Chapter 13
By the time our four hours were up, I was exhausted and sweaty. My ankle hurt, and I just wanted to go back to Chase’s, prop my foot up, and read.
Mimi and Ingrid begged off when Mom invited them to stay for a picnic dinner.
“We’re meeting up with Gilda, Marla, Sheriff, Judge, and Frank Carson at the library this afternoon,” Mimi said.
“Why?” Chase asked. “The public library isn’t the senior center where you spend ninety percent of your time.”
“No reason,” Mimi said cryptically.
Chase sighed. “Cop, remember? I have instincts.”
Ingrid took out her Saxe knife and started cleaning the dirt out from under her nails. “We’re going to listen to the new local author in town, Morgan Taylor, do a reading.”
Chase frowned. “I didn’t know we had a local author?”
Mimi averted her gaze. “Yes. She just moved in across the street from Daniel Carson about a month ago.”
“Oh no,” Chase groaned.
“What?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Mimi hissed, looking pointedly at Chase. “And if word gets out we were there, we’ll know you squealed.” She leaned in until her nose was an inch from Chase’s chest. “And it won’t be good for the squealer.”
Chase laughed and held up his hand. “I’m just glad you haven’t seen fit to get mixed up in my life. So go ahead, meddle in Daniel’s. He won’t hear it from me.”
“Right,” Mimi said. “And on that note, we’ll just leave you two alone here to finish doing whatever it is you need to do with the trash.”
The two elderly ladies hooted and practically ran to their car. With a squeal of tires, they stuck their heads out the windows and yelled goodbye.
“What was all that about?” I asked.
Chase sighed. “For some reason that group has decided to interfere with their grandkids’ love life.”
I gasped. “Have they tried setting you up with someone?”
Chase scoffed. “No. They know better.”
“Who have they set up?”
“Kat and Caleb, Jacob and Monica, and now it looks like Daniel and this poor unsuspecting author lady.”
“But not you?” I asked again. I don’t know why it bothered me to think once I was released from house arrest that they might try and find a woman for Chase. But it did.
“But not me,” he said firmly. “Lance moving you in under my nose is the closest thing to interfering any of them have ever come to. And Lance just did it to get one over on me. Not to try and set me up.” He grinned down at me. “Obviously. We couldn’t be more different if we tried.”
“Right,” I said. “We definitely wouldn’t be good together.”
“Yoohoo,” Mom called. “Do you and Chase want to have a picnic lunch with your dad and me?”
“What are the chances we’re gonna have fried chicken on this picnic lunch?” Chase asked.
I laughed. “Zilch.”
“C’mon, hop along,” Chase joked, “let’s go see what I have to choke down.”
A shiver snaked down my spine as Chase wrapped one arm around my shoulder. I needed to stop thinking about him in a romantic feelings sort of way, because he’d made it more than clear he wasn’t looking to date. And even if he was, he wouldn’t date me because he thinks we’re too opposite. And as much as I hated to admit it…he was right.
