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Juniper chuckled and took a sip of her wine. “What do you want to know?”
“Every detail.” From the right, her mom pegged her with a look that said she better not leave out anything either. Her blue eyes sparkled with mirth and Juniper hoped she aged gracefully as her mother had. Soft skin, salt and pepper hair she kept neatly trimmed to whisper just beneath the chin and a trim figure she kept in shape with daily yoga and swimming.
“I want to know where he sits on your list.”
Callie’s thumbs speed-typed and Juniper knew the second she pulled up Marshall’s picture for everyone.
Juniper tossed her friend a narrow-eyed look. “Of course you do.”
“Now I know why you’ve forsaken your list.” Ivy plucked Callie’s phone up and turned it around to low whistles.
“You’ve been hoarding him away from all of us, chickie. When do we get to meet him?”
That was Gran.
“Get this,” apparently Ivy wasn’t done.
“He’s Texas’s most eligible bachelor and AND,” she held up a finger to quiet everyone, “he has three brothers and sister. Take a look.” Ivy pulled up the same picture she’d seen in Marshall’s office of all the Blackwood siblings gathered around their father celebrating some sort of award for BlackCo.
“I’ve met them. They are a pack of heartbreakers.”
“So there’s more Blackwoods to go around?”
“Ivy! You’re married!” Callie slapped Ivy's shoulder playfully.
“Not for me. I have sisters, ya know. And Callie you’re single. I’m just saying.”
Juniper snagged another piece of bread and nibbled on the seasoned crust as they talked about love and men with blue eyes.
Gran, quiet up to the moment but not because she didn’t have anything to say, was busy updating her Facebook status with a wicked smile plastered on her face.
Juniper leaned over and tried to steal a glance at the screen of her phone. “What are you up to, Gran?”
“I’m tallying. When you sent that ‘we need to talk’ cryptic message I put a few ‘yes/no’ polls up. One was you if were getting married, seems natural in your line of work, another option being howcough coughdedicated you were to your perfect man list once one as rugged and manly as Blackwood came sniffing around. And another if I was going to be a great grandmother.”
“How many polls did you put up?” She was almost too afraid to ask.
“Well, there was another of you retiring to Tahiti, running off with a prince, or—”
“You giving up and becoming a crazy cat lady with hundreds of cats. Because, you know, your perfect man list leaving you a dried-up sexless spinster and all.” Callie kicked her foot under the table.
Her mouth fell open. “Yeah, no. I’m allergic to cats. And just so you know, you guys make the truth sound so much easier.”
“I have a man list, too, you know.” Gran chimed in as she repositioned a curler that slipped out of place.
“You’re kidding, Gran.” Juniper cut and served them each a large piece of lasagna. “Now you’ve gotta spill!”
Here we go, she thought. They were not clear-headed enough for this conversation so this should be fun.
“Well, my perfect man has to know all the flowers I love. How do you think I met your grandfather in the first place? It’s not a coincidence my place is decked out in tens of pink rose bushes. That and no man of mine would ever dare wear socks with sandals and... not know how to find my G spot. There I said it. Now before you go getting all blushy, I’m old, not down and out yet.”
They all gaped, slack-jawed.
“Okay, then,” she mustered.
Gran nodded. “Where do you think you got all your planner additions and list-making? I didn’t kick the habit until your grandpa gave me something else to think about. That’s what you need. A man to make you forget everything else but him. For a while.” Her gran winked and she didn’t need to say anything else for Juniper to understand.
“I had no idea.”
