“Of course,” she blurted out, and she wished she could put the words back in her mouth.
As if a miracle fell from heaven, her phone rang. When Bernie’s name came up, she answered on the second ring.
“Hello, Bernie. What’s going on in your neck of the woods?” she asked.
“Easter weekend is coming up, and if you don’t have plans, I wanted to invite you to come up here. We have a big to-do. The sisters all get together on Saturday to cook and get the eggs ready for the big community egg hunt, and the guys get the backyard ready for the event. The menfolks hide the eggs after our family dinner, and Mary Jane takes pictures of each family in front of the Easter bunny. That’s a six-foot-tall wooden cutout that Joe Clay made for her to use as a backdrop for her photos. We set up tables under the shade trees for snacks and visiting after the egg hunt is over.” She stopped for a breath and then went on. “And there’s plenty of room in the Paradise for you to stay there. You can ride up here with Knox.”
“Thank you for the invitation, but since Knox and I are kind of dating, he should be the one asking me, don’t you think?”
“Well, praise the Lord and pass the biscuits!” Bernie shouted so loud that Lottie held the phone out from herear. “I’ve done it again! Another star in my matchmaking crown.”
“Don’t go having that big old diamond polished and set into your gold tiara just yet,” Lottie said, laughing. “We’ve only decided to go out with each other since the wedding, and maybe he wouldn’t want me to interfere with his family time.”
“Bullshit!” Bernie said. “Holidays mean family, and you are coming. Don’t even try to argue with me. I’ve got to go now. See you tomorrow night.”
“Hey, y’all!” Lottie raised her voice as she headed for the door. “Just throw my laundry on the folding table, please. I’ll come back and get it later.”
“Sure thing, but what’s making you race out of here?” Gabe asked.
“I don’t want my shrimp scampi to get cold,” she answered and jogged all the way to Knox’s trailer.
Chapter 4
Knox had just gotten the table set for two when the phone rang and Lottie burst through the door at the same time. He ignored the phone when he saw the expression on her face—pure fear.
“What’s the matter? Are you all right?” he asked.
“Don’t answer that call,” she panted. “Please, don’t answer it.”
“Why?” Knox asked.
“I’ll explain when I catch my breath,” she said. “It’s Bernie, and I need to tell you first.”
A cold chill chased down Knox’s backbone. “Is everything all right in Spanish Fort?”
“Yes,” Lottie said with a nod. “She called me”—she took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh—“to invite me to come to the Paradise with you for the weekend.”
“And you ran all the way here to tell me that?” Knox asked.
“I told her we were dating,” she blurted out. “I didn’t want her to call and blindside you.”
Once a cat is out of the bag, putting it back in is a tough job without getting clawed in the process. “So,” he asked, “are you going?”
“I didn’t give her an answer, but…” She slid into the booth and took a long drink of tea.
“But what? Either you are going, or you aren’t.”
“Shouldn’t you be the one to ask me since we are dating?” she fired back.
Knox carried a basket of warm bread to the table. “Okay, then. If you aren’t going home for Easter, would you like to go with me to Spanish Fort?”
She stood up and refilled her tea glass while he brought the rest of the food to the table. “Bernie and your relatives will be able to see right through our deception.”
“Did Jack?” Knox asked and motioned for her to sit down.
“No, but this is your family. They know you well enough to know when you are faking it, don’t they?”
“If we were in a restaurant, this is where I would pull out a chair for you, but since all we have is a booth…” he said.
