“Shame on you!” I scolded. “Y’all are both old enough to be Jackson’s grandmothers.”
Ada Lou handed me my jacket and opened the door. “Don’t call usold. Neither of us even need glasses. And like I told you, when the weather is fit, we hike every day.”
I took a step outside. “And even if you would have to have a book to remember how to have sex, you still like to look at a sexy man, right?”
“Now you are learning—but, darlin’, I would not need a book if I wanted to jump a man’s bones. I was very good at that business at one time, and I’m sure I would be again.” She closed the door before I could say another word.
I had just opened the door to my SUV when a white truck braked and pulled up beside me, and Jackson rolled down the passenger window. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Playing Scrabble with a couple of sneaky old gals,” I answered.
“I forgot my backpack at the office, so I have to go back,” he said. “Want to go with me?”
“I would love to.” I grabbed my purse and got out of the SUV.
That was way too eager,the voice in my head seemed to shout.
I don’t care. I don’t want to go home to an empty trailer.
You never minded being alone in a hotel room,it argued.
I didn’t have friends then. I do now.
I caught a movement in my peripheral vision and glanced back toward the trailer. Ada Lou was giving me a thumbs-up from the porch.
“Now, what’s this about my new landlady being sneaky?” he asked as he turned around and drove back toward Dell City.
“She and Nancy—that’s the elderly woman who lives in the last trailer—have a bet going about who can find out the most about you.” Just thinking of those two old gals talking about sex put a big grin on my face.
His smile put extra sparkles in his eyes. “Why?”
“Because they’re bored, and they like to bicker about everything.”
“Then I hope I bring a little excitement into their lives,” he chuckled. “I’m sorry I haven’t called. This job is bigger than I thought it would be. I work nine hours a day and bring home paperwork to do after that. That said, I’m glad I caught you today. I really enjoyed spending time with you in Sierra Blanca.”
“Me too.” I held up my hand and splayed my fingers out. “Five.”
“Okay. Congratulations. You have four fingers and a thumb.”
“I now have five people that I can loosely callfriends,” I said.
“Are they lined up according to importance or how long they’ve been your friends?” Jackson asked.
“Why?”
“I’m competitive, so I want to know where I stand.”
“You are right in the middle for both.”
“Fair enough. Being number three gives me a starting point. I’ll try harder to move up the ladder to number one before winter ends,” he said.
“Why would you want to be at the top of the list?” I wasn’t sure how to feel about someone actually wanting to be number one in my life—a little nervous, a whole lot excited, or maybe just perplexed.
“Because I want to get to know you, and I don’t want to compete with the other four, plus whoever else you add to the list along the way,” he answered, and changed the subject. “Have you had time to drive through Dell City?”
“Ada Lou gave me the grand tour,” I said as we passed the city limits sign.
My thoughts circled back to Jackson wanting to move to the top of my new list. Did I even want to get involved—friendship or more—with a guy at this point in my life?
