“Good family.”
“Her mama could be a little less talkative, though. She just told Adeline Baker that her apple pies were better than mine, and I have a mind to fix that wrong today.”
“They are,” Agnes conveys without a bit of empathy construed in her words. “But you make a better blueberry, Maebelle.”
Her friend gasps loudly. “Howdareyou make an assumption?—”
“It’s not an assumption, Mae. I’ve had ’em.”
A palm suddenly presses into my lower back, and Tad’s voice is in my ear with, “You didn’t grab any lemonade.”
Irritation suddenly runs through me because he’ll charm and flirt with anything moving in this town for his own benefit, but he won’t grab me a glass of lemonade.
“I thought that was your job,” I deadpan at the same moment Agnes walks away from Maebelle, and she immediately follows her away.
Great.
I was hoping they’d keep Tad company for me or grill him on some town problems, but pies are more important now, apparently.
“Of course,” he drawls with a small chuckle. “Where are my manners now?”
Used up on anyone but your date.
“Peach or regular? I recommend?—”
“Why, Thaddeus Delacroix,” declares a young, feminine southern voice from my left. “How could you let this pretty young thing stand here with no beverage?”
Tad and I both glance over to find the beautiful blonde I discovered earlier next to Micah.
Which would mean…
Oh crap.
Her beautiful green eyes suddenly flick over to me, and I’m in sheer awe of how gorgeous she is.
Her blonde hair alone makes her pop out because it’s long and this exquisite shade of gold. A plethora of freckles aresprinkled along her high cheekbones and cheeks that give her this warm feel.
Even her smile that she’s giving me is welcoming.
Except, the man I know she’s with is something I just can’t deal with now.
“Zoe,” Tad breathes at my side, sounding almost nervous but definitely caught off guard. “What are you doin’ here?”
“It’s a town event,” she deadpans for a moment, her deep Southern drawl from earlier gone, and that pretty grin she had on her face suddenly disappears. “Aren’t I supposed to give back to the community?”
“Since when do you dothat?”
She opens her mouth to say something, but then I hear Micah cut in with, “You wouldn’t notice, Tad. Your head is shoved up too many asses to notice the folks that actually contribute around here.”
The woman known as Zoe doesn’t allow Thaddeaus another word when she extends her hand to me and asks, “You’re the new-ish schoolteacher, yes?”
I nod, taking her hand, even though I don’t want to, and reply, “I am. Sienna Vesper.”
“Zoe Ridgeway. I’ve heardnothin’but nice things about you through all the town gossip.”
I gape at her. “Thanks.”
She smiles again. “Though I would like to know…is it true you moved here because you lost a bet and had to move somewhere with three stoplights?”
