“So the jam squad and the fire department are fine with sharing? Interesting. I seem to recall you saying it was a horny town. Something about the water. I think I’m starting to understand.”
“Oh, you haven’t heard the half of it. Just wait, you’ll see if you get a chance to get to know the real Sweetbriar Hollow. For example, “Did you happen to notice The Blue Rooster across the street from The Fool’s Grill?”
“Yeah, it’s an antique store. I thought we might stop by there later. Ash and I are always on the lookout for vintage camping gear.”
“We can do that. It’s a nice store, and they’ll probably have some things you’re looking for, but on Saturday nights it’s a full-fledged swingers club, or so they say.”
“That place?”
“Yep. Why, are you interested?”
I turn on her a little too quickly and growl, “I don’t share.” My sudden mood change may make me sound like an asshole all of a sudden, but she’s hitting a nerve… and a big one at that. She’s mine, and only mine.
“Really?” she says as if there was a waver in my voice. There wasn’t. “What if I brought Rhonda over so we could all have some fun together?”
From her breathy tone, it sounds like she’s kind of turned on by the idea and I’m taken aback by the whole thing. I stare at her for a moment trying to decide if she’s joking. I can’t tell.
“No.” It comes out slow and firm leaving no room to mistake my feelings on the matter.
“No? Are you sure?”
I’m starting to get irritated with this. She can’t be serious. “I’m sure,” I grit out. Maybe I’m being kind of a dick now, but it’s how I feel.
She reaches up and kisses me on the cheek withan elated smile in her eyes. “Good answer!”
She was testing me? I guess we still have a lot to learn about each other. I take another bite of my bagel as I mull that over. Guess I can’t blame her. Probably has something to do with her past. Either way, I’m not going to dwell on it. She’ll see that she can trust me. “This is the best bagel sandwich I’ve ever had, and that’s saying something. Ash and I have been a few places.”
“It’s the mayor.”
“Your city’s mayor is a chef?”
“No,” she laughs. “Far from it. She’s an older woman with very high standards. She has a way of encouraging the businesses in town, especially the ones on Main Street, to go above and beyond. I’ll take you on a Main Street tour later.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” I eat the rest of my bagel and wish I had more.
She’s half-done with hers, and when I wad up my wrapper, she pulls another bagel out of the bag and hands it to me.
“The other two aren’t for your brothers?”
“Nope, they’re for you. I’ve seen how much you eat.”
I take the bagel eagerly. “Keep this up, and I might let you touch my—what did Chelsea call it—my tally-whacker again.”
She cocks a brow with, “What makes you think I want to?”
“Because it’s awesome.” I take another huge bite thinking Veronica never would have done something like this. I can’t believe Maddie did.
“I don’t know. You can’t tell how well a bull bucks from a couple of rides. Maybe I’ll have to see what else it can dobefore I make up my mind.”
My mouth is too full to respond, so I just nod. Damn!
She’s laughing at me when she adds, “Eat up, big boy. We have a lot to do today.”
We spend the rest of the day working on the funeral arrangements. There’s more to planning this kind of thing than she realized—everything from picking out a coffin to purchasing a grave plot and ordering a headstone. We’ve been all over—to the church, the floral shop, the catering company and I had to remind her more than a few times that I’m a billionaire, which meant she could get what she truly wanted.
It’s the end of a long day, and right now she’s deciding what she wants on the headstone. It’s turning out to be an emotional endeavor, trying to come up with the perfect way to sum up a loved one’s life in a few words. Tears come and go as she writes her ideas on a notepad. I’m glad I can be here for her, and right now, I wish I could always be here for her. But the hourglass is running out of sand. What happens then?
CHAPTER 32
