“WONDERFUL!” Rosalie lifts both hands off her walker and claps, then nearly topples over. I grab her elbows and pull her to standing, steadying her hands on her walker.
“MY HERO,” she says, batting her lashes at me.
This is getting weird.
“I’LL MAKE SOME LEMON BARS FOR TONIGHT. I REMEMBER THOSE WERE YOUR FAVORITE.”
“No, Rosalie, I?—”
“SEE YOU LATER, DEAR.” And she shuffles away, the squeaks of her walker slowly fading.
Gracie pats my arm. “See you tonight, Ryder.”
“I guess so.”
And that is how I end up at book club a few hours later, after eating a pretty delicious steak dinner with Gwen, if I may say so myself. There are six of us sitting in a circle in Gracie’s bookshop, eating treats and drinking tea. I haven’t read the book they’re discussing, a cowboy romance that Gwen made sure to inform me was “free of spicy scenes,” whatever that means.
Rosalie is sitting right next to me, and she keeps making these googly eyes at me as she talks about the rugged cowboy who falls in love with the feisty, stubborn heroine who appears on his farm.
“I IMAGINE THAT LUKE LOOKED AN AWFUL LOT LIKE RYDER HERE.”
Gwen stifles a giggle beside me, and I cram more of Rosalie’s lemon bar into my mouth.
The door chime sounds behind us. “Sorry I’m late!” Agatha’s British accent rings through the room.
The ladies all rattle in with phrases of, “It’s fine,” and “We’re just glad you’re here!” as they all stand to hug Agatha.
“Ryder,” she says, her face brightening when she sees me. “It’s good to see you again. Twice in one day.”
My mouth drops open slightly. Did she see me in Lily’s closet?
“Twice?” Suzette repeats, voicing my question.
“Oh, yes!” Agatha says with a laugh. “I should have said hello in the marketplace, but I spotted you with all these ladies surrounding you.”
I exhale with relief. She didn’t see me in her tower.
“I look forward to seeing you more,” she continues.
“Same here,” I say with a grin. And it’s true. Agatha is wacky as can be, but I enjoy being around her.
Rosalie interrupts our moment. “WHAT DID SHE SAY? WHY IS SHE SO INTERESTED IN RYDER?”
“Nothing, Rosalie,” Agatha says loudly. “Thank you for making lemon bars.”
“ANYTHING FOR RYDER,” Rosalie says with a wink in my direction.
This is going to be a long night.
After my stomach is full of too many lemon bars, half my own doing and half because Rosalie kept shoving them in my face—they really are delicious—the book club part of the evening is over and it’s time to socialize. I take that as my cue to leave; after all, I’ve endured an hour of discussion about swoony kisses and Luke’s physique. I’ve paid my dues.
But before I can leave, Agatha says, “Ryder, it’s so good to see you again. How long has it been? Two years?”
“I think that’s the last time I was here in Brookhaven, yes.”
“And how has the movie business been?”
“I’ve been on a break,” I reply. “But I have another movie lined up in a few weeks.”
