“Anything you’d like me to pass on to Faust this afternoon?” she asked me sweetly.
“Thanks for asking, but I think I’m good for today. I’ll let you know if that changes.”
Jasper looked between the three of us with his mouth half-open. As we moved away, I leaned in to murmur, “Deanna’s harmless. She’d give you the shirt off her back and go find another one for you, just in case.”
“Is that why you put up with her and Faust’s gossiping?”
“It’s usually not me they’re talking about, so I’ve never worried about it.”
“Are you gonna worry about it now?” His tone was casual, but I heard the real question: was I going to claim him in public here? I swallowed the anger at whichever asshole in his past had made him wonder.
“Not even a little bit.”
By the time we reached the register, Selena was already waiting, and everyone in the diner had seen our hands still linked. A man at the counter raised his eyebrows over his coffee cup. Earl was still smirking into his plate.
“I guess you’re pretty pleased with yourself,” I said to her.
“I surely am. Thanks for asking.”
“You sound like Deanna.”
“She’s got lovely manners.”
I ignored Jasper’s giggle and Earl’s guffaw from across the room.
“Jasper, since you’re doing a B&B, does that mean you like to cook?” Selena asked, breezing right past me.
“Uh, yeah.” Jasper’s confusion was cute. Between the wrinkles in his forehead and his head cocked to one side, I wanted to confuse him myself so I could see it again. “Why?”
“There’s a supper club barbecue a few of us do—trying out new recipes together. Hank’s always invited but never comes. Our next one’s two Saturdays from tomorrow. You can even bring Hank if he behaves.”
“Yeah? Oh, that’s so sweet of you to invite me. Usually, my brothers are stuck with my experiments, but lately, it’s been my goats, and their feedback is useless.”
“Ha! Those suckers will eat anything.”
“Well, almost anything. I had a failure the other day that even my ladies wouldn’t touch, so you know it was really bad. So maybe their feedback is useful? Anyhoo, I’d love to join you guys. What should I bring?”
“It’s potluck, so whatever you want. It’s just a few of us business owners who get together, share what’s going on, and help each other out. Small-town business ownership can be rough.”
“Oh, wow. Thanks for the invite. I’ll be there. Hopefully by that point, I’ll have a firm date for the B&B opening.”
“I hope so because I’m tired of my in-laws camping out at my place whenever they come to visit.”
Jasper lit up. “If they stay with me, I’ll take such good care of them they’ll never want to stay at your place again.”
“Oh, hell yes.”
Once I was finished with the bill, we moved into the dusty parking lot. I held the door for Jasper, and we stepped out into the afternoon heat. Realistically, I knew Jasper had a million things to do back at Sissy’s place. But I also wasn’t ready to give up his company. How to fix those two problems was something I hadn’t yet figured out.
I led Jasper over to his car and boxed him in against it. “Heading back to your place?”
“No, I was going to hit up some antique stores. The rooms need some local flavor. Wanna join me?” Jasper asked his question as if it were a joke, but his eyes were cloudy again.
“I haven’t done that since my mom dragged me out years ago,” I groaned. “It was hours of waiting.”
I imagined I’d complain a little less with Jasper. I could see him debating the pattern of this chipped teacup over that one. I’d get more wrinkled foreheads and cocked heads. Easy call.
“Ha! Poor guy. I’m sure once a decade is enough.”
