Myla stared at Evie. Evie brightly answered, “I don’t have kids or anything like that. And I don’t really know anyone here. There’s really no point in me going. Not that I wouldn’t, it’s not something I really need to do.”
The other woman next to the blonde was a brunette with a body as soft as a natural woman with a tired face and glasses. She was tanned and had those captivating blue eyes framed with a bit of age lines. She leaned over across the blonde’s lap. “You don’t wanna support our teams because you don’t have kids in school? That’s a little rude, don’t you think?”
Even smiled awkwardly, hiding her annoyance. “I literally got here like, two years ago and just trying to get settled in.”
The brunette didn’t seem to be swayed. She offered a lackluster response, “Hey, relax. I’m having fun with you.” She went back to look at her nails that were now being buffed. “And who’s the guy you’re into?”
“I’d rather keep that to myself, if that’s okay.”
“Aw,” the blonde jested. “She’s one of those quiet, introverted, innocent types.”
“No, I’m one of those ‘I think he’s separated and don’t wanna gossip about him’ types.”
The brunette cackled and stared at the blonde with a stupid grin. “Watch it be Caleb Wright.”
The high-pitched, squawky cackling grated in her ears.
“So disgusting. What he did to Ashley was just disgusting.”
“Right? What a damn dog. If he’d have beenmyhusband, I would have divorced his ass long ago.”
Myla softly glanced at Evie. “Ignore them.”
Evie straightened up and let her nails be painted. “No, I don’t think I will.” She turned to the women. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to be gossiping about someone behind their back.”
The blonde quirked a brow. “Listen Miss Cardinal, everyone in town knows Caleb is a jerk. It’s only gossip if you’re spreading shit no one knows about. It’s common talk here.”
Evie nervously looked back at Myla, who looked at her expectantly and waited for her to make a comeback.
Evie raised her shoulders and gave a disgusted, twisted face in agitation. “Yeah, but you’re both acting like middle school girls. Talking about people isn’t cool.” The two women glared at her. But Evie continued on, “I can see why you’re both friends.”
“Oh?” the brunette asked. “Why’s that?”
“Flies are always attracted to shit.”
Evie couldn’t believe what had come out of her mouth. It even surprised her.
Myla coughed quickly in a chuckle, and as the two nasty women stared, the blonde was given a whap on the head suddenly by the old woman with her magazine and it startled her.
“She’s right,” the old woman said coarsely. “Best to keep your nose outta other people’s hog pens, or you’ll end up face-first in shit,SandyandKelly.”
Evie glanced at both of the women. “Sandy and Kelly? I guess it’s nice to meet you two.”
Sandy, the blonde, gave her a look. The older woman rubbed Evie’s shoulder briefly and said, “Welcome to Laysville. You’ll do fine here, city girl.”
“But I’m not from the city,” Evie said sweetly as she turned to look up at the woman.
The older woman smiled with pressed lips and looked at her. “You’re from Dawson, yes, I get it. But no one comes in here lookin’ like the prize that you do and comes from a small town. You’re the graphic designer from Los Angeles, ain’t that right? I see you talkin’ on the discussion page all the time.”
Evie felt a smile coming on with a friendly conversation. The woman sat in the empty chair next to her, and Evie tried to face her witha loving smile. Evie loved smiling to people. “I am actually! I’m not from there originally, but I moved here from there. Well, sort of. I lived with my pawpaw in Dawson for a long time. But…”
“But what, hun?” the older lady asked.
Evie looked left and right. “He passed away.”
The older woman put her hand back on Evie’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that, young lady. Must be pretty hard. I’m Margie Atwood. I work at the bank here in town.”
Evie greeted her warmly, and they continued to talk. But after a few minutes, Margie asked her with that slow, womanly southern accent, “So is it Caleb?” She lifted her brows in a curious smile. “I couldn’t imagine a girl being so giddy over any other man here in town. He’s the best damn lookin’ piece of real estate this town’s ever seen. Every other man in this town looks like he’s gotten hit by a semi truck.”
