Barbecue and Bad News (9 page)

“I can assure you that will never happen in a million years,” Savannah said. She’d been so hell-bent on keeping anyone from getting close all these years that she hadn’t even hesitated with that well-practiced answer, but she had to admit that the cute lawman had caught her attention on the side of the road too.

“But I’m sure there’s a good story there.” Savannah added.

“Long story,” Jill said. “Another time.”

“He’s really cute, but he was kind of cranky. I made a joke and he didn’t even crack a smile!”

“Maybe you read him wrong because he’d stopped you,” Carolanne said. “You have to admit getting stopped never makes for a good day.”

“True, but he was pretty cranky this morning when I ran into him at the diner too.”

“That’s really not like him.” Jill looked perplexed. “In fact, he’s usually the fun one.”

Carolanne nudged Jill. “Not as fun as he used to be since he became sheriff, though. He was half of the trouble in this town when we were growing up.”

Jill nodded a confirmation. “She’s right.”

Savannah’s interest perked right up. “Do tell.”

Carolanne put her hand over her mouth as she started to laugh. “Remember the time—”

“You girls aren’t talking about us, are you?” Garrett entered the bar tent with Connor on his heels.

“No,” the girls said in unison.

“Uh-huh. That didn’t sound suspicious,” Connor said.

Carolanne said, “It’s not always about you, hon. We were talking about Scott.”

“Good guy,” Connor said.

Garrett nodded. “Yep.”

“Remember the time he painted that big Ford emblem on the side of the Chevy dealership in town?”

“Hey, that was art,” Connor said.

“Says his partner in crime?” Carolanne shot Connor a look. “You’re only taking up for him because you were handing him the spray cans he was using to tag the place.”

“Who knew his uncle couldn’t take a joke?” Connor shrugged. “Scott and I had to spend three weekends painting the side of the building white to cover it up . . . in August! That was the worst summer ever.”

“Aren’t you a bad boy,” Savannah teased. “And you look so innocent.”

“I was, like, thirteen at the time.”

Jill elbowed Connor. “Not as bad as Scott’s summer the year y’all turned sixteen.”

“Oh, yeah. Poor guy.”

“What?” Savannah was hungry for more details about the grumpy overseer of law and order of the county. Maybe story number two was going to be as easy as the first one.

Connor raised a hand and poured out the details. “He missed curfew one too many times and his dad grounded him from driving his car. Scott thought he was so smart taking the riding lawnmower out instead, only his dad reported it stolen and he got arrested for joyriding.”

Carolanne laughed so hard she snorted. “He had to cut all the yards on the whole street for the rest of that summer.”

“I wasn’t talking about that time,” Jill said. “I was talking about the skinny-dipping incident at the pond.”

“That was right through those woods,” Connor said.

Carolanne waved an imaginary surrender flag. “Okay, y’all are going to give Savannah the wrong idea about our sheriff. We were kids back then. Scott’s well respected around here. He was just a little bit of a hell-raiser in his day.”

“I guess he’s kind of the last guy you expected to run for sheriff,” Savannah said.

“Not really. He was always the one leading the trouble, but he was also the one making sure we weren’t in any real danger. It was all innocent horseplay. Guess it did prove his leadership skills, though,” said Connor.

“He sounds like a lot of fun, nothing like the Scott I met more than once in this town,” Savannah said. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same guy?”

Garrett shrugged. “Probably just needs to get laid.”

“Garrett!”

“What? We get grumpy when we go without.”

“I swear he’s not usually like this.” Jill swatted at Garrett’s arm.

“That’s only because you keep me—”

Jill wagged her finger at Garrett. “Okay, that’s enough out of you.”

Garrett snickered and pulled Jill in front of him, resting his beer on her arm. “Scott’s a good guy.”

Carolanne’s voice softened. “Scott just needs a little lovin’. It’s like a country song. He’s got the dog, the truck, and the small town. Now all he needs is the girl.”

“Speaking of country music, I saw Cody Tuggle at the diner this morning,” Savannah said. “He was there with his family when Scott came in.”

“Maybe that explains his mood.” Carolanne and Jill exchanged a glance. “Another long story,” said Carolanne.

That old feeling that nothing was private in a small town nagged at her. Who knew the real story? Suddenly she felt a little bad for judging Scott. “I don’t know how you do it. Living in a small town where everyone knows everything. Doesn’t it make you crazy? Everyone knows the stuff you want to forget.”

“It’s not that bad,” Jill said.

“It can be,” Carolanne admitted. “I moved away because of that very reason.”

That caught Savannah’s interest. “But you came back.”

“Yeah. Surprised the heck out of me too,” Carolanne said.

“Made my day,” Connor said.

Carolanne caressed his arm. “Turned out that the town was way more forgiving about the past than I was. I’d assumed everyone was hanging on to all the bad stuff. Turned out everyone else had moved on and it was just me living with those old woes.”

Savannah wasn’t sure she knew what Carolanne was trying to say, but somehow the sadness in the redhead’s eyes kept her from pushing further, even though she had a feeling that there was definitely a story there.

“It’s no secret, so you may as well know.” Carolanne stepped closer to Savannah. “My dad, he was the town drunk. Not always, but after my mother died . . . losing her just tore him right out of the frame. My childhood here was a mess. If it hadn’t been for Jill and her grandmother, I just don’t even want to think about how bad it could have been.”

Jill jumped in. “I loved you being at our house all the time.”

“I know. I did too, and it doesn’t matter now. It’s in the past, but back then I couldn’t get out of Adams Grove fast enough. Thank goodness for college scholarships. After college I moved to New York City to practice law. I honestly thought I’d never come back here.”

“You practiced law in New York City?” Savannah spun toward Connor. “And you in Chicago? And y’all are both back here?”

“And not one single regret.” Carolanne looked to Connor, who smiled in agreement. “You can’t let the past drive your future.”

That message hit home for Savannah, but then her situation was different.

Connor clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “This is supposed to be fun, and y’all are getting all serious. Let’s eat. What’s everyone want?”

“Just bring back a little of everything. We’ll commandeer a table in the shade,” Carolanne said.

Across the way someone had fired up a karaoke machine, and now that church was out, the grounds were filling up fast.

The guys came back with two cardboard box lids stacked high with food. Connor placed a paper plate filled with deviled eggs in the center of the table. “No one can pass those up,” he said to Savannah.

Savannah lunged for one. “Oh, my gosh. It’s been forever since I’ve had deviled eggs. My granny used to make the best.”

“Well, be prepared to be wowed,” Connor said. “I don’t know where you’re from, but here in Adams Grove, we think these are the best.”

Savannah grabbed one and sank her teeth into it. She hadn’t felt that close to her granny in years. “It’s perfect. I swear it has to be the same recipe as my granny’s. No relish. Just a mix of fresh herbs and spices and her secret weapon—a dash of parmesan.”

Jill’s eyes went wide. “Don’t let Miss Daphne hear you. If your granny’s secret ingredient is the same as hers, she’ll kill you for giving away the secret. Folks around here have been begging for it for years!”

“Oopsy. Don’t rat me out,” Savannah teased. “I don’t want to be run out of town before I even get unpacked.”

“We’ve got your back,” Connor said, then turned to Carolanne. “Hey, babe, I’ll get you another glass of wine. Savannah, you sure you don’t want a glass of wine with your lunch?”

“No, thank you. I wouldn’t want to drink and drive in this town. No telling what would happen if I got caught seven sips over the limit.”

Everyone laughed, and Connor raised his beer in the air. “To new friends. Hope you’ll stick around a while, Savannah.”

Savannah raised her cup of sweet tea. “I’ll drink to that.”

An older woman in a bright-yellow top and a green apron, who looked like a team mascot for John Deere, joined them at the table. “How’s everybody doing?”

Connor stepped over and hugged her. “We’re great, Miss Daphne. Meet our new friend, Savannah Dey. She’s visiting from up near DC.”

“I heard we had a new gal in town. Welcome, Savannah,” Daphne said.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Daphne. I’m just visiting.”

“You can just call me Daphne. They’ve known me since they were school-aged kids. I quit having birthdays ten years ago; the way I figure it, they’ll be catching up with me soon and I’ll be calling them miss and mister.” The woman giggled, then pointed toward the center of the table. “Did you like those deviled eggs?”

“They were just as delicious as the ones my granny used to make for me. It was like being a teenager back at her house all over again.”

Daphne beamed with pride. “My special recipe.”

“You made those? They are absolutely delicious.” Carolanne and Jill turned away, hiding their smiles. “Thank you for the memories. I haven’t thought about those in years.”

“You are welcome, dear. Nothing better than family.” She patted Savannah’s arm. “Connor tells me you’re a writer. That’s so interesting.”

There was that small-town kudzu message-delivery service in full swing. Every town had one, but Connor worked fast! “Yes. Yes I am,” Savannah said, but didn’t offer anything further. The silence was awkward, but what could she say? She couldn’t divulge that she was the person behind that infamous Advice from Van column making light of pretty serious issues. That probably wouldn’t go over so well here, where people had each other’s backs, and she sure couldn’t say she’d just submitted a story about one of their local heroes that was probably less than flattering. Okay, no probably about it. It was totally less than flattering.

“Are you writing a book? I’ve always thought it would be so interesting to meet a real novelist.”

What could she say?
“No, I answer questions from readers online in so cynical a way that I hide behind a pseudonym?”
One little white lie wouldn’t hurt. “More like freelance work. About all kinds of topics.” Daphne looked disappointed, and the storyteller in Savannah just sprang into action before she had a chance to think about it. “Don’t let it get around, but I
am
working on a novel now. It’s kind of a hush-hush project.” She held her finger to her lips.

Daphne’s eyes lit up. “Like a ghost writer. How exciting.” She pretended to zip her lips and throw away the key. “Your secret is safe with me. I bet you’re here getting some ideas. I’d love to sit and talk to you. I could probably even help you. Why don’t you come join me for tea on Tuesday?”

Savannah looked to Jill for help, but clearly Jill misread the look. “Oh, Savannah. You’ll love chatting with Miss Daphne. She’s got a million stories. Tea with her is always amazing. Make her break out the butterfly tea set.”

Daphne blushed. “It’s my favorite too.”

Jill leaned in. “Miss Daphne has the most amazing collection of teapots. She has at least fifty. Probably way more than that. One of these days we’re going to talk her into opening that tearoom that she’s always dreamed of.”

“That would have been so neat.” Daphne’s wistful look told that this was still a dream with a glimmer of hope. “I had so many ideas perking about that, but I’m too old to do it now.”

“You’re never too old to follow your dreams,” Savannah said. “A tearoom would be so fun to run. All those cute little sandwiches and pastries. I used to love spending time in the kitchen with my momma baking. She’d have loved the idea of opening a tearoom.” She missed Momma like crazy, not that she allowed herself to think of her often. She prayed that the tears that usually came with those memories wouldn’t show up now. She quickly focused on the tearoom. “You could serve tasty bites, and tea never goes out of style.”

“You really think so?” Daphne’s voice softened. “You’re such a delightful young lady, Savannah. I’m so glad to meet you. Is your husband traveling with you?”

“Oh, no. I’m not married.”

Daphne tsked. “No worries, sweet girl. The right one will come along. Your one true love will always find his way to you.”

How did you even know if he was the right one? Maybe Tripp had been it. She had more baggage than the Dulles airport. Who would want that? “I’m really not looking.”

“That’s what they all say. Until they find him.” Daphne cast her glance to Carolanne. “Am I telling the truth?”

Carolanne nodded in agreement. “That was certainly true in my case.”

Daphne turned her attention back to Savannah. “Will you come and visit while you’re in town? I’d love to show you my collection, and I do serve a delightful afternoon tea, if I do say so myself.”

Savannah couldn’t deny how much Daphne reminded her of her mother, and that was hard to say no to. Besides, a little small-town tea and gossip couldn’t hurt if she had stories to write, even if they weren’t exactly for a novel. Why not? “I’d love to join you for tea on Tuesday.”

Daphne squeezed Savannah’s hand. “I’m so delighted. Could you come at one? One o’clock would work perfectly.”

“Yes. Absolutely,” Savannah said.

“Terrific, dear.” Daphne pulled a slip of paper from her apron and scribbled down her address and phone number, then handed it to Savannah. “Carolanne can give you directions.”

“Sure thing.” Carolanne turned to Savannah. “It’s really easy to find. Just two turns from our building.”

“Well, I have to go help the kids sell their goods. I haven’t missed an event with the 4-H kids since my boy was one.” Miss Daphne hurried off back to the 4-H tent, waving over her shoulder as she did.