Page 29 of Enticed
“I promise," she said so sincerely I almost believed her.
“Uncross your fingers and take your hand out from behind your back, then say it again.” She huffed and rolled her eyes, but did as I asked.
She held her hands up, palms facing outward in a dramatic show of good faith. “I promise that I will, to the best of my ability, keep my sisters from trying to hook you up with any eligible bachelors,” she promised. “Or bachelorettes,” she added with a playful quirk to her brow.
I chuckled and shook my head. “I appreciate the inclusion, but I do unfortunately only like men.” One man in particular, but I kept that part to myself.
“Either way, we’ll be on our best behavior,” she assured me, but I didn’t believe her for a second.
My skepticism was somewhat justified.On Saturday morning, I drove Gigi into town for her knitting club. Thankfully, my ankle was almost fully healed. It was a little sore, but I’d had much worse through the years of riding and working with horses.
“I think Fern might need help carrying in some of her supplies,” Gigi said when we pulled up to the cafe. Shutting off the engine, I hopped out and looked over to find my great aunt attempting to haul two large bags from her back seat.
“I’ll get those,” I called out to her as I crossed a couple empty spaces to where her Buick was parked in a handicapped spot.
She turned to face me, and a smile lit up her face. Her lips were painted the same shade of red they had been my entire life,and the familiar scent of her Lanvin Arpege perfume enveloped me when she pulled me in for a hug.
“Thank you, dear,” she said, patting my back.
“Anytime,” I replied, lifting the bags from her car. They weren’t as heavy as I expected, but with a few joint replacements and open heart surgery under her belt, Fern was still regaining her strength.
“It’s so good to see you, Jasmine,” Hazel said when we joined her and Gigi on the sidewalk. “I was surprised when Rose told me you’d be joining us today.” My gaze shot to my grandmother, who was the picture of innocence. She lifted her brow in challenge, knowing I wouldn’t contradict her in front of them.
“You’re staying?” Fern asked, her eyes practically glowing with excitement. I absolutely did not agree to stay and join them, but I didn’t want to let them down after they’d gotten their hopes up. Besides, they weren’t exactly getting any younger. I didn’t want to look back one day and wish I’d spent more time with them.
“Of course,” I replied with a tight smile before ushering them inside.
Once we were seated, they each ordered a mimosa and began chattering right away, catching up on all the juicy gossip they’d collected since they last saw each other. I pulled out my phone and zoned out as Fern launched into the latest scandal in her hometown just across the border in Kentucky. Sometimes the Granny Gang met over there, and sometimes they met in Hazel’s town, alternating with Poplar Ridge.
We ordered brunch, and I resumed checking my email until the sound of Gabe’s name grabbed my attention. I kept my gaze glued to my screen, but I sat up a little straighter, listening intently. They were proposing possible love interests for Gabe. My stomach tightened, and my heart sank. He wasn’t mine. Ihad no claim over him, but the thought of Gabe with someone else felt like a knife through the chest.
“I think Dr. Novak’s new hygienist would be perfect for him. She has a daughter close to Aurora’s age. Maybe we can arrange a meet cute,” Fern announced conspiratorially. “Or perhaps it’s time for him to find a new dentist since he just moved back, and he needs a recommendation.”
“I heard that the Lockharts’ oldest daughter is finishing up her master’s degree and is set to become the school's new counselor when Mrs. Melvin retires this summer. She must be smartandgood with kids, which would definitely work in her favor,” Hazel offered.
“Isn’t she a little young for him? I don’t think she’s even seen her twenty-fifth birthday yet,” Fern replied.
“Age is nothing but a number,” my grandma countered. Unable to hide my interest any longer, I chanced a glance her way. There was a steely resolve in her gaze, and she lifted her chin as she spoke with conviction. “Look how much older Joseph was than me, and we had a long, happy marriage,” she reminded them, referring to their nearly thirteen year age gap.
My grandparents had been madly in love until his passing ten years ago. As much as my grandmother’s antics made me want to pull my hair out some days, this version of her was far better than the heartbroken shell of a woman she was for the first two years after his passing. Their story was what romance novels were made of, and even though she’d been a fairly young widow, she swore she wouldn’t have done anything different if she’d known how their story would end. It was worth the thirty-five wonderful years she had with the love of her life, and it was far better than never knowing how it felt to find your soul mate.
“You make a good point,” Fern replied. “Twenty-four isn’t too much of an age gap I suppose. Gabriel is, what, thirty-six?”
“Thirty-seven,” I replied automatically, and all eyes landed on me. Shit, I hadn’t meant to engage in this conversation. I didn’t want anything to do with finding someone for Gabe to date.
“Ah, that’s right,” Gigi replied. There was a knowing glimmer in her eyes that told me I had just showed my hand. She’d sensed something between us that day in the training ring and had probably picked up on other things since then. My sudden interest in their conversation only confirmed her suspicions.
“Oh, what about the new hairdresser down at Clip & Curl? Alex, er Allison…” Hazel began, searching for the right name.
“Allysa,” my grandmother supplied.
“That’s the one,” Hazel said with a snap of her fingers. “She's a lovely young woman. Very attractive but a little reserved. She has the kind of soft temperament a lot of men are drawn to,” she added hopefully.
I almost snorted a laugh. Gabe didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who wanted reserved and soft. I got the impression he preferred brazenness and sass, someone who would challenge him, not submit to his every demand. Someone like me. I’d seen the way his eyes lit with intrigue whenever I let a little of my spunky attitude rise to the surface.
“I’m surprised Dorthea hasn’t already tried to hook them up,” Fern said with a huff, rolling her eyes. My great aunt clearly had beef with the salon owner, but nobody knew where it originated, just that Fern despised the woman.
“All these ladies sound quite lovely, but I don’t think any of them are right for Gabriel,” my grandmother declared. When Hazel and Fern turned their attention back to each other to brainstorm ideas for finding Gabe a girlfriend, my grandmother shot me a wink. Hope swelled in my chest, and I couldn’t fight the grateful smile that turned up the corners of my lips.
