“Are we goin’ or not?”
His expression turned surly, and now she questioned her own eyes. Had he shown a softer side of himself for a brief moment, or had she imagined it? Or wished for it? “Yeah,” she said, charging toward her car two rows over. “We’re going.”
She walked to her vehicle and turned on the air as soon as she got inside. It was late August, and it would be hot clear to the end of September.
Jasper had moseyed behind her, unhurried. Without a word he got into the passenger seat. Equally silent, she drove toward Maple Falls.
After a few minutes, the quiet wore on her. Even when she drove by herself, she had the music on or was talking on the phone through her Bluetooth. She glanced at him, and he shifted, as if he felt her eyes on him. Finally she said, “What was all that about during lunch?”
“All what?”
“Humph.” She tried as hard as she could to imitate the cranky old man’s harrumph. She must have been successful, because he didn’t look at her like she was crazy.
“Don’t think it’s right to poke into other folks’ affairs. Especially those of the romantical kind.”
Well, that was one thing they could agree on. “You saw Olivia and Kingston together. What did you think?”
He rubbed his stubby thumb over the hem of his jacket. “Didn’t pay them much mind.” He side-eyed her. “Looks like you paid them too much.”
Jasper had her there, confound it. She sighed as they crossed the Maple Falls city limits. “Bea is positive those two are meant for each other.”
“Maybe they are. Maybe they ain’t. Probably best to let it happen on its own.”
The world had to be upside down right now. There was no other explanation for her and Jasper having a civil conversation and agreeing with each other on every point. Especially about romance, and particularly since he was a lifelong bachelor.
“Why didn’t you ever get married?” Erma blurted. It was a question she’d always had but never asked, even though she’d known the man for decades. He’d been very private about his private life.
“Ain’t never met the right woman at the right time.”
“Maybe someone should have set you up.”
He scoffed. “If they had, they would have gotten an earful from me. Probably a fistful, in my younger days.”
She chuckled. He had been pugnacious back in the day. Now he was worn down. That was another thing she couldrelate to. The body cooperated less and less with the mind at their age.
Erma pulled into Jasper’s driveway. She expected him to bolt from her car as soon as she put the engine into Park. Instead, he cleared his throat.
“You, uh, wouldn’t want to come inside for a spell, would ya? Tanner sent me home with a gallon jug of fresh-squeezed lemonade he said was left over from supper last night. Can’t drink all that on my own.”
He’d gobsmacked her, all right. She opened her mouth to tell him no. They might be getting along now, but that would change any minute. He was cantankerous, she was stubborn, and they had nothing in common except that they liked to dig at each other. Oh, and they both disliked being the target of matchmaking.
She flinched, realizing how hypocritical she was being. In her defense, she had tried to stop the BBs and their anticsfor a little while. And she still didn’t know why she had an off feeling about Olivia and Kingston.
“Never mind.” He dug into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Twenty enough for the ride?”
“Put that away.” She turned off the engine and looked at him. “Is that lemonade cold?”
“Been in the fridge all day.”
“You got sugar in case it’s too tart? I can’t abide sour lemonade.”
He frowned. “It ain’t tart, but if you aim to sweeten it up, I got you covered.”
“All right. But just for one cup. That’s all. I’m a busy woman, and I have a lot of things to do.”
He peered at her. “On the Lord’s day? You don’t fool me, Erma Jean McAllister. You were gonna go home and take a nap. Same as I was gonna do.”
Rats. He was right about that too. That’s exactly what she had planned to do—after putting aside all thoughts of matchmaking and Olivia and Kingston. She opened the car door. “Come on, you old coot. Let’s go inside.”
