crossed.”
“Isn’t that the most pitiful-lookin’ thing you ever saw?” Ed shook his head. “I told Emily she’d better buy herself a pair of specs or quit that damned paintin’. I know I ain’t the best-lookin’ man around, but I ain’t that homely.”
“Dylan, I don’t know why you’ve got your shorts in a bunch,” Luke said, turning back to face him. “Yours looks better than most.”
“That’s right,” Ed chimed in. “At least that Montgomery gal can paint.”
When Ed mentioned Brenna’s involvement, Dylan’s left eyebrow started twitching and his stomach felt as if little men in spiked shoes were doing an Irish jig in his belly. He didn’t need the added complications of the B.S. Club project, on top of trying to deal with his feelings for Brenna.
“Dylan, you’ve been seein’ that little gal pretty regular,” Ed said thoughtfully.
“Yeah, and the women didn’t get all fired-up about changin’ the way things have always been until she came to town and started them danged classes,” Luke groused.
“You gotta do somethin’ about all this, Dylan,” Ed said in earnest.
Dylan sat forward. “Now, hold it right there. It’s your wives who came up with this hare-brainedscheme. Besides, I can’t, and won’t, try to tell Brenna what to do, or not do. I’m not getting involved.”
“Oh, yes, you are,” Myron said, jumping to his feet. He paced back and forth in front of Dylan’s desk. “You’re gonna have to start snoopin’ around more if we intend to stop this before they completely ruin the town.”
“That’s right, Dylan,” Ed added. “Knowin’ that bunch, if we don’t stop ’em now, come this spring you’ll be drivin’ around in the sheriff’s truck with pink and yellow daisies painted on the sides.”
“Since you ain’t married, it won’t cause you near the grief it could cause us,” Luke said earnestly.
Dylan tasted defeat and it sat heavily on an already knotted stomach. “What can I do? Brenna has a mind of her own. I can’t tell her what to do, any more than you men can tell your wives.”
Myron looked thoughtful. “We don’t want you to tell her nothin’, boy. Try askin’ her what they have up their sleeves next. Then when you find out, let us know so we can head ’em off ’fore they do something else to make a mockery of Tranquillity.”
Ed Taylor stood up. “Now that we’ve got that settled, I’m goin’ by the drugstore to pick up a box of chocolates for Emily.”
“Why you doin’ that?” Luke asked.
“To make amends,” Ed answered as he started for the door. “Myron may not care about sleepin’ all by his lonesome, but I do.”
“Me, too.” Looking thoughtful, Luke followed him. “I’m pretty sure Helen got offended when I told her the best thing she could do would be to throwthem paints and brushes away and buy a dog to play with.”
“If you two are buyin’ candy for your wives, I’d better buy some for Cornelia,” Myron said, joining them. At their questioning look, he shrugged. “I need some kind of insurance against that damned couch.”
Dylan watched the three men file out of his office. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. No matter which way he turned, he couldn’t win.
On one hand, he wholeheartedly agreed with the men. The women did have some cockamamie ideas. God only knew what they planned to do next.
But on the other hand, he couldn’t forget the excitement in Brenna’s eyes when she talked about her role in the B.S. Club’s plans. She was genuinely thrilled to have been asked to join the women and become involved in the community so quickly. And he’d be damned before he did anything to take that happiness from her.
His gaze landed on the clock and he noticed it was already after lunch. He couldn’t believe he’d wasted most of the morning listening to the council members’ impotent complaints, then the rest of it trying to figure out what his own role was in the whole
“Isn’t that the most pitiful-lookin’ thing you ever saw?” Ed shook his head. “I told Emily she’d better buy herself a pair of specs or quit that damned paintin’. I know I ain’t the best-lookin’ man around, but I ain’t that homely.”
“Dylan, I don’t know why you’ve got your shorts in a bunch,” Luke said, turning back to face him. “Yours looks better than most.”
“That’s right,” Ed chimed in. “At least that Montgomery gal can paint.”
When Ed mentioned Brenna’s involvement, Dylan’s left eyebrow started twitching and his stomach felt as if little men in spiked shoes were doing an Irish jig in his belly. He didn’t need the added complications of the B.S. Club project, on top of trying to deal with his feelings for Brenna.
“Dylan, you’ve been seein’ that little gal pretty regular,” Ed said thoughtfully.
“Yeah, and the women didn’t get all fired-up about changin’ the way things have always been until she came to town and started them danged classes,” Luke groused.
“You gotta do somethin’ about all this, Dylan,” Ed said in earnest.
Dylan sat forward. “Now, hold it right there. It’s your wives who came up with this hare-brainedscheme. Besides, I can’t, and won’t, try to tell Brenna what to do, or not do. I’m not getting involved.”
“Oh, yes, you are,” Myron said, jumping to his feet. He paced back and forth in front of Dylan’s desk. “You’re gonna have to start snoopin’ around more if we intend to stop this before they completely ruin the town.”
“That’s right, Dylan,” Ed added. “Knowin’ that bunch, if we don’t stop ’em now, come this spring you’ll be drivin’ around in the sheriff’s truck with pink and yellow daisies painted on the sides.”
“Since you ain’t married, it won’t cause you near the grief it could cause us,” Luke said earnestly.
Dylan tasted defeat and it sat heavily on an already knotted stomach. “What can I do? Brenna has a mind of her own. I can’t tell her what to do, any more than you men can tell your wives.”
Myron looked thoughtful. “We don’t want you to tell her nothin’, boy. Try askin’ her what they have up their sleeves next. Then when you find out, let us know so we can head ’em off ’fore they do something else to make a mockery of Tranquillity.”
Ed Taylor stood up. “Now that we’ve got that settled, I’m goin’ by the drugstore to pick up a box of chocolates for Emily.”
“Why you doin’ that?” Luke asked.
“To make amends,” Ed answered as he started for the door. “Myron may not care about sleepin’ all by his lonesome, but I do.”
“Me, too.” Looking thoughtful, Luke followed him. “I’m pretty sure Helen got offended when I told her the best thing she could do would be to throwthem paints and brushes away and buy a dog to play with.”
“If you two are buyin’ candy for your wives, I’d better buy some for Cornelia,” Myron said, joining them. At their questioning look, he shrugged. “I need some kind of insurance against that damned couch.”
Dylan watched the three men file out of his office. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. No matter which way he turned, he couldn’t win.
On one hand, he wholeheartedly agreed with the men. The women did have some cockamamie ideas. God only knew what they planned to do next.
But on the other hand, he couldn’t forget the excitement in Brenna’s eyes when she talked about her role in the B.S. Club’s plans. She was genuinely thrilled to have been asked to join the women and become involved in the community so quickly. And he’d be damned before he did anything to take that happiness from her.
His gaze landed on the clock and he noticed it was already after lunch. He couldn’t believe he’d wasted most of the morning listening to the council members’ impotent complaints, then the rest of it trying to figure out what his own role was in the whole
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