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“Because I heard you’re about to be one lucky guy.”
“I’m not going to Vegas anytime soon,” I spoke in a tone right above boredom. You didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what she was saying without saying it, but I wanted her to spell it out for me. I needed as many details as I could get, so I would have a better idea of how to avoid as much of what was coming my way as I could.
“You have quite a few secret valentines, Skip. Don’t act like you are clueless. It’s the same thing every year.”
“Yeah, and every year I refuse to entertain the women or give them false hope. I’m not interested. I wish people would accept that fact.”
“You’re not telling us anything we don’t already know, and let me tell you, I respect you for not leading them on. But the only way they’re going to accept it is if you die or get married.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” I laughed. “I wouldn’t fake my own death, but maybe a coma or a mail order bride.”
“That doesn’t scream Skip Turner, honey,” Maryland threw back at me, cupping her chin as she thought for a moment. “If you’re going off the market, you need fireworks and sirens. You can’t go out quietly. You would have to scream over a loudspeaker in the town square and pray it reached everyone.”
“I think a coma would suffice.” I shrugged, pretending to brush her off, but in reality, what she said truly resonated with me. Perhaps moving to a different town would be an easier option, but I refused to reach that level of pettiness. It was only fourteen days out of the year.
“Alright, ladies, we all know I would love to stand around and gossip, but I have work to do,” I said, leisurely strolling past them and opening the door, pretending to look at something in the distance. There were only a few people I went out of my way to soften the blow of my words for, and Violet and Maryland were two. Mom raised me to respect my elders, so despite my first response of wanting to tell them to get the hell out, I opted for something less abrasive and shitty.
“He’s kicking us out again, Maryland.”
“He always does, Violet. Why would today be any different?” Maryland batted her eyelashes dramatically as she ducked under my hand wrapped around the door’s edge. “You know,” she paused, pulling a breath into her mouth, “if you’re not going to give any of the ladies the time of day, you could at least roll yoursleeves down. It’s a freaking crime for you to roll that Oxford up and show those juicy forearms.”
That comment took me by surprise. “I’ll take that into consideration.” I chuckled, shaking my head.
“Good.”
“Don’t let her speak for the masses. I’ll gladly bear witness to you being a repeat offender if I get to check these out.” Violet smiled as passed me by, her nail running down my forearm behind her.
4/
fiona
“I’ll be fine.I promise, Trin. I’m going to tell the guy. Well, I have no idea what I’m going tell him, but I’ll figure it out.”
“Okay, but remember, I’ll be right here if you need me,” Trinity reassured me. There was no way she was going into that shop with me. She had been supporting me in one way or another for far too long. This trip, on her dime, was yet another example of that, but thankfully, it was a place both Trinity and Eli wanted to visit. After we discovered the history of this town, they insisted they were coming with me. Not that Trinity would have ever taken no for an answer, but I did try to talk her out of coming with me. This town could have been located in the seventh pit of Hell and she still would have been by my side.
I could have used the backup, considering the only thing I had to go off was a name and a guitar that I had only seen in pictures, but this was something I had to do by myself. If any of us were going to have any semblance of a normal life moving forward, I couldn’t let her get out of the car and hold my hand through this. I appreciated the offer, but this was my wild goose chase, not hers. I prayed that the owner, who the search engine reported to be Skip Turner, was a nice man. Hell, I honestlydidn’t care all that much about what kind of guy he was as long as I was able to leave with what I wanted.
“You guys go check into the hotel. It’s broad daylight. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Well, he could have a secret torture room in his basement where he keeps you drugged and gagged until he eventually gets bored and decides to murder you,” Eli absentmindedly stated and then immediately clamped his lips together.
“Eli!” Trinity scolded and pinched the underside of his arm.
“Fuck, Trinity!” His fingers rubbed the skin that was now turning red. “I know, it was a shitty thing to say. Sorry, I didn’t mean it.”
“I forgive you. You were only being honest,” I acknowledged with a shrug of my shoulders. “’Sides, all the true crime shows the two of us watch while Trinity is working the hoot owl shift probably didn’t have anything to do with it, right?”
Eli nodded.
“I don’t.” Trinity glared at him from the passenger seat and tapped the tip of her nails on the dashboard.
“I really didn’t mean to be an ass.”
“I know, Elijah. It comes naturally to some people.”
“It’s a blessing, right?” I spat out the short sentence, hoping to stop a humungous fight before it came to a head. They didn’t always see eye to eye, but they were the perfect fit for each other.
“Of course, you are right, Fi. Some people are born with the gift of gab, and others are a downright genius. I’m an ass. It takes all kinds to make up God’s children. Who am I to question the big man? It isn’t like there is a suggestion box where I can ask to switch departments or anything. I’m doing the work I was put on this earth to do.”
