Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
We can’t leave until six, so she takes me to the souvenir tent and we let the teenagers leave and enjoy what’s left of opening day.
There are a lot of people inside the tent with us, all buying things, and I help out when I can, but it’s mostly non-stop busy for the next couple hours, only thinning out after five o’clock passes.
Lowyn leans against the counter, lettin’ out a breath. Her eyes sparkle bright as she looks at me. “I think this might be the best opening day ever.”
“Because you sold so many crafty things?” I wink at her.
This is an invitation for her to come over and slip her hands right around my waist. She leans up and kisses me on the cheek. “Can we still go get my mirror tonight?”
“Peaches, I had that mirror delivered to McBooms at lunchtime.”
“You did?”
“I did. When I went to drop Mercy off in the tent, I told Amon to take care of it. Rosie gave him a key and that whole pile of shit you had stacked up near the door to the church is sitting in the back of your store.”
She gazes up at me like I’m a fuckin’ prince. “That was pretty nice of you, Collin.”
“We don’t have time to be deliverin’ shit tonight. We gotta hit the grocery store for a spiral ham and a couple of sides.”
“Oh, now it’s my turn to surprise you. Because we don’t need to do that.”
“No?”
She’s smiling big now, like she really is about to surprise me. “Nope. We’ve got ourselves a reservation at the Bishop Inn tonight. They looooove Easter over in Bishop.”
“I can’t imagine they had an open table when you called Jessica and asked for one this morning.”
“I’m sure they didn’t. But I didn’t call and ask Jessica. I asked Bryn.”
“Well, well, well.” I grin just picturing it. “I guess we’re gonna have ourselves a proper dinner then.”
She pats my chest. “Just you wait. The only kicker is, we gotta show up in costume. Give the Bishop folks a little encore, so to speak. Because Bryn tells me that Jessica and Michael are gonna go all-out for this.”
“Well, I am certainly intrigued and that’s all fine with me. I think this might be the nicest suit I’ve ever worn and it would be criminal to make you take that dress off before we’re ready for bed.”
Her eyes do a little wild dance. Like she’s picturing us going to bed tonight.
“Just one thing.” I hold up a finger. “We gotta take Mercy. Because she and I are partners now.”
“Of course we can. She’s a lovely dog anyway. Why don’t you go grab her while I close up and I’ll meet you over by the east gate and we can walk home and get your Jeep.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Then I lean down and kiss her. But it’s not a cheek kiss. Not at all. It’s a good, long one with lots of tongue. And when she pulls back, she’s breathless and her cheeks are all pink.
Ryan is the only one in the tent when I get there. He’s busy packing things away in the safe, but when I enter, he looks over his shoulder and nods at me. “I like this place, Collin. I like your people too.”
I walk over to Mercy and bend down to pet her. She yawns sleepily, like she’s been having the best time of her life just lazing around in this tent all afternoon. “Well, I’m glad to hear that Ryan. They are not bad people, that’s for sure. But don’t get too cozy with them.” I look him in the eye for this next part. “It’s nice. It’s… a little bit magical at times, I guess. But this is an inside job, if you get my meaning. And even if you married into it, the best you’d get back is a smile to your face and overly polite words. They will never see you as one of them.”
He lets out a breath, opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but then decides against it, nodding at Mercy instead. “She’s been good.”
“Of course she has.” Then I stand up, snap my fingers, and the next thing I know, Mercy is sittin’ at my left knee. “Where is everyone else?”
“Amon’s making the rounds for night shift. It finally stopped raining.”
“Shit. I kinda forgot it was raining. This tent is something else.”
“A goddamned engineering marvel is what it is,” Ryan agrees. He hesitates again. But this time when he opens his mouth the words actually come out. “So… this MacyLynn girl? You were saying earlier?”
“Was I sayin’ something earlier?” He rolls his eyes and I grin at him. “She was a freshman when I was a senior and she’s got a twin sister called Maizie Lee. I really don’t know her. Know of her, yes. But that’s it. You got a thing for MacyLynn, Ryan?”