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“Are you in town for a while?”
I nodded.
“You know who you should meet? Tommy Miller. He was your dad’s best friend. Lives over on Lilac Street, a block from your place. The two of them always had a fishing pole in their hands and a smile on their faces when we were kids.”
“Oh, I’ve heard a lot of stories about Tommy.”
“He still lives here. Same house. Same thick head of curly red hair. Same jokes he’s been telling for the better part of half a century. I bet you he has a lot of stories about your dad back in the day. Maybe he’ll know your momma, too.”
“I’d love to meet him.”
“How about I make that happen? Say next Sunday afternoon at two at my place? A week from tomorrow. I’ll host a barbecue. I’ll ask Tommy who else I should invite that you might want to meet.”
“Oh, I don’t want you to go to all that trouble…”
“It’s no trouble at all. This is what this little town is all about. We look for reasons to sit around the lake, drink spiked tea, and tell the same good stories over and over. When we find a person who hasn’t heard them all before, that’s reason enough to celebrate.”
I laughed. “Okay then. I’ll bake some desserts.”
Bernadette nodded toward the front. “I need to get back behind the counter so Katie can take her break. But leave me your phone number before you go, just in case Tommy can’t make it or something.”
I held up my cell. “Want me to text you so you have it?”
She chuckled. “I’ve still got one of those flip phones. No idea how to text. But you can write it down on a piece of paper, and I’ll add it to my phone book for safe keeping.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
“I’ll see you next weekend, then.”
“Looking forward to it. Thank you, Bernadette.”
Opal and I watched Bernadette walk away. As she reached the counter, the front door opened and none other than my grumpy neighbor walked in. He shook the rain from his hair and stepped up to place his order. I hadn’t even realized I was staring until Opal spoke. “Saw him at a wedding a few months back. His hair was slicked back like an old-time movie star. Even I couldn’t peel my eyes away. I get it.”
I shook my head. “Oh. I wasn’t looking at Fox that way.”
“No?” Opal grinned.
“I’m just surprised he doesn’t have an umbrella. He seems so organized.”
“Uh-huh.”
I tried to ignore the sexy jerk standing at the counter, but it was next to impossible to not steal glances, even after Opal had called me out. While Fox waited for Bernadette to pour his coffee, he scanned the coffee shop. When his gaze found Opal and me, he frowned and shook his head.
“Hey, boss!” Opal yelled and wiggled her fingers.
Fox nodded like it was painful to offer even that much acknowledgment and went back to watching his coffee be made. He was out the door a few seconds later, paper cup in hand.
Opal smiled from ear to ear. “He likes you.”
“Umm... What part of that brief interaction gave you that idea? The scowl when he spotted me or the way he ran out the door like there was something contagious in here he might catch?”
Opal’s smile widened. “Both.”
CHAPTER 5
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Josie
