feeling.”
“My mama calls those feelings guidance,” she said. How was she going to feel if her grandma was unpleasant? Surely it wouldn’t be too awful. “All right, maybe you could come along with us.”
He studied her as soft jazz played on the speakers, something she hadn’t noticed until now. “If you’re going to insist on going, I’m going to insist on coming. Shelby, that way I can step in and stop you from getting hurt any further, should things go with Lenore like I fear they will.”
There was a warm feeling in her chest from his words. “I still don’t see how can I be hurt by someone I don’t know.”
“We react all the time to people we don’t know,” he said, staring at her. “Sometimes we even find ourselves caring about them and their feelings without fully knowing why.”
Oxygen backed up in her lungs as she realized he meant her. Or at least she thought he meant her. “ Oh. ”
He held her gaze a moment longer, and everything seemed to slow down. She was conscious of the buzz of other people’s conversations in the background, a woman’s sudden high-pitched laughter, and the smell of truffle parmesan fries wafting under her nose.
His aquamarine eyes had a gold ring around them, she realized, and sexy dark stubble lined his strong jaw. His gaze slid to her mouth, and she found herself unable to draw breath. Then, just like that, he was standing up and taking a money clip out of his pocket.
She fell back to earth.
“Talk to Sadie when she gets out of her quilting thing,” he said, laying down a couple of twenties on the bar. “I imagine you’ll speak with your brother and sister shortly as well. Once you know who’s going, we can talk details and sync schedules.”
His haste to leave was as unexpected as a summer tornado. “I thought you were hungry.”
Those heated eyes of his met her own again, and she felt the punch all the way to her toes. “We both know that’s not the best decision. Good night, Shelby.”
She watched him walk out of the restaurant.
Shelby realized she was more unsettled by his abrupt exit than she was by the prospect of meeting her grandmother.
Chapter 10
Sadie hugged the five women in her quilting circle as they broke for the night. Each of them was at a different skill level, but they were all committed, which was all she asked. Teaching people how to quilt was as new to her as making quilts for people to buy.
She was experiencing some growing pains, like a girl who’d outgrown last year’s Easter dress, but it felt good to share her talent. Especially after this afternoon’s meeting.
When she checked her messages, her happiness popped like a birthday balloon. Vander had news already? Charlie had said she was getting started right away, but Sadie hadn’t expected a same-day turnaround. Shelby had correctly assumed she wouldn’t want to wait to hear the news, and goodness gracious, she was almost as curious about the meeting between her sister and Vander. Sparks flew between them in a professional setting, and Oak Bar was exactly the sort of sultry place suited to flirting.
She texted her sister to tell her she was finished with her circle, and Shelby immediately responded she was at home. Apparently, the meeting hadn’t gone on for too long.
After locking up and getting in her car, she called her sister. “All right,” she said with some urgency, “what did Vander say?”
“They found our grandmother in Memphis and think she’s the best place to start,” her sister said without beating around the bush. “I know we need to talk to the others first, but I told Vander that I want to go meet her. Do you?”
Sadie gripped the steering wheel, thinking hard about that. The softer tone of Shelby’s voice indicated she was a little scared by the prospect too.
“I won’t let you go alone,” Sadie responded. “Besides, I have lots of questions myself.”
“I wonder if J.P. will want to go,” Shelby
“My mama calls those feelings guidance,” she said. How was she going to feel if her grandma was unpleasant? Surely it wouldn’t be too awful. “All right, maybe you could come along with us.”
He studied her as soft jazz played on the speakers, something she hadn’t noticed until now. “If you’re going to insist on going, I’m going to insist on coming. Shelby, that way I can step in and stop you from getting hurt any further, should things go with Lenore like I fear they will.”
There was a warm feeling in her chest from his words. “I still don’t see how can I be hurt by someone I don’t know.”
“We react all the time to people we don’t know,” he said, staring at her. “Sometimes we even find ourselves caring about them and their feelings without fully knowing why.”
Oxygen backed up in her lungs as she realized he meant her. Or at least she thought he meant her. “ Oh. ”
He held her gaze a moment longer, and everything seemed to slow down. She was conscious of the buzz of other people’s conversations in the background, a woman’s sudden high-pitched laughter, and the smell of truffle parmesan fries wafting under her nose.
His aquamarine eyes had a gold ring around them, she realized, and sexy dark stubble lined his strong jaw. His gaze slid to her mouth, and she found herself unable to draw breath. Then, just like that, he was standing up and taking a money clip out of his pocket.
She fell back to earth.
“Talk to Sadie when she gets out of her quilting thing,” he said, laying down a couple of twenties on the bar. “I imagine you’ll speak with your brother and sister shortly as well. Once you know who’s going, we can talk details and sync schedules.”
His haste to leave was as unexpected as a summer tornado. “I thought you were hungry.”
Those heated eyes of his met her own again, and she felt the punch all the way to her toes. “We both know that’s not the best decision. Good night, Shelby.”
She watched him walk out of the restaurant.
Shelby realized she was more unsettled by his abrupt exit than she was by the prospect of meeting her grandmother.
Chapter 10
Sadie hugged the five women in her quilting circle as they broke for the night. Each of them was at a different skill level, but they were all committed, which was all she asked. Teaching people how to quilt was as new to her as making quilts for people to buy.
She was experiencing some growing pains, like a girl who’d outgrown last year’s Easter dress, but it felt good to share her talent. Especially after this afternoon’s meeting.
When she checked her messages, her happiness popped like a birthday balloon. Vander had news already? Charlie had said she was getting started right away, but Sadie hadn’t expected a same-day turnaround. Shelby had correctly assumed she wouldn’t want to wait to hear the news, and goodness gracious, she was almost as curious about the meeting between her sister and Vander. Sparks flew between them in a professional setting, and Oak Bar was exactly the sort of sultry place suited to flirting.
She texted her sister to tell her she was finished with her circle, and Shelby immediately responded she was at home. Apparently, the meeting hadn’t gone on for too long.
After locking up and getting in her car, she called her sister. “All right,” she said with some urgency, “what did Vander say?”
“They found our grandmother in Memphis and think she’s the best place to start,” her sister said without beating around the bush. “I know we need to talk to the others first, but I told Vander that I want to go meet her. Do you?”
Sadie gripped the steering wheel, thinking hard about that. The softer tone of Shelby’s voice indicated she was a little scared by the prospect too.
“I won’t let you go alone,” Sadie responded. “Besides, I have lots of questions myself.”
“I wonder if J.P. will want to go,” Shelby
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