There were way too many things I could say, most of it in the Facebook group. But after working as the town handyman, I knew too much.
“How good are you at keeping secrets?”
“Very.” Piper leaned in, eyes alight. “Is this somethingreallygood?”
“Let’s just say I’ll never forget it.” I gestured to the table. My left knee was killing me, and there was enough space for us to sit without touching. She hesitated, and just as I was about to offer to stay standing, she nodded and pointed for me to join her. I grabbed my cup and walked to her table.
Sitting was the relief I needed. I’d never admit it to Kelsey, but she was right. I was working too much.
“I’m jealous you have coffee and I don’t.”
“I’d offer it, but I don’t think you’d want to drink after me.”
“The coffee’s so good I’m considering it.” She propped her head up on her palm. “But what I really need is this story. I’m ready for some small-town gossip.”
She would fit in just fine.
“There’s this lady named Kerry. Long story short, she wants to know everything about everyone.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve heard of her.” She laughed. “I bet you two get along well.”
“I try to stay out of her way, but she’s weaseled in to try to get info on me. Sometimes she’d find work for me to do at her house back when I was the town’s handyman. Most of the time it was something she could easily do herself.”
“You were the town’s handyman? Did you wear cute little overalls?”
“Very funny. No. I wore this.”
“Still cute.”
“I’m too old to be cute,” I muttered as my cheeks grew warm. “Andanyway, you said you wanted the story.”
“I do.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “I am so sorry for calling you cute.”
There was no way she meant it, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
“One time, she gave me a bullshit call to clean out her drain, which she was always doing.”
“Is this where you tell me she had a crush on you?”
“This is where I tell you she forgot to take a very ... personal, phallic-shaped item off the wall.”
The heat in my cheeks intensified as I gauged her reaction. Maybe I shouldn’t have said this to her, but it was out there now.
And I couldn’t take it back.
Piper’s eyes went wide for all of three seconds before she erupted into laughter.
My shoulders relaxed. At least I hadn’t made her uncomfortable.
“Please tell me what you did.”
“What any man of my standing would. I told her I’d never tell a soul if she left me alone.”
Piper’s jaw dropped. “You blackmailed her?”
“I did. And it worked. Mostly. The coffee shop’s fair game, but my personal life isn’t.”
“Okay, that’s a good one. I bet she was mortified.”
