Nodding, I pressed a hand to my chest, then cleared my throat. “Of course. We’ll be fine. I’ll see you at the kickoff.”
He hesitated.
“Go on, get out of here. Leave us girls to get ready. Of course she knows I was joking.” Suzy dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. “Besides, I don’t have the equipment to work on something her size out here. You know that.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Hopeful that Suzy was just a tough old bird who liked to get a rise out of folks, I grinned up at Jasper. “Go on, Suzy and I will get along just fine.”
He gave his aunt a final long look, and some unspoken message passed between them. Then he adjusted his baseball cap and grabbed his keys from where he set them on the counter. “You’ve got my number?”
I nodded.
“Call me if you need anything?”
I nodded again.
“Anything.”
“Got it.” I stood and picked up my makeup case. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“All right.” He pressed a kiss to his aunt’s temple, then turned and walked out the door.
I waited as the truck engine turned over and the sound of his retreat crunched over the gravel drive. Suddenly the trailer seemed so much bigger without Jasper Taylor taking up all the space and sucking in all the air.
“Bathroom’s right this way.” Suzy covered the length of the trailer in just a few steps. “You can change in the bedroom if you’d like. You’ll have more room in there.”
“Thank you.” I smiled at the woman as I stepped inside the small bathroom.
“You’re more than welcome. I’m always happy to help out my kinfolk. Any friend of Jasper’s is a friend of mine.”
“Oh, we’re not exactly friends,” I tried to explain. “He’s the hospitality host.”
“We’re all friends around here, sugar.” Suzy propped her hands on her hips. “You need a towel to take a shower or anything?”
“No thank you. I’ll just change into my kickoff outfit and redo my makeup.”
“Suit yourself. You hungry? I can make you something to eat right quick before we have to go to the party.”
“I’m fine, thanks.” No telling what kind of meat Suzy might have sitting around in her freezer. The thought made my stomach roll.
“Best get to it then. I’ll be ready whenever you are.”
“Thank you.” I pulled the bathroom door shut behind me, enclosing myself in the small space. Two chipmunks sat on a log suspended above the toilet. I shook my head and focused on my reflection in the mirror.
My arrival in Ido hadn’t gone exactly as I anticipated. Hopefully the evening celebration would go well. I lost track of time as I brushed and dabbed and highlighted, my fingers expertly applying the makeup in a routine I’d perfected over the years.
Suzy said something, then a man’s voice reverberated through the trailer.
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. “You about ready? We’ve got a visitor and he’s got a special ride to get you to the party tonight.”
Jasper
I checked my list once,twice, three times. This afternoon had been such a mess, tonight needed to go off without a hitch. We’d already pushed Delilah Stone to the edge. I could tell by the way her wild-eyed gaze had darted from beaver to bobcat at my aunt Suzy’s place. If she fled before she had a chance to pass judgment on our tiny town, I’d never hear the end of it.
“You ready?” Lacey joined me in the gazebo, baby P in her arms.
“As ready as we’ll ever be.” I turned in a circle, doing one final check-in to make sure all was going according to the plan.
“You’re sure Suzy will have her here in time?” Lacey didn’t have the same unwavering faith in Suzy’s abilities. In addition to working for the taxidermist, Suzy was the local florist. Up until Lacey started bringing in brides, my aunt mainly worked with the town’s funeral parlor. But recently she’d been doing a whole lot of weddings and never missed an opportunity to cross over between her two loves, sometimes working a small token of local wildlife into one of her bridal bouquets.
