“Tell Tammy hi for me!”
“I hear they’re building a coffee shop.” She leaned in like it was massive news, and to be fair, it was. “I’ll be the first in line. Tammy’s coffee kinda sucks.”
“Shh,” I said. “Don’t let her hear you say that. It’s the one thing she can’t find a good supplier for.”
“I tell the truth,” Marjorie said. “Don’t lie to me, Grace. You’re as excited as the rest of us.”
“I might wind up being second in line,” I said with a laugh.
“I knew it.” She smiled. “I better see you there.”
She waved before continuing on with her walk. As I did thesame, Hugh was walking by slowly. He looked like he always did, angry at the world and everyone in it. I smiled and waved anyway.
“Good morning, Hugh.”
He paused and gave me a ghost of a smile. “Morning. It’s getting cold, ain’t it? This weather change is killing me.” He rubbed his hands together, then blew a puff of warm breath onto them.
Most people saw him as a hindrance, but I knew he was a lonely old man who didn’t have many people to talk to. I tried my best to be friendly.
“I’m excited for the cold,” I replied. “You should go to Jade’s shop and get some of the CBD cream she sells.”
“I haven’t seen that.”
“It’s a bit under the table since her dad thinks it’s illegal.”
Hugh frowned. “Are you trying to sell me drugs?”
I laughed. “You know me better than that.”
“I do. I was just messin’ with ya.” He motioned in the direction of Jade’s store. “I just might have to stop in.”
“Need me to get some for you?”
“I can get my own drugs, thank you very much.” He waved me off, looking annoyed at my suggestion, but it was our secret that if he truly needed it, he would take me up on the offer.
I was about to say something else when a vehicle pulled into the square, one I’d heard about but hadn’t seen in action yet. People were talking because it was older than anything they’d seen around town. Not many of us had a classic truck.
As it got closer, it was obvious that it was well taken care of. The paint was pristine, and it looked like it jumped through time to be here. Whoever owned it cared for it a lot.
“Damn,” Hugh said from beside me. “I haven’t seen a truck like that in such good shape in a long time.”
The window was rolled down and revealed a man withdirty blond hair wearing sunglasses. On the dashboard sat a cowboy hat unlike anything I’d seen before. It was well-worn and sun drenched. It was a working hat.
I dragged my gaze to his face and the first thing I noticed was his facial hair. It was a touch darker than his hair and lined his jaw. Above his lip was a thicker mustache.
He wasn’t from around here. Mostly because every woman in town would be clamoring for a man likethat.I’d heard rumors over the last few days that Wren had brought someone new to town, but I didn’t know he was sohot.
I could have sworn he was looking back, though his eyes were hidden by his sunglasses. My heart skipped a beat. It had been too long since a man looked at me. I was sure I had cobwebs in my vagina from the lack of romance in my life.
But all of my thoughts came to an abrupt stop when he neared a corner. Whether he was staring at me or not, he wasn’t paying enough attention to the upcoming turn.
And he went over the curb and right into a stop sign.
The truck lurched and stopped suddenly. Next to me, Hugh gasped.
“The truck! He wrecked that beautiful truck! I swear, these youngins don’t know respect.”
I was less worried about the vehicle and more worried about the man inside.