go?”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to have a choice in the matter.” I shrugged. “At least if they return to me, they’re mine.”
“Or”—Poppy grinned—“if they come back to you, maybe no one else wanted them.”
“How comforting.”
Poppy strolled toward Ronni, who was standing with Kizzy and Lee at the front of the church hall. “But it might be time to find a guy who isn’t too busy to be around for you.”
“My thoughts exactly.” I followed Poppy. “If a relationship is going to grow into something long-lasting, the two people involved need to share the same geography more often than not. Although some absences are more understandable than others.”
“Possibly.” Poppy stopped and turned to look at me, her expression serious. “But everyone makes choices, and just because those choices are noble ones doesn’t mean that you have to accept them.”
Before I could respond to Poppy, Ronni announced to the crowd, “Those of you attending the fashion showshould begin to make your way over to the high school now. Afterward, there will be a party at Gossip Central with music and munchies. Everybody’s invited.”
Poppy and I were standing right near the head table, and just then we overheard Lee call out.
“Oh, shoot!” she said, looking up from digging through her purse. “Can one of you give Kizzy a ride? I forgot something at the B and B.”
“She can ride with me,” Ronni offered. “If that’s okay with you, Kizzy.”
“That’s fine with me,” Kizzy answered, then turned to her business partner and asked, “What did you forget, Lee?
“My pills.” Lee took off at a trot. “Thanks, Ronni! See you all there.”
A few minutes later, the rest of us headed toward the exit. The mayor trailed us like a lost puppy until one of his constituents beckoned him over. As Kizzy reached the door, her cell beeped, indicating she had an incoming text. She was a few paces ahead of the rest of us and continued to move as she gazed down at her phone. I was watching her, wondering how she could walk without tripping, when she stepped onto the asphalt of the parking lot. At that exact moment, a car with its headlights turned off sped toward her.
We all froze, staring at Kizzy, who was apparently so engrossed in reading her message that she didn’t seem to notice the three tons of steel hurtling toward her. Without thinking, I made a flying tackle. The cupcake tycoon and I soared through the air, landing hard on the blacktop. As the car roared past, I swear I could feel the bumper kiss my rear end.
CHAPTER 9
“R eally, I’m fine,” I repeated for the fiftieth time, brushing bits of gravel and dirt from the knees of my white slacks. “Is Kizzy all right?” I didn’t remember seeing the cupcake queen after Poppy yanked me to my feet and led me over to the sidewalk.
“She seemed okay. She complained that you ruined her dress and messed up her hair, so once Ronni was sure you weren’t hurt, she drove Kizzy back to the B and B to change.” Poppy took my hands and gazed at the scrapes on my palms. “That woman makes me want to high-five her . . .” Poppy paused dramatically. “In the face . . .” Another dramatic pause. “With a baseball bat.”
“Yeah.” I snickered at the image. “Me, too.”
“Why in the hell did you throw yourself in front of a speeding car for that self-centered witch?”
“I didn’t think about her character, just that she was about to become roadkill.” I looked myself over. It seemed as if I had escaped serious injury, although I couldn’t say the same for my pants.
A concerned group from the dinner had gathered, including Winnie, who said, “We never used to havecrazy drivers like that in Shadow Bend. Everybody is in such a doggone hurry these days.”
“Anyone who drives like hell is bound to get there someday,” I commented, then looked around and asked, “Did the car that almost creamed us stop?”
“Nope.” Poppy scowled.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to have a choice in the matter.” I shrugged. “At least if they return to me, they’re mine.”
“Or”—Poppy grinned—“if they come back to you, maybe no one else wanted them.”
“How comforting.”
Poppy strolled toward Ronni, who was standing with Kizzy and Lee at the front of the church hall. “But it might be time to find a guy who isn’t too busy to be around for you.”
“My thoughts exactly.” I followed Poppy. “If a relationship is going to grow into something long-lasting, the two people involved need to share the same geography more often than not. Although some absences are more understandable than others.”
“Possibly.” Poppy stopped and turned to look at me, her expression serious. “But everyone makes choices, and just because those choices are noble ones doesn’t mean that you have to accept them.”
Before I could respond to Poppy, Ronni announced to the crowd, “Those of you attending the fashion showshould begin to make your way over to the high school now. Afterward, there will be a party at Gossip Central with music and munchies. Everybody’s invited.”
Poppy and I were standing right near the head table, and just then we overheard Lee call out.
“Oh, shoot!” she said, looking up from digging through her purse. “Can one of you give Kizzy a ride? I forgot something at the B and B.”
“She can ride with me,” Ronni offered. “If that’s okay with you, Kizzy.”
“That’s fine with me,” Kizzy answered, then turned to her business partner and asked, “What did you forget, Lee?
“My pills.” Lee took off at a trot. “Thanks, Ronni! See you all there.”
A few minutes later, the rest of us headed toward the exit. The mayor trailed us like a lost puppy until one of his constituents beckoned him over. As Kizzy reached the door, her cell beeped, indicating she had an incoming text. She was a few paces ahead of the rest of us and continued to move as she gazed down at her phone. I was watching her, wondering how she could walk without tripping, when she stepped onto the asphalt of the parking lot. At that exact moment, a car with its headlights turned off sped toward her.
We all froze, staring at Kizzy, who was apparently so engrossed in reading her message that she didn’t seem to notice the three tons of steel hurtling toward her. Without thinking, I made a flying tackle. The cupcake tycoon and I soared through the air, landing hard on the blacktop. As the car roared past, I swear I could feel the bumper kiss my rear end.
CHAPTER 9
“R eally, I’m fine,” I repeated for the fiftieth time, brushing bits of gravel and dirt from the knees of my white slacks. “Is Kizzy all right?” I didn’t remember seeing the cupcake queen after Poppy yanked me to my feet and led me over to the sidewalk.
“She seemed okay. She complained that you ruined her dress and messed up her hair, so once Ronni was sure you weren’t hurt, she drove Kizzy back to the B and B to change.” Poppy took my hands and gazed at the scrapes on my palms. “That woman makes me want to high-five her . . .” Poppy paused dramatically. “In the face . . .” Another dramatic pause. “With a baseball bat.”
“Yeah.” I snickered at the image. “Me, too.”
“Why in the hell did you throw yourself in front of a speeding car for that self-centered witch?”
“I didn’t think about her character, just that she was about to become roadkill.” I looked myself over. It seemed as if I had escaped serious injury, although I couldn’t say the same for my pants.
A concerned group from the dinner had gathered, including Winnie, who said, “We never used to havecrazy drivers like that in Shadow Bend. Everybody is in such a doggone hurry these days.”
“Anyone who drives like hell is bound to get there someday,” I commented, then looked around and asked, “Did the car that almost creamed us stop?”
“Nope.” Poppy scowled.
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