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“You all good, Autumn?” Quinn asked from the seat beside her. “Flying can be a bit nerve-racking if you don’t do it a lot.”
“You’re a fighter pilot. I’m pretty sure nothing scares you.”
“Standing up in a classroom full of children absolutely terrifies me. So does fashion.” She shuddered. “I missed out on the girlie-girl stuff.”
Autumn studied her. She was beautiful. Natural and dressed casually, but it was there in the bone structure. The woman could wear anything and look good.
“You don’t need girlie-girl stuff. You could wear anything with that face. I need to put some effort in.”
Quinn snorted. “Autumn, you are the epitome of pretty. Curves, creamy skin, and you dress to enhance, not hide.”
“No, I don’t!” She was shocked by Quinn’s words. She’d never thought of herself as anything but average.
Quinn smiled. “Isn’t it funny that we can’t see what others see in us?”
She thought about that as they drove. Her eyes went to Ford, who was talking to his brother. Did he see her as beautiful? She’d never disliked her appearance, but she’d never really loved it either.
They passed a sign that readWelcome to Lyntacky, and she thought about her mother’s diary, which she carried everywhere with her. That and the DNA test she’d taken years ago for no other reason than she thought that one day she might need it.
Was that day coming soon?
Chapter25
Ford wasn’t sure why he felt more settled knowing Autumn and Ritchie were here with him, but he did. And didn’t that tell its own story?
“They clearly go all out like Ryker Falls,” Nash said from beside him.
They were traveling down the main street of Lyntacky, which was larger than Ryker Falls. Ford had passed through a few times when he’d visited Dalton Ranch, about twenty minutes out of town, but he didn’t know much about the place.
Like Ryker Falls, there was a mountain range, but it was a trek to get there. Plenty of hunters came year-round to spend days in the wild. He also knew there was a river stocked with trout and pike to name a few. Lyntacky was an outdoor-adventure town.
“It’s so pretty,” Ritchie said, his face pressed to the window.
“It’s a sight,” Ford agreed.
Flags, banners, balloons, and bunting were everywhere. Shops held stalls on the street, and there was a rotunda that seemed full of people off to the right on a large patch of grass. He found the volleyball court nearby.
“What is that for?” Autumn pointed to a large raised platform.
“Nixon told me square dancing is a Lyntacky tradition,” Luke said. “I’m not sure yet if he’s messing with me. My guess is the platform could be used for that.”
“I heard about it when I was here,” Quinn said.
“They have this thing called Google to validate stuff nowadays,” Nash said.
“Anyway.” Luke raised a finger to Nash but hid it from Ritchie. “Nixon told me that supposedly in the 1930s, when Henry Ford revived square dance, it started to become popular again a few years later. One of the oldest families here, the one the town is named after, had a member called Shelly. Thirty years ago, she entered the square dance nationals. To practice, she danced in the streets with anyone passing. Her daddy, who was mayor at the time, blared music all over Lyntacky constantly.”
“Nixon is messing with you.” Ford looked over his shoulder to where Autumn sat next to Quinn, looking schoolteacher-sexy in a dress the same color as her eyes.
“Even I couldn’t make this shit up,” Luke said. “Sorry, Ritchie.”
The boy hadn’t heard—he was still pressed to the window.
“Anyway, she died suddenly at the nationals, and apparently she was doing real well. So well they thought she and her partner would win. From that day on the Lyntacky mayor randomly plays her favorite song through town. When he does, you have to stop what you’re doing, grab the nearest person, and square-dance. Her nephew Tripp, who is now mayor, has dedicated himself to her memory apparently.”
“I thought Ryker Falls was crazy, but that’s next level,” Nash said. “I hope I get to witness this.”
“I don’t,” Ford said.
