “That’s Chad. Church always makes him horny. Think he despises being made to sit still for a long time. Men are built to move. And mine wants to move. Maybe yours does, too.” He smirks at me. “I didn’t even ask what y’all were doing for so long that you missed the big number. And if you’re ever asked again, Jimmy was stellar, Bobby lost his bowtie, and the harsh red spotlight at the end was sexy AF.”