Or maybe there was magic in the Ridley family tree. Who knew?
“Hey, man,” he said, returning the greeting. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were headed this way. I could have given you a ride.”
Shane waved off the apology.
“You might not realize this, but this town is extremely walkable. Now, in San Francisco?That’swhere I need rides.”
Garrett chuckled. “I do realize that, actually. I used to walk to the shop a lot, only then I realized that every time I did, someone needed me to have the truck. Every time. It was like they knew.” He paused, considering this. “Although, maybe they did. Information movesawfullyfast in this town.”
“I thought I would mind that more than I do,” Shane said speculatively as they shuffled up a little further in the line. “But weirdly, it feels kind of nice.”
Garrett gave a little nod. He was starting to come around to that way of thinking too.
“Hey,” Shane said, his tone suggesting that he was about to shift topics abruptly. “Do you know anything about how to fix up a cornhole board? You know the game with the?—”
“With the boards and the holes and the…” He mimed an underhand throw.
“Bean bags, yeah,” Shane said. “I’m pretty hopeless at repairing that kind of stuff, but I’m trying to help out a friend.”
Garrett had never been one for subtlety.
“You’re trying to help Winnie Burnett,” he said.
Shane grinned a little sheepishly.
“And there’s that small town thing,” he said with a little laugh. “Yeah, she’s trying to do this carnival fundraiser thing for the historical society, and she asked me for help with the boardsand I… did not provide that help. I’m going to do some assisting with the advertising, since computer stuff is way more in my wheelhouse, but I’d like to make good on that first promise.”
Garrett tried not to smile. This was a novel experience for him, as he had much more practice trying to force a smile to his face than keep one off. He couldn’t help it though, not when he saw the way Shane looked when he talked about Winnie.
Dang, a little bit longer with Eleanor and he’d be as bad a matchmaker as Miriam was. Sheesh.
Even so, he couldn’t resist a little jab.
“So. Sounds like you and Winnie get along pretty well, then.”
Shane didn’t seem to mind. “Oh, nice try. People who are in love want to push everybody else into the same situation, huh? I know you do it from a place of kindness, but goodness.”
Garrett focused on not reacting to the wordlove. It was a word that had been bouncing around his head a lot recently, but one that hadn’t yet crossed his lips.
Shane didn’t seem to notice how carefully Garrett was orienting his face. He kept going, cheerful as ever.
“And it’s contagious around here! I thought Ellie’s friends Tyler and Cadence were newlyweds from how they act, but it turns out they just bounced back from a rough patch and believe that everybody else can be just as happy too, if they put their minds to it.” He shook his head, laughing wryly. “I mean, after her divorce, Ellie was so sure she’d never want a long-term relationship again, but you’ve got her talking about the possibility of remarrying?—”
Garrett lost his fight with his composure.
“She said that?” he blurted, a strange, warm feeling surging in his chest.
Shane’s face went bone white.
“Um,” he said. “I, uh, what?”
Garrett just stared at him.
Shane crumpled. “Okay, yes. She did. But I am very distinctly getting the impression that you didn’t talk about that and that I have justmassivelyput my foot in it, so please forget that I ever said anything?”
“Yeah,” Garrett lied. “No problem. Totally forgotten.”
Shane didn’t look like he believed him. Garrett supposed that was fair enough.
