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She scoffed. “A little? Where did you get all this stuff?”
“Um, the county museum lent me the old news articles. TheGranville Gazettedonated their entire archive when they went out of business. I got copies of the maps and deeds at the courthouse.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“Yeah.” I brightened. “I’ve just been researching the most historic places in Granville. Did you know my newest kid, Toby Rhodes, lives in the old Ball-Sack house?”
She snickered. “Ballsack? Really?”
“No. Ball-hyphen-Sack. The streets were named after Arthur Grand’s nephew, Mathew Ball, and his wife’s family name of Sack.”
“That’s an unfortunate pairing.”
I grinned. “Yeah, maybe the grannies back then were just as obnoxious as now because ballsisa term that’s been around since the Middle Ages.”
“Wow, you really are a nerd.”
“And proud of it.”
“Well, come be proud over tacos,” she said, unrelenting in her pursuit of friendship. “You still owe me dinner.”
“I’m kind of busy.” I waved to the mess of papers and notes. “And why do I owe you dinner?”
“Your weird history lair will be here when you return. You need to eat.”
My stomach rumbled, only proving her point.
She continued. “As for why you owe me, that would be me being very restrained and not telling the dishy Hunter Rhodes you think he’s a DILF.”
I scrambled to my feet. “I do not!”
“Oh please, of course you do! So do I. Anyone with eyes and a knowledge of what the term means would agree. Hunter is a dad I’d like to f—”
I clapped a hand over her mouth, desperate to not hear those words. “I’ll buy you dinner. Just don’t say those words.”
She pushed my hand down. “Dinner and a margarita?”
I hesitated.
“Or should I point out that your history project is focused on the house of the man you don’t want me to mention?”
“Okay, a margarita too, you extortionist.”
She was as bad as Toby blackmailing his dad for ice cream, and just about as remorseful too.
Maisie grinned. “Why thank you. I’ve been practicing.”
“And I’m the lucky guinea pig?”
She laughed. “Yep. But I tell you what, I’ll buy since I know you don’t really want to hang out. Most people like me, but you’re one tough nut to crack.”
I winced. “I like you.”
She scoffed. “Sure you do.”
“No, really.” Guilt flooded me. “I just…had a rough time at my last school. I thought it would be easier to keep to myself.”
She looked amused. “You underestimated the persistence of a nosy bitch in a small town.”
