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“He was just helping me with my water spots.” I smile at Frank. “And might I add, you offer the most excellent customer service around here.”
Spencer’s Adam’s apple dips. “You don’t have to do that, Tess.”
“Do what?”
“Defend me.”
“Aww.” Frank raises one eyebrow. Sky high. “Spencey doesn’t like his girlfriend sticking up for him?”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Spencer spits out.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I yelp right after him.
“And we weren’t flirting,” Spencer adds.
“Mm hm.” Frank grins. “Methinks the nerds protest too much.”
“You know Shakespeare?” Spencer furrows his brow. “That’s a surprise.”
Frank’s grin slips. “You’re not the only Crane brother with a brain.”
“Just the only one who uses it on a regular basis.”
“I’ve been too busy capitalizing on my beauty.” Frank rubs a hand along the back of his neck. “Remind me again. How many years did it take you to finally graduate from college?”
“The normal amount.” Spencer chuckles. “When you get a masters degree.”
“Oh, yes. How could I forget? My little brother, the biglibrarianman.”
“If you’re implying that my being a librarian isn’t manly enough—”
“Anyway,” I pipe up, “we aren’t… I mean we weren’t… it’s like Spencer already told you… We were definitely not flirting.” When everyone looks my way, I regret the interruption. I should’ve let the brothers continue to harp on each other. Instead I drew all the attention back to Spencer and me. The non-couple.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Frank tugs at the collar of his coveralls. “My poor brother hasn’t gotten anyone to flirt with him since he moved back to Apple Valley.” Frank sticks out his lower lip in an exaggerated pout. “No wonder he’s so grumpy.”
My pulse picks up at this. Frank’s taking the teasing a little too far. Spencer might be a bit much for me sometimes, but he doesn’t deserve this.
“As a matter of fact,” I say, “Jill was just telling Spencer how much she likes his glasses. And believe me, she used to bereallyinto him.”
“She was?” Spencer blurts.
“She was?” Frank guffaws.
“I was?” Jill crinkles her forehead.
“Everybodywas into Spencer.” I widen my eyes. “Don’t you remember, Jill? When the Cranes would come into The Goat for Sunday night dinner?” I shift my focus back to Frank. “All the servers fought over their table. And it wasn’t because of you.”
Before Frank can respond, a long, black Lincoln pulls up to drop off Miranda Lockhart. Apple Valley’s mayor has been a widow for going on five years now, and no one knows exactly how old she is. If I had to guess, I’d say she lands somewhere between forty-five and a total mystery. Either way, there’s not a wrinkle on her face. Or on her bubblegum pink pantsuit.
“Mrs. Lockhart’s back,” Spencer says, grabbing the spray bottle and the rest of the towels from Jill’s station. He holds them up, blocking his bare chest. So maybe hewasn’tflaunting his muscles on purpose. He just didn’t care about me seeing him shirtless because he doesn’t think of me like that.
Like a woman.
But I should probably be used to men overlooking me. My sisters are the ones the boys always wanted. Most people assume that—because we’re triplets—Darby and Olivia and I all get the same kind of attention.
Most people would be wrong.
“Hello there, Mrs. Lockhart.” Frank shoots her a 100-watt grin as she approaches. With that platinum updo and pink pantsuit, she looks like a stick of cotton candy in reverse. “I’ve got your Volvo all tuned up, and my brother was just finishing a detailed wash.” He turns to Spencer, all professionalism. “Please pull the mayor’s car into the garage lot, so I can get her payment squared away.” Smiling back at Mrs. Lockhart, Frank says, “I’ll meet you over in my office when you’re ready.” Without waiting for a response, he jogs off toward his shop.
