“To the cabin,” Harper said. “Put this stuff on my bill, please.”
Brook waited until she was gone to whisper, “Wyatt’s truck is parked right beside hers.”
Dana raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
“You think she threw up and that’s why she needs the cleaning stuff?”
“Could be, but it’s not a bit of our business, is it?” Dana answered.
Brook drew her eyes down until her brows were almost a solid line. “That’s not fair.”
Dana took the box from her hands and carried it to the counter. “I tell you all the time that life is not fair, but what’s the issue with it today?” She flipped the lid back to find sausage gravy covering three biscuits.
“All three—no, all four—of y’all can get up in my business and know everything that happens, but I can’t know why she needs some of Flora’s cleaner? It’s not fair.” Brook crossed her arms over her chest.
“Like I said, life’s not . . .”
One of Brook’s hands shot up. “I know . . . not fair.”
“So we’ll leave it there and get on with the day, right?” Dana scooped up a bite of the food. “It’s Easter weekend. Think we should go to church tomorrow evening?”
“CEO Christians,” Brook laughed.
“That’s right, darlin’. Christmas and Easter only makes us CEOs.”
“Would Granny Annie go if she was here?”
“Nope. Something happened when my grandpa died and she never went back.”
Brook picked up a candy bar. “Then I don’t want to go, either. Put this on my bill.”
“I’ll pay for it today.” Dana reached in her purse and rang up the cost for two candy bars. “Take another one with you for Flora, and I’ll see you at lunch.”
“Oh, yeah, and I’ll be four hours older, so maybe I’ll be old enough to talk about why Aunt Harper needs cleaner.” Brook waved and held the door for the bait man as she left.
“Teenagers?” a tall guy with sparkling blue eyes and blond hair pulled back into a short ponytail said with a smile. “I got a daughter that graduated a few years ago. It was amazing how much I learned while she was off to college, but some days, even though I’m forty-six years old, I still revert back to being the dumbest man on earth.”
“Then there’s hope that the time will come when I’ve got brains part of the time.” Dana smiled up at him and did the math. He was ten years older than her—and probably married with two or three other kids. “Where’s the regular bait man?”
“Retired—I’m out doing the deliveries until I can hire someone else.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Payton O’Riley.”
“Dana Clancy.” Sparks flew when she shook hands with him. “I’m completely out of minnows and low on stink bait and cut bait, too.”
“I’ll fix you right up.” He dropped her hand and whistled as he headed outside.
She glanced down at her hand for a moment, surprised to see that it wasn’t fire-engine red. She hadn’t felt chemistry like that with a guy in a very long time. He was almost out of the store when she leaned over the counter to watch him swagger out. And that’s when she dragged her hair through the gravy. She jumped back too fast and knocked the whole container off, splattering gravy all over the floor, the wall, and somehow even into the cash register.
Grabbing a roll of paper towels, she quickly did the best she could with her hair and then started wiping up the mess. When he returned, she was on her knees trying to get enough of it off the floor so she could get to the counter to sign the receipt for the bait.
Payton leaned over the counter. “Need some help?”
“Thanks, but I’ll have it done by the time you unload.” She blushed.
“This is my last stop, and I’ve only got half your usual order of minnows. I’ve got to make another run down this way tomorrow morning. All right if I bring more then?”
“That will be great.” She blushed again as she swiped up the last of what was on the floor and got to her feet.
He took the roll of paper towels off the floor, ripped off one, and brushed it across her cheek, then ran it down a strand of her hair. “Some of it got on you. Shame that Zed’s gravy got wasted. He makes the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever eaten. Want me to go around to the café and get you another order?”
“No, thank you. I’ll just grab a package of chocolate doughnuts and a cup of coffee,” she stammered. What was wrong with her? She was acting like a sophomore in high school, not a mother in her midthirties.
With a brief nod, he rolled his cart back to the tank and then over to the refrigerator where the other forms of bait were kept. “I think that’s the best I can do for today, but I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“It’s Easter Sunday,” Dana reminded him.
“My daughter and I go to early Mass, so there’s no problem. See you same time tomorrow.” He flashed a brilliant smile and waved.
“God, you have one wicked sense of humor to send Marcus around that I have no chemistry with and then let this man walk into my life and he’s got a daughter and likely a wife,” she muttered as she rushed off to the bathroom. The little mirror above the sink was cracked in two places, but it showed what a mess she was. Specks of gravy dotted her hair, and sweet Lord, there was even a smudge of it, complete with sausage, behind her ear.
What’s God got to do with you bein’ clumsy? If you hadn’t leaned over the counter to look at the way Payton filled out his jeans, you wouldn’t have slung gravy halfway to the Oklahoma border. Granny Annie was back in her head, so clearly that she almost expected to see her reflection in the mirror right along beside hers.
“That’s not what I was talkin’ about. Marcus is probably going to ask me out and I feel nothing around him. Yet Payton is probably married and his touch makes me think unholy thoughts,” she said out loud.
Like you told Brook, life ain’t fair.
Tawny had just finished canceling a weeklong reservation for cabin number six when a guy tapped on the door of her cabin and then eased the door open. His blue eyes met hers, and he blushed slightly.
“Can I help you?”
“I stopped at the café and Zed said to come to this cabin. It would help if you’d put an office sign on the door. I didn’t know whether to knock or just walk in,” he said.
“Good idea. I’ll make a temporary one until I can get a permanent one ordered.”
“I’m here to see if you have a vacancy. I’d like to check in now and stay until Tuesday morning,” he said.
Tawny picked up the number six key and dangled it. “You are one lucky guy. I was booked solid until two minutes ago. Number six, right next door to this one, is empty, so if you want it, it’s yours. But if you check in now, I’m going to have to charge you for today. Regular check-in isn’t until three. Want to go fishin’ or do some hiking until then?”
“I’m not a fisherman or an outdoors person. I just want three days of peace and quiet to do some reading and relaxing.” He handed her his credit card and driver’s license. “I’m Marcus Green. You are the youngest sister, right?”
“That’s right. Do I know you?” Those blue eyes were boring right into hers, and her pulse kicked in an extra beat.