Page 55 of Pumpkin Spice Promises

He glanced toward the truck. “She will.”

“What?”

“She’ll end up back here.”

“Because something else will break?”

“Because Dad or Clover are going to find a reason.”

That was probably true, those two liked to meddle in our lives.

Dad had disappeared into the parts room twenty minutes earlier and hadn’t emerged since. If I knew him, he was looking through old inventory to see whether anything from James’s truck could be replaced without ordering another part. Not because anyone asked, Carson certainly hadn’t asked for any favors. But James had once been his best friend.

“She’s different than I expected.” Jax leaned against the opposite fender.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “You expected something else?”

“From James’s granddaughter? Yeah.”

“Like what?” I wiped my hands on the shop towel tucked into my waistband.

“I don’t know. Someone louder, more confident, not so scared of the public.”

“Why?”

“James was loud.”

“He was.”

“So was Evelyn.”

“She still is.”

“That woman could scare a bear off a mountain,” he joked, and I couldn’t argue with that. In our teen years she had been scarier than her husband, but time had mellowed her out some. “Carson’s quieter than those two combined.”

“She wasn’t quiet yesterday.” I smirked at the memory of her defiance.

“She was pissed yesterday.” Jax looked toward the office, head tilted. “Is she always that guarded?”

“How would I know?”

“You spent half the day driving her around.”

“I delivered milk and struggled to get anything out of her.”

“You weren’t able to work your charm?”

“Yes, she’s a closed book.”

“That shouldn’t stop you.”

“Stop me from what?” I turned to face my brother, lips pulled tight. “I’m not going to pester the poor girl, Jax.”

My older brother stared at me like I was the nut job in the shop.

“Haven’t seen you light up for nobody else in this town.”

I went back to the truck, ignoring him. I hated when he was right.