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I never was a sweets-eater. I’d much rather have a cold beer. But if it kept that smile on her face, I’d suffer.
“I know just the place,” I said.
PJ grabbed her purse and said, “Great, you drive and I’ll buy.”
“And why is that?” I asked. I’ve never had a woman pay for anything when I took them out. I might be an asshole in many things, but letting a woman pay my way, wasn’t going to happen.
“Because you’re here on vacation, and I’m here on business.”
It was as though she knew the one exception. A business expense. But I wouldn’t want to be her when she tried to explain how two ice creams was a business meeting. One thing I never did was tell anyone how to run their business, because it pissed me off when anyone voiced their opinion about mine. Hell, I don’t even know what business she’s in.
This was the perfect time to ask, but I didn’t want to spend our time together talking about work. I didn’t want to spend it getting ice cream either.
Nothing was close by when traveling from one town to the next up in the White Mountain region, but since we were staying just outside of Lincoln, their main strip held just about everything a tourist would require. Ice cream shops were in abundance there.
As we drove down the street it was apparent that everyone had the same craving tonight, because all of the ice cream shops were very crowded. We were surrounded by families with young children. This wasn’t providing what I wanted, which was some alone time with her. Maybe I need to carry her off into the mountains for some quiet.
“What do you say we take these cones someplace quiet?” I suggested.
“Sounds good,” she said. “But mine is melting so fast, maybe we can ditch the cones and just go for a ride?”
In the trash can they went. Before we made it to my Jeep, I heard someone call my name.
“Clark, what are you doing here?” It was Shanda, my brother Kenneth’s wife.
Fuck!
No one had mentioned going into town. I hoped they weren’t here looking for me, because I didn’t want to be found. I spun around and said, “Just cooling off.”
Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone. All the ladies seemed to have decided they were in need of ice cream as well. And this just keeps getting better.
Reanna smiled and held up a hot fudge sundae. “Great minds think alike. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Heart eat sweets.”
Anne said, “I know your brother Andrew will only eat them to make me happy.”
Lizzy licked her ice cream cone before adding, “Maybe that’s what Clark’s doing right now. Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” My stomach sank, and I bristled at how much she was enjoying putting me on the spot.
I gritted my teeth and tried to make nice. “PJ, this is Lizzy, a family friend.”
Keep it up, and you won’t be for long.
Then I went down the line, “Shanda, Joyelle, Anne, Lindsay, and Reanna.”
“So nice to meet you all,” PJ said.
Lindsay said, “No, the pleasure is all ours. We were wondering where Clark had taken off to so quickly.”
PJ said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to take him away.”
“Do you live here in Lincoln?” Reanna asked.
PJ shook her head.
“So, you’re on vacation, too?” Shanda stated.
“No, not really. I was here on work and decided to extend my stay briefly,” PJ explained.
The women all looked at each other, then to me. Lizzy said teasingly, “There are some things about Lincoln that could compel a person to stay.” She jabbed Joyelle in the side with her elbow.
