The way she says it, looking directly at me, it’s like she’s trying to tell me something without telling me something.
After she leaves, Jesse slides into her spot, still grinning.
“Your dad and someone doing the pharmacy shuffle?” He’s trying not to laugh, which means he’s definitely about to laugh.
“Sounds like it.” I stare into my coffee. “And I think I just figured out who.”
“Who?”
I nod toward the door where Mrs. Delaney just left. “New lipstick, new manicure, blushing when she talks about the pharmacy...”
Jesse’s eyes widen. “No. No way. Your dad and Mrs. Delaney?”
“Think about it. She knows everything about everyone in this town. She’d know exactly how to keep a secret if she wanted to.”
“But she’s the biggest gossip in Cedar Ridge!”
“Exactly. No one would ever suspect her of keeping her own secret. It’s the perfect cover.”
Jesse reaches over and steals a piece of my toast, because boundaries mean nothing to McCoy boys. “Holy shit. The plot twist of the century.”
“Can you imagine? My dad dating the town gossip? She’ll know everything about us. Every Thompson family secret. What we eat for breakfast. Our bathroom schedules.”
“She probably already knows all that.”
“True.” I take a bite of my eggs, considering. “Actually, this might explain why she hasn’t blown up our situation on Facebook yet.”
“Our situation?” Jesse raises an eyebrow, but he’s smiling.
“You know what I mean. Us. The four of us. Whatever this is,” I say, drawing a circle with my hand.
“What is this, exactly?” His tone is playful.
“Fun. Probably going to give me an ulcer from stress eating.”
“Stress eating is better than Rita’s eating.”
We’re laughing when my phone buzzes with a text.
Wyatt: Irrigation inspector coming this week. Your dad needs to join. Try to keep him from committing murder. Details to follow.
I show Jesse the text. “This should be interesting.”
“Our dads in the same place with legal documents? What could possibly go wrong?”
“Right?”
Jesse reaches across the table and takes my hand, right there in the diner where anyone could see. “Well, we’ll figure it out.”
“Even if our dads kill each other?”
“Even then. Though it would make family dinners awkward.”
“More awkward than they’d already be?”
“Good point.” He squeezes my hand. “My brothers and I will present a united front.”
“Good idea. Someone needs to referee.”
