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“You are president of the Friends of the Library.”
“And I planned to talk to him first. Believe me, I had no idea they’d get the flyers out so quickly.”
“I hear the bidding’s already up to three thousand dollars,” Torie said.
“Three thousand four hundred,” Emma replied, a little dazed. “More than we could make in a dozen bake sales. And Kayla had trouble with the Web site last night or the bidding might have gone higher.”
Torie wrinkled her nose. “Probably best not to mention the Web site to Ted. It’s a sore spot.”
Emma pulled a very full bottom lip between her teeth, then released it. “We all take such advantage of him.”
“He doesn’t mind.”
“He does mind,” Meg said. “I don’t know why he puts up with all of you.”
Torie waved her off. “You’re an outsider. You have to live around here to understand.” She gazed across the patio toward Sunny Skipjack, cool and sexy in white slacks and a powder blue tunic with a keyhole neckline that displayed an enticing amount of cleavage. “She sure is giving Ted the works. Look at that. She’s rubbing her boob against his arm.”
“He seems to be enjoying it,” Emma said.
Was he? With Ted, who could tell? Only thirty-two years old, and he was carrying not only the weight of Sunny Skipjack’s breast on his arm but also the burden of the entire town.
He surveyed the crowd and almost immediately found Meg. She felt her own internal twinkle lights begin to flash.
Torie lifted her long hair off her neck. “You got yourself a bit of a dilemma, Meg. Spence is champing at the bit to get his hands on you. At the same time, his daughter has your love object in her high beams. Tough situation.” And then, in case Emma had missed the point, “Meg told Spence she’s in love with Teddy.”
“Who isn’t?” Emma’s smooth brow furrowed. “I’d better go talk to him.”
But Ted had already turned the Skipjacks over to Shelby Traveler so he could make a beeline for Kenny’s wife. First, however, he took in Meg with a slow shake of his head.
“What?” she said.
He regarded Torie and Emma. “Is anybody going to tell her?”
Torie flipped her hair. “Not me.”
“Nor I,” Emma said.
Ted shrugged and before Meg could ask what he was talking about, he’d pinned her with his tiger eyes. “Spence wants to see you, and you’d better cooperate. Smile at him and ask him questions about his plumbing empire. He’s real big on his new Cleaner You toilet.” As Meg arched an eyebrow at him, he spun on Emma. “As for you . . .”
“I know. I’m dreadfully sorry. Really. I fully intended to talk to you first about the contest.”
Torie jabbed him in the shoulder with one manicured fingernail. “Don’t you dare complain. The bidding’s already up to thirty-four hundred dollars. Not having children yourself, you can’t imagine how much the library means to the sweet little babies in our town who are crying themselves to sleep every night because they don’t have any new books.”
He wasn’t biting. “Your expenses will eat up every penny of that thirty-four hundred. Did anybody factor that in?”
“Oh, we have the expenses all worked out,” Emma said. “One of Kenny’s friends has volunteered his private jet, which takes care of airfare to San Francisco. And your mother’s connections will get us great hotel and restaurant discounts. Once we tell her we need them, of course.”
“I wouldn’t bet on her help.”
“On the contrary. She’ll like the idea very much . . . after I point out how brilliantly this contest has taken your mind off your recent . . .”
As Emma searched for the right word, Meg jumped in to help her out. “National humiliation? Public debasement? Looking like a weenie?”
“That’s uncalled for,” Torie protested. “Considering you were responsible.”
“I’m not the one who dumped his sorry ass,” Meg said. “Why can’t you people get that through your thick heads?”
She waited for the inevitable retort. That everything had been fine until she’d come along. That she’d taken cruel advantage of Lucy’s bridal nerves. That she’d been jealous and wanted Ted for herself. Instead, he waved her off and focused on Emma. “You should have known better than to go along with this harebrained contest.”
