“You don’t do things the easy way. What are you going to do if your brother picks her?”
“Susan doesn’t think he’ll pick her again. You’ve seen the show. Nolan goes out of his way to embarrass her.”
“Does Nolan know?”
“No one knows apart from Susan’s friends and now you. We were careful.”
“We have a date each,” Josie said. “We’ll manage some time alone for you.”
“You approve?”
“I liked Susan very much, and it’s been good to see you happy, to see the spark of fun you used to have as a youngster,” Josie said.
Tyler unbuckled Katey and carried her into the house. In her bedroom, he pulled off her shoes, her tiara and her jacket before putting her in bed for a nap. She was asleep before he’d tiptoed from the room.
“That sounds like Eric,” Josie said. “Do you want a cup of tea before you go out to shift the sheep?”
“Looks as if the rain will hold off for a bit longer,” Tyler said.
Eric bustled indoors carrying a pink and white cyclamen in a brass pot. “Look what I won for you, Josie. Another plant for you to kill off.”
“Thanks, I think.” Josie wrinkled her nose at her husband. “At least I can plant this one in the garden and it will survive despite my lack of skill.”
Tyler grabbed the biscuit tin from the cupboard, listening to their familiar bickering with a slight smile.
“I know the identity of Tyler’s mystery woman.”
“Josie,” Tyler protested, although he’d known she’d tell Eric.
“How? Who?” Eric demanded.
A teasing smile played over Josie’s lips as she glanced from him to Eric. “I’m accepting bribes. Whoever offers the highest bribe wins.”
“I’m not playing,” Tyler said. “Go ahead. Tell him.”
“Pooh, you’re no fun.”
“Josie,” Eric said. “We still need to shift the sheep.”
“I can handle it on my own,” Tyler said.
Eric shot him a frown. “Are you sure?”
Tyler accepted the cup of tea Josie handed him and took a quick sip. “Positive. The sheep practically move themselves.” Tyler could do with some time alone to formulate a plan. “Besides, it will give the pair of you plenty of time to gossip about me.”
“We do not associate with that man,” Mrs. Penrith lectured as they drove down country roads, passed paddocks full of cows and sheep, a few horses.
“What man?” Susan asked.Ooh, alpacas. Cute. “I met a lot of people today, and everyone was friendly and welcoming. You have a lovely town.”
The compliment didn’t soften the brackets outlining the woman’s mouth, didn’t put a dent in her set expression, didn’t promote a sliver of personal satisfaction. The woman continued driving like an emotionless machine. “If I’d known he was helping you with the egg-throwing, I would’ve fixed the problem. Immediately.”
“Tyler? He seemed like a great guy.” Susan forced a friendly smile when she wanted to snarl an accusation. What was wrong with the woman? Why did she dislike her son so much she couldn’t even say his name?
“He has a bad reputation and we do not associate with him.”
“Oh. Okay.” Susan bit her tongue.Don’t respond. Don’t react to her pettiness. Listening to this judgmental woman was like an unhealthy blast from her past. Once she’d been guilty of the same behavior—a black and white kind of woman. Once she’d judged others by her own rigid standards. Once she’d been an uncompromising bitch. Luckily, she’d wised up and fought the battle to correct the nasty flaw in her character.
“You have enough strikes against you as it is,” Mrs. Penrith said. “You don’t need to add more by exhibiting a lack of commonsense.”
