dinner?”
“Keeping that part.” She arched an already comically arched penciled brow. “You okay with that, kitten?”
“Sure.” She could handle a couple of hours of Devlin’s company. That’s if he even showed. “But I’m not okay with you driving.”
“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll relinquish the wheel, if you promise to let me drive once we’re out of town.”
Chloe raised a brow. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“Give me fifteen minutes. Open stretch of road. No potholes. No sharp curves.”
“Sounds … uneventful. What do you get out of it?”
“Fifteen minutes of being in control.”
“What do I get out of it?”
“Fifteen minutes of bliss.”
“Not sure what that means.”
“You’ll have to take a leap of faith. Or … we can go to church.”
The woman was shrewd. Chloe blew out a breath. “Slide over.”
Daisy shimmied to the passenger side, then, as Chloe took the driver’s seat, pointed the remote at the garage door. The door swung open with a slow grind, allowing sunshine to spill in and over the Caddy. “See there,” Daisy said. “Beautiful day for a drive.”
No argument there. Clear blue skies. Mild temp and lots of sunshine. “Won’t your family worry when you don’t show for church?”
Daisy opened her pink and white handbag and pulled out a cell phone designed for seniors—big numbers, big buttons. She speed-dialed and a heartbeat later she smiled. “Yes, Rocky, dear, it’s me.… No, nothing’s wrong. It’s just … it’s Chloe’s first Sunday and she’s feeling jittery about dinner. We’re driving to Pixley. Oslow’s didn’t have the fresh herbs she needed for the…” She looked to Chloe.
“Cornish hens.”
“For the Cornish hens.… Mmm. Yes. I know. Well, she did study culinary arts.… Sure thing, sweet pea. See you then.” She snapped shut her phone and looked at Chloe. “Happy now?”
“That your granddaughter thinks I’m some sort of anal herb freak? Delirious.” She keyed the ignition and, after gripping air where the gearshift should have been, maneuvered the shift on the steering column and stepped on the gas. “Wish I wouldn’t have traded my flats for heels.”
“If they’re a hindrance, kick ’em off.”
“Drive barefoot? I think that’s against the law.”
“Law, schmaw.”
Chloe pushed on her sunglasses before rolling her eyes. “Where am I headed?” she asked as she pulled out of the garage.
“Same route we took out of town to get to the river. Only when we get to that fork in the road, veer right instead of left.” She donned her own sunglasses, the big black classic Jackie O shades. “I’ve been watching you the past couple of days.”
“Oh?”
“You’re wound tight, kitten.”
“Something I’ve never been accused of.” People typically referred to her as carefree. Reckless even. Depending on who you asked. Although, granted, she hadn’t been the same since Ryan’s betrayal. Maybe even before.
“I’m thinking you need a boyfriend.”
“I had a boyfriend.”
“Was he a rat?”
“A cheating rat.”
“Then you’re better off without him.” She patted Chloe’s arm with her gloved hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you a new one.”
“I don’t want a new one.”
“What about Sam?”
“I’m sure he’s a very nice man, but—”
“He has eyes for Rachel.”
“Well, then—”
“And Luke.” Daisy sighed. “Luke has eyes for every woman over eighteen and under forty. I love that boy, but he’s a Casanova. He won’t do at all.”
“I’m really not interested—”
“Of course, Devlin—”
“No!” Chloe’s body burned with the memory of his four-alarm kiss. “I mean, no, thank you. I’m really not interested in dating right now.”
“Still pining for the rat?”
“No. Yes. I mean … It’s only been a week. I’m just … confused.”
“And frustrated.”
She squeezed the steering wheel, imagining Ryan’s neck. He’d landed her
“Keeping that part.” She arched an already comically arched penciled brow. “You okay with that, kitten?”
“Sure.” She could handle a couple of hours of Devlin’s company. That’s if he even showed. “But I’m not okay with you driving.”
“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll relinquish the wheel, if you promise to let me drive once we’re out of town.”
Chloe raised a brow. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“Give me fifteen minutes. Open stretch of road. No potholes. No sharp curves.”
“Sounds … uneventful. What do you get out of it?”
“Fifteen minutes of being in control.”
“What do I get out of it?”
“Fifteen minutes of bliss.”
“Not sure what that means.”
“You’ll have to take a leap of faith. Or … we can go to church.”
The woman was shrewd. Chloe blew out a breath. “Slide over.”
Daisy shimmied to the passenger side, then, as Chloe took the driver’s seat, pointed the remote at the garage door. The door swung open with a slow grind, allowing sunshine to spill in and over the Caddy. “See there,” Daisy said. “Beautiful day for a drive.”
No argument there. Clear blue skies. Mild temp and lots of sunshine. “Won’t your family worry when you don’t show for church?”
Daisy opened her pink and white handbag and pulled out a cell phone designed for seniors—big numbers, big buttons. She speed-dialed and a heartbeat later she smiled. “Yes, Rocky, dear, it’s me.… No, nothing’s wrong. It’s just … it’s Chloe’s first Sunday and she’s feeling jittery about dinner. We’re driving to Pixley. Oslow’s didn’t have the fresh herbs she needed for the…” She looked to Chloe.
“Cornish hens.”
“For the Cornish hens.… Mmm. Yes. I know. Well, she did study culinary arts.… Sure thing, sweet pea. See you then.” She snapped shut her phone and looked at Chloe. “Happy now?”
“That your granddaughter thinks I’m some sort of anal herb freak? Delirious.” She keyed the ignition and, after gripping air where the gearshift should have been, maneuvered the shift on the steering column and stepped on the gas. “Wish I wouldn’t have traded my flats for heels.”
“If they’re a hindrance, kick ’em off.”
“Drive barefoot? I think that’s against the law.”
“Law, schmaw.”
Chloe pushed on her sunglasses before rolling her eyes. “Where am I headed?” she asked as she pulled out of the garage.
“Same route we took out of town to get to the river. Only when we get to that fork in the road, veer right instead of left.” She donned her own sunglasses, the big black classic Jackie O shades. “I’ve been watching you the past couple of days.”
“Oh?”
“You’re wound tight, kitten.”
“Something I’ve never been accused of.” People typically referred to her as carefree. Reckless even. Depending on who you asked. Although, granted, she hadn’t been the same since Ryan’s betrayal. Maybe even before.
“I’m thinking you need a boyfriend.”
“I had a boyfriend.”
“Was he a rat?”
“A cheating rat.”
“Then you’re better off without him.” She patted Chloe’s arm with her gloved hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you a new one.”
“I don’t want a new one.”
“What about Sam?”
“I’m sure he’s a very nice man, but—”
“He has eyes for Rachel.”
“Well, then—”
“And Luke.” Daisy sighed. “Luke has eyes for every woman over eighteen and under forty. I love that boy, but he’s a Casanova. He won’t do at all.”
“I’m really not interested—”
“Of course, Devlin—”
“No!” Chloe’s body burned with the memory of his four-alarm kiss. “I mean, no, thank you. I’m really not interested in dating right now.”
“Still pining for the rat?”
“No. Yes. I mean … It’s only been a week. I’m just … confused.”
“And frustrated.”
She squeezed the steering wheel, imagining Ryan’s neck. He’d landed her
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