she
couldn't see him settling down here. He was used to living out of a
suitcase. He'd outgrown Skeeter Blue, and the sooner she could
convince him they needed to annul the marriage the better. There
was no sense in drawing it out any longer, but first she needed to
corner Mayor Dirkly and make him understand the predicament they
were in. However, the man had purposely made himself scarce.
The bell over the door chimed and Whisper
came breezing in like a blast of fresh air. Her hair was tucked
under a fortuneteller scarf of purple and hot pink. Her skirt was
just as flamboyant and to finish off her outfit, she sported gold
hoop earrings and gold bracelets. Jolie knew she would look gaudy
in such a getup, but Whisper did the outfit justice. Gypsies
everywhere would envy her.
"Well, good morning, boss lady." She grinned
from ear to ear as if she knew a secret and was just bursting to
tell it. She tossed her purse behind the counter and proceeded to
make herself a mocha frappe. "So…how did the date go with the
hubby?" she spoke over the blender.
Hubby? She pursed her lips and shook
her head. Of course, technically she was right, but for her to use
the title… "It was nice."
Whisper turned off the blender and poured her
drink. "Only nice. Tye Casper don't strike me as a nice kinda guy." One of Whisper's eyebrows rose. "Come
on, spill. Don't tell me he didn't take you to bed and love you
proper."
"Whisper, really." She clicked her tongue.
Tye had been the perfect gentleman. After their evening of dinner,
wine, and slow dancing by the pond, he drove her home, walked her
to the front door and—
"Earth to Jolie." Whisper snapped her fingers
in front of her eyes, bringing her out of her reverie.
"Tye and I didn't sleep together," she
blurted out then sipped her coffee, staring at Whisper over the rim
of the cup. What a sight; Whisper speechless.
Whisper blinked once then twice. "Say what?
Did the man go and forget you both were hitched?"
"No, he didn't forget. He's courting me." His
words, not hers, and said after they shared a heated kiss on her
front porch, no less. She didn't put much faith in the pledge. How
long could he hold out? How long could she?
Whisper chortled and amusement danced in her
eyes. "I think he has this all backwards." She placed her cup on
the counter. "I should go have a word with him."
Jolie's hand snaked out and grabbed Whisper's
arm. "You will do no such thing. I'm perfectly fine with the way
things are," she lied. She was attracted to Tye, and it would be
simple to slide into a physical relationship with him, but darn him
for being so likable too, even when she didn't want to care. Her
logical portion of her brain was screaming, keep away from
him. The other portion didn't care what happened between them
in the past. It wanted to ignore her logical self and let Tye have
his way with her. The tug-o-war was wearing her out.
Whisper stared at her in disbelief. "You are
either in denial or you're just plumb crazy. I saw the two of you
together and I did your charts. You two were meant to be
together."
She ran a hand over her face, inhaled, and
then let out a breath as she prayed for patience. "The charts don't
mean diddly-squat." Her words sounded harsh even to her own ears,
but she couldn't back down now. "The man broke my heart and there's
just no coming back from that." She was the forever kind of girl
and Tye didn't understand such a commitment.
"Wow," Whisper said, truly appearing shocked
at her outburst.
She was a little put back also. She'd finally
said it out loud. It didn't mean she should take out her
frustration on Whisper, but she couldn't base her relationships on
the stars. "Listen, I can't take a chance on a man who's going to
leave town once the rodeo event is over in search of the next one.
His eight seconds were up a long time ago with me, and he
lost."
The bell chimed over the door and Tye strode
in with his cowboy hat pushed back on his head, and didn't he look
mighty
couldn't see him settling down here. He was used to living out of a
suitcase. He'd outgrown Skeeter Blue, and the sooner she could
convince him they needed to annul the marriage the better. There
was no sense in drawing it out any longer, but first she needed to
corner Mayor Dirkly and make him understand the predicament they
were in. However, the man had purposely made himself scarce.
The bell over the door chimed and Whisper
came breezing in like a blast of fresh air. Her hair was tucked
under a fortuneteller scarf of purple and hot pink. Her skirt was
just as flamboyant and to finish off her outfit, she sported gold
hoop earrings and gold bracelets. Jolie knew she would look gaudy
in such a getup, but Whisper did the outfit justice. Gypsies
everywhere would envy her.
"Well, good morning, boss lady." She grinned
from ear to ear as if she knew a secret and was just bursting to
tell it. She tossed her purse behind the counter and proceeded to
make herself a mocha frappe. "So…how did the date go with the
hubby?" she spoke over the blender.
Hubby? She pursed her lips and shook
her head. Of course, technically she was right, but for her to use
the title… "It was nice."
Whisper turned off the blender and poured her
drink. "Only nice. Tye Casper don't strike me as a nice kinda guy." One of Whisper's eyebrows rose. "Come
on, spill. Don't tell me he didn't take you to bed and love you
proper."
"Whisper, really." She clicked her tongue.
Tye had been the perfect gentleman. After their evening of dinner,
wine, and slow dancing by the pond, he drove her home, walked her
to the front door and—
"Earth to Jolie." Whisper snapped her fingers
in front of her eyes, bringing her out of her reverie.
"Tye and I didn't sleep together," she
blurted out then sipped her coffee, staring at Whisper over the rim
of the cup. What a sight; Whisper speechless.
Whisper blinked once then twice. "Say what?
Did the man go and forget you both were hitched?"
"No, he didn't forget. He's courting me." His
words, not hers, and said after they shared a heated kiss on her
front porch, no less. She didn't put much faith in the pledge. How
long could he hold out? How long could she?
Whisper chortled and amusement danced in her
eyes. "I think he has this all backwards." She placed her cup on
the counter. "I should go have a word with him."
Jolie's hand snaked out and grabbed Whisper's
arm. "You will do no such thing. I'm perfectly fine with the way
things are," she lied. She was attracted to Tye, and it would be
simple to slide into a physical relationship with him, but darn him
for being so likable too, even when she didn't want to care. Her
logical portion of her brain was screaming, keep away from
him. The other portion didn't care what happened between them
in the past. It wanted to ignore her logical self and let Tye have
his way with her. The tug-o-war was wearing her out.
Whisper stared at her in disbelief. "You are
either in denial or you're just plumb crazy. I saw the two of you
together and I did your charts. You two were meant to be
together."
She ran a hand over her face, inhaled, and
then let out a breath as she prayed for patience. "The charts don't
mean diddly-squat." Her words sounded harsh even to her own ears,
but she couldn't back down now. "The man broke my heart and there's
just no coming back from that." She was the forever kind of girl
and Tye didn't understand such a commitment.
"Wow," Whisper said, truly appearing shocked
at her outburst.
She was a little put back also. She'd finally
said it out loud. It didn't mean she should take out her
frustration on Whisper, but she couldn't base her relationships on
the stars. "Listen, I can't take a chance on a man who's going to
leave town once the rodeo event is over in search of the next one.
His eight seconds were up a long time ago with me, and he
lost."
The bell chimed over the door and Tye strode
in with his cowboy hat pushed back on his head, and didn't he look
mighty
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