suit with appliquéd autumn leaves.
Docia watched the tourist’s considerable rear end as she exited the store. “Jess Carroll also has the cutest baby in the world. Bar none. Jack. Daisy’s absolutely besotted, and she should be.”
She looked down at Janie, almost defiantly.
Janie met her gaze. “It’ll happen, Docia. It’s just biology.”
“Yeah.” Docia blew out a breath. “Unfortunately, I never was much good at science.”
“Honey, don’t worry.” Janie grinned. “You both have the right equipment.”
Docia felt her cheeks heating up. “Janie, for heaven’s sake, we’ve got customers.”
“Yep.” Janie’s grin was unrepentant. “So you think Jess Carroll might be interested in Lars?”
“Who knows?” Docia pushed the display to the left again, only half-thinking about it. “I did ask her to Thanksgiving, though.”
“Did you? Cool! Wonder if Lars will be happy about it.”
Docia shrugged. “My guess is he won’t be un happy.” She nudged the display again.
Janie stepped around the counter and removed Docia’s hands from the cardboard. “You’ve moved that thing three times now. It looks just fine where it is.”
“Does it?” Docia narrowed her eyes. “Maybe. I need to reorganize the storeroom anyway.”
She turned toward the back of the shop, hearing Janie’s faint sigh as she left.
For the second time in less than a week, Lars managed to have a beer with his brothers at the Dew Drop. Daisy had demanded to be taken to see Docia and Janie, and her aunts had swooped her away to what they called the “children’s book nook”.
Now Lars sat at the same booth where they always sat, taking an occasional sip of his beer and watching the ebb and flow of Konigsburg males, all still trying to adjust to the presence of Ingstrom’s barmaids.
Terrell Biedermeier hunched on his barstool, holding his beer protectively against his chest. Lars had the feeling he was trying very hard not to glance at Ruby’s tattooed shoulder immediately to his left. On Ruby’s other side, Ken Ferguson had a terrific view of her cleavage reflected in the mirror above the bar. Lars figured it was only a matter of time before Ruby flattened him. He just hoped she did it during one of his own infrequent visits to the bar. The entertainment value alone would be worth the price of a couple of beers.
Wonder dropped onto the booth beside Pete, frowning in Cal’s general direction. “So? Any luck with Docia?”
Cal shook his head. “You’re on your own with this one, Wonder. The women all think you got yourself into this hole with that lame-brained proposal, and you need to dig yourself out. Docia said she’s not going to talk to Allie about it until Allie brings it up herself. And if that happens, I wouldn’t count on her being on your side.”
Wonder rested his chin on his hands, the corners of his mouth drooping. “Terrific. All I ask is for somebody to run a little interference, and this is the thanks I get.”
Pete shrugged. “Tell her you’re sorry. Beg her pardon. Give her a ring. Tell her you’re nuts about her. How hard can that be?”
Wonder closed his eyes, sighing. “You have no idea.”
“Nope, I don’t.” Cal waved in Dahlia’s general direction. “Telling the woman you love that you love her seems like a pretty straight-forward deal.”
“Thanks, oh great and powerful wizard,” Wonder snapped. “I should have come to you earlier.”
“Yep, you should.” Cal gestured toward the table as Dahlia approached. “Two Lone Stars, a Spaten, a Dos Equis and a crying towel for the dentist.”
Dahlia narrowed her eyes at him, then turned on her heel.
“The ring idea has some merit, though.” Wonder looked thoughtful. “Maybe I’ll go over to Logsdon’s jewelry store and see what he’s got. Prove my gravitas, as it were.”
Pete blew a raspberry. “Wonder, the ring will only work if it comes accompanied by an apology and a declaration. You cannot buy yourself
Docia watched the tourist’s considerable rear end as she exited the store. “Jess Carroll also has the cutest baby in the world. Bar none. Jack. Daisy’s absolutely besotted, and she should be.”
She looked down at Janie, almost defiantly.
Janie met her gaze. “It’ll happen, Docia. It’s just biology.”
“Yeah.” Docia blew out a breath. “Unfortunately, I never was much good at science.”
“Honey, don’t worry.” Janie grinned. “You both have the right equipment.”
Docia felt her cheeks heating up. “Janie, for heaven’s sake, we’ve got customers.”
“Yep.” Janie’s grin was unrepentant. “So you think Jess Carroll might be interested in Lars?”
“Who knows?” Docia pushed the display to the left again, only half-thinking about it. “I did ask her to Thanksgiving, though.”
“Did you? Cool! Wonder if Lars will be happy about it.”
Docia shrugged. “My guess is he won’t be un happy.” She nudged the display again.
Janie stepped around the counter and removed Docia’s hands from the cardboard. “You’ve moved that thing three times now. It looks just fine where it is.”
“Does it?” Docia narrowed her eyes. “Maybe. I need to reorganize the storeroom anyway.”
She turned toward the back of the shop, hearing Janie’s faint sigh as she left.
For the second time in less than a week, Lars managed to have a beer with his brothers at the Dew Drop. Daisy had demanded to be taken to see Docia and Janie, and her aunts had swooped her away to what they called the “children’s book nook”.
Now Lars sat at the same booth where they always sat, taking an occasional sip of his beer and watching the ebb and flow of Konigsburg males, all still trying to adjust to the presence of Ingstrom’s barmaids.
Terrell Biedermeier hunched on his barstool, holding his beer protectively against his chest. Lars had the feeling he was trying very hard not to glance at Ruby’s tattooed shoulder immediately to his left. On Ruby’s other side, Ken Ferguson had a terrific view of her cleavage reflected in the mirror above the bar. Lars figured it was only a matter of time before Ruby flattened him. He just hoped she did it during one of his own infrequent visits to the bar. The entertainment value alone would be worth the price of a couple of beers.
Wonder dropped onto the booth beside Pete, frowning in Cal’s general direction. “So? Any luck with Docia?”
Cal shook his head. “You’re on your own with this one, Wonder. The women all think you got yourself into this hole with that lame-brained proposal, and you need to dig yourself out. Docia said she’s not going to talk to Allie about it until Allie brings it up herself. And if that happens, I wouldn’t count on her being on your side.”
Wonder rested his chin on his hands, the corners of his mouth drooping. “Terrific. All I ask is for somebody to run a little interference, and this is the thanks I get.”
Pete shrugged. “Tell her you’re sorry. Beg her pardon. Give her a ring. Tell her you’re nuts about her. How hard can that be?”
Wonder closed his eyes, sighing. “You have no idea.”
“Nope, I don’t.” Cal waved in Dahlia’s general direction. “Telling the woman you love that you love her seems like a pretty straight-forward deal.”
“Thanks, oh great and powerful wizard,” Wonder snapped. “I should have come to you earlier.”
“Yep, you should.” Cal gestured toward the table as Dahlia approached. “Two Lone Stars, a Spaten, a Dos Equis and a crying towel for the dentist.”
Dahlia narrowed her eyes at him, then turned on her heel.
“The ring idea has some merit, though.” Wonder looked thoughtful. “Maybe I’ll go over to Logsdon’s jewelry store and see what he’s got. Prove my gravitas, as it were.”
Pete blew a raspberry. “Wonder, the ring will only work if it comes accompanied by an apology and a declaration. You cannot buy yourself
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