Chapter 4
Chapter Four
I stashed my purse in my locker and headed to the front, where Roxie was talking to Ava. I always liked to arrive early. It was one of my OCD habits that had actually served me well over the years.
“There she is,” Roxie crowed. “Miss Popular herself.”
“Hardly,” I snorted. “I was the bookworm all through high school and my two years of college.” I spread my arms wide. “Look at me, like anybody would be interested in me when I’m standing next to the two of you.”
“I don’t know about that,” Roxie said with a smile. “Rumor has it that someone is interested.”
I frowned.
Ava looked up at Roxie from her seat at the desk. “Spill,” she demanded. “I haven’t heard anything, and it’s my job to hear things first.”
Roxie buffed her fingers against her white doctor’s coat. “If you’re not careful, you’re going to lose your crown as the town oracle.”
“Will not.” Ava folded her arms across her chest. “I have too many sources to lose out to you.”
I breathed a sigh of relief as the two women bickered. I was worried that I would be put on the spot about Graham. It looked like I was off the hook if I could just sneak to the back.
“You’re not taking into account I’m hooked in with the men at Onyx Security, which means I’m tight with Trenda, therefore I have an in with all of the Avery sisters. That trumps all of your sources.”
I turned around and started down the hall.
“Wait just a minute, where do you think you’re going?” Roxie called out to me. “I want to hear all about your lunches with the luscious Graham Wallace.”
“She’s having lunch with Graham Wallace?” Ava cried. “That is juicy gossip.” She turned to me. “Yeah, get your tushie back here and spill, girlfriend.”
I walked reluctantly back to the reception area. “It’s nothing. He just comes over to visit Miss Laverne, and I happen to be over there, that’s all.”
“How often has he dropped by since he learned that you lived there?” Roxie asked.
“Seven times.” I didn’t have to think about it. All seven times were burned into my memory. It was the beard. No, it was probably the tattoos. No, it was his hazel eyes.
“Look at her. She immediately went into a daze. Did you see that, Roxie?”
“I did.”
“I did not,” I protested. “I was just trying to remember how many times I’ve seen him. He seems like a sweet guy. He brings over groceries for Miss Laverne. The least I can do is bake him cookies and brownies and things.”
“Oh my God,” Ava whispered. “Brent’s been raving about chocolate caramel brownies that Graham has brought into Thatcher’s. He loves the days that Graham comes over to work on his Harley at the shop, ’cause he brings in treats. That’s you, right?”
“I guess so, if Graham’s sharing them,” I shrugged.
“Brent told me that Graham is all into this woman who bakes for him. That’d be you all right.” She turned and stuck out her tongue at Roxie. “See, I know things. I just didn’t know I knew things.”
“He’s into me? Are you sure? I mean, he’s asked me out three times. But he’s only done that to be nice.”
Roxie let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh, honey, men like Graham don’t just do things ‘to be nice.’” She used her fingers to make air quotes.
“And… he also asked Hart to pump me for information since we work together.” She turned to Ava.
“See, I know things, too. But I’m a grown woman, and I’m not going to stick out my tongue. ” She gave Ava the side eye.
“What do you mean he wants to know things about me?” That didn’t sound good at all. Why would someone want to find out things about me? That sounded creepy.
Roxie must have picked up on the fact that I was freaking out.
“Hey, wait a minute, Joy. Graham didn’t mean it in a bad way. It was just the normal way when someone is falling hard for someone.”
Ava snickered. “Falling hard. I like that. Kind of like how Ford fell at Ruby’s feet over at the coffee shop?”
I frowned. “What are you talking about?” I asked sharply. I was still freaked out about a man wanting to spy on me.
“Seriously, chill, honey,” Ava said soothingly.
“It’s nothing to get upset about. It’s a good thing.
Neither Roxie nor I grew up here, so we didn’t have some romantic love story à la Jasper Creek style, but plenty of others did.
The latest was Ford Larson and Ruby Miller.
Ford literally fell at Ruby’s feet, just like his sister predicted he would when he found the right woman. ”
I started to smile. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“Nope. Then there was all the drama that happened. Ruby’s former fiancé got murdered. It was a whole shit show,” Ava grinned. “But there was a happily ever after.”
I took two involuntary steps backward. “A murder? Here in Jasper Creek?”
Roxie put her hand on my arm. She must have caught on that I was trembling. “Joy, hold on for a second. It’s all right. Ford and some of the guys from Onyx Security took care of it.”
“I don’t want to get involved in something that high profile… or dangerous. I just want to live my little life. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“That’s not what you told me when you first started. You said you’d talked to your great-great-grandmother and you wanted to come back here and spread your wings.”
Ava looked at me intently. “Are you saying you don’t like Graham?”
I looked up at her. “No, I’m not saying that.”
“So, you do like him. I knew it!” Ava crowed.
I shrugged out of Roxie’s hold and held up my hands. “Whoa there. I’m still getting back to being settled here in Jasper Creek.”
“Settled, schmettled. You grew up here. What’s to figure out?” Ava scoffed.
“You said there was a murder. And people are all getting married. You two are new additions. Mom’s now working part-time at the antique store. Everything’s changing. The idea of getting into a relationship my first month back is scary as hell.”
Ava sat back in her chair, allowing it to swivel back and forth a bit as she looked up at me. “Are you sure you mean scary?”
I thought for a quick second and opened my mouth.
“Uh-huh,” Ava wagged her finger at me. “You didn’t take any time to think. Do you find Graham scary?”
“Not at all.” I answered straight from my gut.
“Does going out on a date with him seem scary?”
I shook my head.
“So, it’s the relationship part that has your panties in a twist,” she smirked.
I blew out a deep breath and grinned. “You’ve figured it out. Being in a relationship scares me. I’m not ready for that.”
“With Graham, or anybody?” Roxie asked.
“Anybody. Actually, if I was going to be in a relationship, he’d be kind of perfect, but I’m still getting used to being back home.”
“That’s fair,” Roxie nodded.
“But I tell you what I love is the way he treats Miss Laverne. And it’s kind of good for my ego, the way he keeps asking me out. I know that I am going to accept one of these days.”
“He’s a really good guy,” Ava piped up.
“I know your husband works at Thatcher’s Automotive, so he sees Graham when he’s working on his Harley or his truck, but how do you know him, Roxie?”
“Onyx Security. Both of them work for Simon and Roan on an ad-hoc basis. My Hart, he has quite the touch with computers, so they bring him in when they need anything technical.”
“And Graham?” I asked.
“His special forces background is sometimes leaned on. Most of the guys who work full-time at Onyx Security are ex-military, but not everyone is former special forces. My husband has explained there is quite the difference.”
I could feel my eyes widen. “Oh my God, is that what Miss Laverne calls that safety business?” I used air quotes around the words.
Ava and Roxie roared with laughter. “What else did she say?” Roxie finally sputtered.
“She said they were all nice boys.”
“I can’t wait to tell Hart. That’s going to make his month. I’ve always adored Miss Laverne, but now she won’t just be on my Christmas card list, she’ll get cookies too.”
“I thought you just said you adored her, why in God’s name would you subject her to your cookies?” Ava shuddered and turned back to me. “Are you really going to let him take you out?”
I nodded.
“Good choice. If I weren’t married to Brent, he’d be high on my list. I gotta say, you have a tiger by the tail.”
“A good-looking tiger.” Roxie grinned wider.
“He is, isn’t he?” I breathed out. “His eyes are gorgeous, you can practically see his soul.”
“He’s got it bad. Rumor has it, he’s asked Dave at the hardware store to get his mom to find out about you.”
My eyes widened. “He did?” I scrunched my nose. “But that can’t be right. If he were really that into me, he would have pushed harder for a date.”
The two women looked at one another, but neither of them said a word.
“What?” They still didn’t say anything. “Come on, tell me.”
Roxie spoke up, her voice soft. “Joy, sometimes you act a little bit cautious.”
Ava nodded. “It’s like you need a little bit of special handling, that’s all. I wouldn’t be surprised if Graham has picked up on that.”
I frowned. How could Roxie and Ava know I still sometimes got scared? I thought I hid that.
“Don’t take that the wrong way, Joy,” Roxie continued.
“We’re not saying you’re a scaredy-cat or anything.
Just that occasionally you get jittery if a door slams or something.
It’s not a big deal. But Graham was the leader of a SEAL team.
He’s trained to pick up on things like that.
That might be the reason he’s going slow with you. ”
“Huh.” I tilted my head as I thought about their words.
“But I bet you’re getting antsy, aren’t you?” Ava said with a gleam in her eyes. “Whenever I look at him, I can’t help but look at his forearms. I really go for muscled forearms.”
I grinned. “I never thought I was into that, but yeah, he’s muscly all over. He usually wears a tight T-shirt, and I get to see how his back looks. I just want to rub against it,” I admitted with a slow grin. “But there’s something worse.”
“What?” They both leaned forward.
“He’s nice!” I wailed.
Roxie almost doubled over with laughter.