So I settle for some vanilla description just to get Deuce off my back. “She’s great. Lots of fun.”
“So, are you dating now? Shouldn’t you be scheduling a delivery of flowers to her nana’s house?”
I know why he thinks that. That would naturally be my next course of action. Woo the woman, get in good with her family, treat her in a way that would make my mama proud of me. But it’s not what Betsy wants.
“Nope. I told you. We’re not dating. Just…mutual fooling around. We’re…coworkers with benefits.”
Deuce stares at me for awhile before he accepts my answer and turns to his beer again. “Okay, if you say so.”
The server comes over and we place our pizza order and another round of beers. When he leaves, I let out one last detail before shutting down the topic of Betsy.
“I may have already put a rose on her windshield when I slipped out for lunch today.”
Deuce snorts. “I knew your Southern-gentleman training would somehow slip through.”
I hold my hand up. “But I won’t do it again. I plan to follow our arrangement of no strings attached. It’s what Betsy wants and I’m looking forward to trying it out.”
Deuce holds up his beer glass to mine and we clink them together. “I’m happy for you, bro. Welcome to the life of being a playboy. I’ll show you the ropes.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Betsy
“Betsy Mae honey, come on down!”Nana calls from downstairs right after the doorbell rings.
I’m racing around getting ready for the day, having slept through my first alarm by accident. I’m only going in to work for four hours today, being Saturday, but I don’t want to be late. I slept hard last night, dreaming all kinds of crazy sex dreams. Apparently, Silas unlocked some sort of hidden vault of rated-R fantasies in my brain.
Things had been strained between me and the asshole ex-boyfriend in California for quite some time. Without realizing it, the sex had taken a back seat for longer than I cared to admit. No wonder he ended things. I’d been too preoccupied with making a living and paying off my student debt to realize he’d found someone else less stressed out all the time.
“Coming!” I slide my bare feet into a new pair of sandals, a cute gold pair with a huge bow on top by my toes. They go perfectly with my gold A-line skirt and black mock-necksleeveless top. The sandals slap against the hardwood stairs and flooring.
Nana is hovering next to the open front door, a mid-sixties woman holding an aluminum foil–covered plate standing in the doorway. She lights up when she sees me.
“Howdy! I’m Janie Lynn, your neighbor three houses down yonder. Your nana here has been talking about you so much I feel like I know you already.” She hands me the plate. “I made y’all some cowboy cookies. I sure do hope you ain’t allergic to peanuts, darlin’.”
I take the plate and smile back. “I’m not. These smell delicious, thank you.”
“I hear you’re workin’ down at Harp and Hemline?”
I nod. “Sure am. Love it there.”
Janie Lynn nods enthusiastically. “I’m fixin’ to come to the Battle of the Boutiques next weekend. You think Blessed and Dressed will have something for us ol’ ladies?”
I lean on my training from Silas and reach out a hand to grab her forearm. “Oh, you aren’t old enough for that boutique. You should be shopping at Harp and Hemline still. Why don’t you come on by and we’ll fix you up?” It may just be my ears getting used to it, but I could swear I had a bit of a drawl creep into my voice.
Janie Lynn gives me a big hug, plate and all. “You sweet thing. I think I will. Now I’ll let you get back to your day. Lovely to meet you.”
She releases me and hugs Nana, then walks back over to her house with a parting wave and asee y’all later. Nana closes the door and takes the plate from me.
“She’s been over four times trying to catch you.”
I follow her into the kitchen, confused. “Why?”
Nana puts the plate down, folds back the foil, and selects a cookie. Oh damn, they do look good. I snatch one up tooand nearly roll my eyes back in my head over the taste. Thank heavens I’ve never been opposed to a cookie for breakfast.
“People like to welcome you to the neighborhood, honey. That’s how we do it here in Heaven.”
I hold up my half-eaten cookie. “I love Heaven!” I’m halfway to my car in the driveway when I hear Nana answer.
