AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Scarlett and Dakota go back to their seats next to Jamison.
“Pappy’s adorable,” I whisper to Sofie.
“Girl. He has every female in Landmark Mountain heart-eyed. He’s that amazing all the time,” she whispers back. “Almostevery female.”
“How could anyone resist?” I ask.
She shakes her head, her expression turning mischievous when she looks over at his table. He’s saying something to Grinny, his smile wide, and she flushes and shakes her head, looking more serious than I’ve seen her.
“It takes a very strong and stubborn woman to resist,” she says, chuckling.
“Oh…is something…arethey—” I stare at Grinny and Pappy and think nothing in the world could be cuter than the two of them together.
She leans in closer. “Between you and me,” she whispers, “they both loved their spouses so much, and Pappy’s wife has been gone longer than Grinny’s husband, but he still talks about her like she hung the moon. It’s incredible, the love there. But…” She pauses and then smirks. “I don’t know. I could be imagining it all, but they danced at my wedding and…I think I saw something there. Grinny is the nicest, most loving humanever, but she gets a little…agitated when Pappy is around.”
“But they’d beso cute.”
“Why don’t you join us, Sofie? There’s room,” Uncle Pierre says, pointing at the chair across from him.
Callum and I are still standing and I don’t want to make it look like I’m waiting to see where he sits, even if I am, so I sit down next to Uncle Pierre.
“Oh, Theo’s already ordered my pancakes over there. I better go sit with him. I’ll be back though,” she says, smiling at me.
Callum sits across from me and a cute older lady walks up to the table, pulling out the chair next to Callum. I’ve noticed her before now, flitting all over the restaurant like a butterfly.
“Grinny told me and Helen you were beautiful, Miss Ruby, and she wasn’t kidding,” she says, reaching across the table to lift a lock of my hair. She rubs my hair between her fingers and makes a clicking sound with her mouth. “I used to have hair like this,” she says.
“Your hair is beautiful,” I tell her. And it is. It’s not long, but it’s thick, and she has great style.
She waves me off and flutters her eyelashes at Callum. “She’s sweet too.” She winks. “You should keep her.”
His eyebrows lift. “Hey, Peg.”
“Hey, good-lookin’, the haircut is sexy as all get-out.”
“Thanks,” he says, lifting his eyes to mine.
I’m pressing my lips together to keep from laughing, and Uncle Pierre has already laughed out loud at Peg twice. It doesn’t seem to register with her.
She turns her attention back to me. “What are you, 5’9”? 5’9 1/2”?”
“Uh, I think I’m 5’9”, yes.”
She puts her hand on her heart and shakes her head reverently. “I wanted to be 5’9” so badly. As it was, these short little legs of mine had to work overtime.”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, Peg, ease her in slowly,” a woman says behind me.
I look back and it’s the woman who was sitting with Grinny and Sutton. She has short, permed hair and she’s leveling Peg with a look.
“Settle down, Helen,” Peg says. “I was just admiring Ruby’s long legs. If we can’t appreciate one another’s strengths, what are we even doing on this planet?”
“If only you’d appreciate strengths beyond the superficial,” Helen says primly.
“I appreciate all the strengths,” Peg insists.
“Mm-hmm,” Helen tuts, but when her gaze turns to mine, it warms. “Hello there. I’m Helen.”
“Nice to meet you, Helen,” I say, smiling up at her.
