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Teague sucked in a breath. “What did you say?”
“You’re the moment, Teague. Tall, tattooed men are what women want. And the fact you know your way around a tool bench is the buttercream frosting to their cake.” She patted his arm. “I thought you could not only grow your business but get dozens of dates. And don’t worry, I didn’t mention your unfortunate personality, constant grunting, or deplorable taste in music. So, you have a real chance of finding many lovely candidates.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “My best advice is to let your body do the talking so your lack of charm won’t be a barrier to finding love.”
She tilted her head, deciding that he had enough information. “I’ve got to run before the bakery closes.” She took two steps back. “This will be terrific.” Scurrying away before he could say more, she prayed he’d eventually appreciate her kind gesture and not decide to get rid of her in her sleep.
There was still so much to do, and an early demise would undoubtedly get in the way of that.
Thirty-six was too young for a heart attack, wasn’t it? Teague watched his neighbor dash away and pressed his hand against the muscle beating frantically in his chest. Did she actually say one million views? How in the hell was that possible?
Ambling toward his shop, he heard the wind rustle through the trees lining the street and wondered if more women would show up tomorrow. Their small town wasn’t a tourist destination, so it was hard to determine how many would be willing to make the trek to their side of the state.
Realizing it couldn’t be all that many, he felt marginally better. Until he remembered the blistering review, Tancy had just given him. “My personality is not unfortunate.”
“Are you sure about that?”
He glanced over and saw Tancy’s best friend emerge from her office. “Hey, Faith.”
“Should I be concerned that you’ve taken up self-reflection on the sidewalk?”
“No, my other quirks are much more worrisome.”
She smoothed out her apple-green sweater. “Fair enough.”
“What has you out and about?”
“I have to run down to the family hotel and do triage on my client’s career.” She stopped next to her car. “My PR talents are about to be put to the test as I search for something more interesting to feed the media than a failed marriage proposal.”
“Miles mentioned something about that earlier. Are you hoping Scott can hide at Sanderling until the dust settles?”
“Yes. Though how that will be possible if Dax is by his side is hard to say.” She shook her head. Having a superstar pitcher and the highest paid quarterback hang out together will make it all but impossible.”
“Guess so.”
“Talk about fame; I heard Tancy’s TikTok campaign bore some fruit.”
Gritting his teeth, he kicked the ground. “I want no part of it.”
“You’re viral, Teague, and about to be living in high cotton.”
He threw up his hands. “Women who want to see me shirtless will not buy one of my custom pieces.”
“That is the exact reason why they’d buy it.” Faith gave him a once over. “I told Tancy that you can’t sell the steak without showing the sizzle, and that’s exactly what those pictures did.”
“That’s plural.” He pressed his clasped hands to the back of his head. “How many are there.”
Faith quickly opened her car door. “I need to run.”
Before he could interrogate the woman, she’d slid into her car and was halfway down the street. Embarrassed that his skills had totally abandoned him, he stalked toward his shop.
Would living next door to Tancy, the Tasmanian do-gooder devil, ever get easier? A picture of what might make it possible filled his mind, and to say it wasn’t rated PG was a hell of an understatement.
THREE
Teague stood inside his garage workshop, enjoyed the breeze brushing across his skin, and studied the street filled with old craftsman homes. Tancy’s stood out not only for the excessive St. Patrick’s Day decorations but for the abundant spring flowers bordering the front porch. No doubt about it, the woman unapologetically embraced the more is better aesthetic and made her house a standout in their quiet neighborhood.
In contrast, his home was a stark white box containing only what was necessary. His stripped-down aesthetic not only complimented the pieces of furniture he’d made but provided the peaceful environment he craved.
Not surprisingly, Tancy deemed it too dull for words and had insisted on making several knitted blankets to liven up the place. Which they did, if only because they were oddly shaped and contained every color in the rainbow.
