“Anyone ever tell you you’re kind of funny?”
“Anyone ever tell you you’re kind of ornery?”
“There you go being funny again. You know, it’s too bad you’re from Nebraska. I have a feeling I would’ve liked you otherwise.”
“You got something against Nebraskans?”
“Only the wacky ones who won’t leave Nate alone.”
Ha! So Natewasthere. He’d obviously talked about her. “Well, Gussy, I happen to have a real big problem with Tennesseans who go into hiding without returning my ring.”
“Honey, if Nate wanted to call you, he’d have called you.”
“Not that sort of ring. This sort of ring.” She waved her fingers as if Gus could see her. “Engagement ring!”
Ornery Gus had already hung up the phone. Probably a good thing. She was getting a little too loud based on the side-eyed looks people were shooting her as they scurried through the Atlanta airport.
Her phone pinged with a message. Briella.Hey girly, just curious if you’ve thought any more about that job opportunity in LA.
Oh, she’d thought about it all right. McKenna blew a clump of springy red curls out of her eyes as she typed back,Have a few things I need to settle first, but yes. Definitely giving it some serious thought. Thanks again for putting in a good word for me. I’m hoping it’ll work out.
Briella hearted her message, then replied.Yay! Glad you’re thinking about it! I’ll keep praying for you!
Yes. Please do.McKenna would take all the prayers she could get at this point. She hearted her friend’s message, then shoved her phone into her shoulder bag, wishing she could also shove down the guilt for not telling her sister and boss anything about this job opportunity yet. And maybe also not telling Oliver about the missing ring.
She gave the guilt another determined push. She would get everything squared away soon enough.
No need to tell Oliver about the missing ring.
No need to tell Mr. Sullivan or Bobbi about wanting to leave Nebraska.
No need to tell anyone anything until she got it all figured out.
Which she would. Soon.
She was almost to Tennessee. Nate was in Tennessee. For whatever reason, he was letting a senile old man answer the phone at his mother’s B&B, but there was probably a logical explanation for that. Just like there was probably a logical explanation for why Nate had sent her such a rude text. Yep, few more hours and they’d be laughing over all the logical explanations for every single one of the misunderstandings they’d encountered since their tête-à-tête at the bench.
She’d get her mother’s ring back, return to Nebraska, and have plenty of time to hand it over to Oliver before he did something stupid. Like move to Germany and never propose to Bobbi again.
Yep, couple more hours and everything would be fine.
McKenna looked at her phone when it pinged with an update about her flight. Her knees buckled. She leaned against her carry-on suitcase for support.
All flights out of Atlanta had been cancelled until tomorrow.
Group chat message from Aunt Susie:Nate, please tell your mom to immediately turn around for the airport because I’m FINE and she doesn’t need to be here.
Group chat message from Mom:Nate, please tell your aunt if she doesn’t unlock the front door in the next two seconds then I’m posting an incredibly lengthy and detailed post on social media about her upcoming heart surgery which WILL include the exact location, date, and time, as well as a plea for everyone to visit, and a brief side note about how her doctor has been telling her to lose weight for years.
Group chat message from Mom:She opened the door.
So his mom had finally made it inside Aunt Susie’s house. That was good. For a moment Nate was beginning to wonder if she ever would. He’d forgotten how stubborn his aunt could be.
Nate slid his phone aside on the kitchen table and lifted his turkey and pepperjack cheese sandwich up for a bite as he eyed the to-do list his mom had slapped on the fridge with a magnet before rushing off for the airport early this morning.
Thankfully she’d already stocked up on groceries in anticipation of his arrival, so he shouldn’t have to pop into town anytime soon andrisk running into well-meaning ladies intent on marrying him off to the closest single female relative between the ages of twenty and fifty. He couldn’t help noticing how the age range had really broadened ever since he turned thirty last year.
Working his way through the to-do list ought to keep him busy enough to be safe from any matchmaking attempts. Especially since he’d already added several more things his mom had overlooked to the list.
