She shook her head. It was still hard to believe the big, tattooed, and gruff eldest Duke had married her sweet little sister. But there was no doubt to anyone who saw them together that it worked, and Blue’s little niece Sadie had only strengthened that unit.
She passed Brody and Phoebe’s place—they had two kids—and next came the farmhouse. This had been the first home built on this road, and where all five of the Duke siblings had grown up.
She hadn’t been close to Zoe, who was nearest to her age, but they’d run together in a pack. Phoebe Stanway, Brody Duke’s partner, had been her girl. They’d found their way back to each other in New York after they realized they were both working there and had been close ever since.
Veering left when she found someone running, Blue knew right off it was Bart Matilda because of the shorts he was wearing, which were made of flimsy material and cut high on the sides. They gave the town palpitations every time he wore them because they showed off way too much.
Ideas had been thrown around by the younger generation on how to get him into longer or more fitted shorts, but so far, none had worked.
Blue slowed and lowered her window.
“Hey, Bart. You all good there?”
“I’ve blown out another shoe, Blue.”
The man was one of the older members of the Lyntacky community. In some towns, that meant slowing down a bit, but not here. Here they walked about the place in groups, not unlike gaggles of geese, all talking over top of one another without appearing breathless, which Blue would be. They threw around orders, gave their opinions freely, and pretty much ran the town and anyone younger than them.
“That’s no good. Need me to do something for you, Bart?”
“A ride home, please, Blue.”
Drat. She just wanted to head home and sleep. Blue had been exhausted lately for no apparent reason that she could think of except that she wasn’t doing enough and had nowhere to be at any set time.
She’d need to find a job soon, and that was a depressing thought, so she kept ignoring it. Living on her savings was taking a large chunk out of them, but she hadn’t realized just how much she’d needed this break.
The door opened, and in got Bart, his long, skinny legs sticking out of those pale blue shorts.
“I didn’t know you were back, Blue.”
“Just now, Bart. I went to see Mom and Dad and the others who are at Sawyer and Birdie’s, and now I’m heading home for a nap.”
Bart made a scoffing sound. “Napping at your age.”
“It’s a flaw, what can I say.” In fact, she hadn’t been a napper until she quit her job. Now she never got enough sleep and still hadn’t recovered from the virus she’d caught after leaving New York. Blue really needed to make an appointment with the doctor for a checkup.
“I wouldn’t mind a coffee, since we’re passing the coffee hut.”
She didn’t sigh out loud, but the urge was there. That was another thing about the elders in Lyntacky: They spoke, and you obeyed—even if you didn’t want to.
Bart hummed as she drove, his voice soothing, if she was honest. Why she needed soothing, Blue had no idea. Possibly because she’d seen Jay, walked out on her job, and then decided to travel.
Her parents would be happy she was going rogue on her life for a while. Blue wasn’t sure what she was feeling.
Unsettled. Angry with herself. Tired—so tired.
“So, why are you home and not working in New York?” Bart asked as she turned onto the main street of Lyntacky.
Home, she thought. With all its mismatched, quirky features, like a statue of Shelly Lyntacky, the aunt of Tripp, the current mayor of the town. She loved square dancing, so the entire town paid continual homage to her in various ways.
“I’m taking a break, Bart. I’ve been traveling around. I went to one of Lynx’s concerts.”
She hadn’t told her family yet that she’d quit, so it wasn’t right to tell Bart first.
“How did that go?” Bart crossed his legs.
Blue kept her eyes on the road.
“It was good—great, even. My brother is pretty awesome, and he has these fans now that scream at him when he’s playing. They even have security.”
