***
At six thirty that evening, Karen’s number showed up on Erma’s phone. “You finally called me back,” Erma said,settling in her recliner, her finger poised over the remote to turn onWheel of Fortune. She hated to miss Pat and Vanna.
“I’ve had a busy, busy day, Erma.”
Karen’s voice had an edge, but Erma ignored it. “I won’t take up much of your time. Kingston was spotted at the Sunshine Diner with Sunny Abernathy today. According to my sources, they looked pretty intimate.”
“You have spies?”
Erma grimaced. “No—”
“I approve. But you don’t need to worry about Sunny and Kingston. First of all, Kingston and I were at lunch when Sunny showed up, and she is—I should say she and I are—planning a ballroom showcase at the end of our dance course. I was probably talking to Tanner in the kitchen about catering the event when yoursourcesspotted her and my son together.”
“Oh.” Doggone Viola and Peg. They shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.
“Second, my son wouldneverkeep a secret from me. If he and Sunny were interested in each other, I would know. Trust me.”
“Gotcha. Thanks for calling me back, and sorry for the false alarm. Let us know how Saturday goes.”
“It will go perfectly. Ta-ta for now.”
Erma shook her head and set her phone on the end table by her comfy recliner. Karen was delusional if she thought Kingston told her everything about his life. No grown man would do that—not a healthy-minded one, anyway. But now that Erma knew the full story behind Sunny and Kingston talking at the diner, it made sense.
She blew out a breath. This was getting too complicated, and she was ready to excise herself from these antics ASAP. Hopefully after Saturday night, she and the rest of the BBs would do just that.
She had picked up the remote and turned on the TV when she heard a knock on the door. Confound it, someone was just about to solve the puzzle.
With a sigh, she muted the TV and went to answer the door. Her jaw dropped. Jasper stood there, the waning sun behind him. There was still plenty of daylight left, and not a cloud in the sky. Sweat pooled on his neck, and he wiped the perspiration off his forehead.
“Did you walk here?” At his nod, she opened the door wider. “Well, come on in and cool off.”
He complied but didn’t go more than a few steps into her living room. She shut the door and moved to stand in front of him. “What are you doing here? And why didn’t you drive?”
“Car’s been actin’ funny.” He still had his hands in his pockets. “It’s not that far a walk, neither.”
“When it’s hot as blazes out, it is.” She motioned for him to follow her. “I’ve got some sweet tea, fresh made this morning.”
They settled in the kitchen with the ceiling fan whirring above them. Jasper downed half the glass of tea she poured him. Erma topped him off. “Now, tell me why you’re here.”
He looked her straight in the eye. “Why’d you stop in front of my house the other night?”
The other night? When had she— Oh.Oh no.He’d seen her? “I, uh...” Poppycock, he was catching her flat-footed.
“I was gonna bring it up at the dance lesson,” he said. “But I didn’t think you’d want anyone knowin’ you’re a Peepin’ Tom.”
“Excuse me?” How dare he say that after she’d shared her fresh sweet tea with him? “I am not a Peepin’ Tom.”
“Then why were you lookin’?”
She opened her mouth to speak and saw something she hadn’t seen before—or hadn’t noticed. His mouth, surrounded by short gray whiskers, barely lifted at the corners.
He’s enjoying this.
She crossed her arms, finding herself tempted to smile too. “I don’t have to tell you anything, Jasper Eugene Mathis.”
The smile disappeared. “Now, don’t go invoking my middle name, Erma Jean McAllister.”
“When it comes to you, I’ll invoke anything I want.” She lifted her chin, a rush going through her. Sparring with Jasper was always fun. “What’s wrong with your car?”
