Chapter 4
Itook Dottie’s peaches over to the Peachwood Quilting Bee as a gift to Malene for making me the chocolate silk pie.
The quilting bee was located in the back of the Peachwood library, of all places. Once a week three older ladies got together to quilt and gossip.
I parked my old Ford, which sputtered and squealed to a stop, right as Shane was walking into his bar. He took one look at me and crossed the street, heading over.
At the same time I noticed the ladies in the quilting bee through the windows. Malene saw Shane trotting, and she waved over the rest of her friends to take a gander at him. Next thing I knew, three wrinkled faces were pressed against the glass, ogling Shane Prader.
I rolled my eyes. I swear, those old ladies would give catcalling construction workers a run for their money.
Shane came to a stop in front of me. “Hey, Clem. You out buying for old Dooley?”
I groaned. “Not at the moment, thank goodness, but I did have to deal with him today. I swear, between Malene, Willard and Dooley, I really don’t know which of them is the worst.”
As Shane laughed, the corners of his eyes fanned. “Listen, I’m getting off work early tonight, and I was wondering…”
Oh my gosh, was Shane Prader about to ask me out on a date? Everyone knew that he’d been seeing a nail technician a couple of towns over. Had they broken up?
“Yes?” I said, tucking my chin so that Shane wouldn’t see my neck get all red and splotchy. Whenever I got nervous, it always showed on my neck first—big red blobs that looked like puzzle pieces dotted my flesh.
I did not want Shane to think that he got me all worked up. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Malene watching the whole thing, and I swear she was mouthing for me to go for it.
That old lady didn’t even know what was going on. But no doubt Malene thought she did.
Shane’s gaze cut to his feet before lifting to meet mine. “I was wondering if you’d like to grab a couple of beers, make a fire and sit in an open field and talk.”
“You got women problems you need to chat about?” I asked.
Shane chuckled. “No women problems. I just thought”—his gaze seared into me and I knew my neck was a splotchy mess, so I tucked my chin even farther—“that it was time I got to know you better.”
“Oh,” I replied, unsure of what to say.
A rapping on the window grabbed my attention. Shane and I glanced over, and Malene shouted, “Say yes!”
I raked my fingers through my hair and exhaled. “Well, at least we were able to keep it quiet for—never.”
Shane laughed again before turning away from the window and focusing on me. “So, you up for it?”
What else was I doing tonight? Poring over color swatches? Sitting by a fire with a hot guy sounded a thousand times better than sitting at home, alone.
“Sure thing,” I said. “I’d love to.”
“Pick you up at seven?”
“Perfect.”
Shane went on his way, and I stalked toward the library, glaring at Malene through the glass.
The three ladies sat quietly quilting in a room off the main floor of the library. As soon as I entered, Malene glanced up. “Why, Clem, what are you doing here?”
“Don’t even try to act like you’re not in trouble.” I handed her the peaches. “Those are from Dottie. They’re thanks for the chocolate silk pie.”
Malene opened the sack and inhaled. “Does Dottie know you were bringing them to me?”
I shook my head and sat in a rocking chair. “No. Why?”
“Because,” Norma Ray said, “if Dottie knew you were giving them to Malene, she wouldn’t have given them to you in the first place.”
