I swiped mascara over my lashes then put on lip balm. “I need to go. I have a painting session in forty-five minutes.”
“Want me to double with you tonight?” Kieran asked. “Then afterward I can come over and have a drink.”
I chuckled. “Am I that obvious?”
“Maybe.”
“You’re a great friend, Kieran. And, yeah, I’d love for you to come tonight if you don’t have your own painting you’re working on.”
“See you in thirty.”
We hung up, and I hurried downstairs to make sure Thor’s doggie door wasn’t blocked in case he wanted to go outside in the backyard while I was gone.
By the time I got to This and That, it was right at six-thirty. I needed to hurry if I wanted everything set up and ready to go on time.
“I’m here!” Kieran called out. “What can I do to help?”
Set up time went twice as fast, so we were ready to go when the first customer walked through the door. I’d just placed my canvas on the easel when my phone dinged.
“Heads up. Francesca has itinerary. After dinner is wine painting. I think that’s what you do, right?”
I sucked in a breath. This was not going to be good.
“What’s up?” Kieran asked.
A group of four women hurried through the door, and I tried to shake myself free of the gut punch.
“Go ahead and sit wherever you want,” I said. “We’ll set you up with your canvases.”
“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Kieran asked.
“Jacob just texted me,” I hissed. “He’s coming here tonight with hisdate!”
“Why?” Kieran asked.
“Because my mom and the girls gave Francesca the itinerary for tonight’s date, and it included coming here.”
Kieran sighed. “I’m sorry.”
I was about to call my mom and give her what-for when lo and behold she and the girls sashayed inside This and That.
“Just thought we’d stop in tonight,” Mimi said, “and check things out.”
“Why?” I asked. “Why would you send Jacob here on his date?”
“With Francesca?” Gilda asked. “Pretty good, right? We did good setting him up with that one.”
There were so many bad words flying around in my brain, that I had to bite down on my tongue to keep them inside.
“Why here?” I insisted.
“Why not?” Gilda said. “It’s not like there’s a lot of things to do in Trinity Falls on a Thursday night.”
I realized they were right. There was no way I could question their choice of activity without showing my hand…the hand that said I liked Jacob and didn’t want to see him with another woman in my store.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just didn’t realize.” It sounded lame even to my ears.
“We’ll sit in the back,” Mom said.
