Chapter 16 #2
“Yeah,” she said and somehow found herself walking up the steps, very aware of his presence beside her.
She hadn’t realized how much bigger he was than she, and while he didn’t make her feel scared or threatened in any way, she felt petite and feminine.
Which was…a little odd. And it was even more odd that she liked it.
Usually she enjoyed feeling competent and in control.
As she didn’t particularly like the feeling of being small and dainty.
Funny how having the right person beside her made the feeling one that she cherished rather than disliked.
“Gilbert McBride!”
Mrs. Tucker came hurrying toward them from the side of the church.
Summer wasn’t sure whether she should stay or whether she should run away. She figured she was saved from Mrs. Tucker, since Mrs. Tucker had already asked her for her favor of the day. But maybe she should give Gilbert and Mrs. Tucker privacy.
She was a little trapped between the two of them though, since her back was against the wall and Gilbert moved over to allow Mrs. Tucker to stand a little to her left in front of her. For her to leave would have made more of a big deal than for her to just stand there.
“Good morning, Mrs. Tucker,” Gilbert said pleasantly.
“I’m so glad I caught you. I have the most wonderful news,” Mrs. Tucker said, lifting both hands and pumping her fist like Gilbert was going to be excited.
Summer figured that that meant she had something extra difficult for Gilbert to do. And she tried not to giggle. After all, it wasn’t kind to glory in someone else’s misery. And Gilbert truly did look miserable, despite his pleasant tone.
“And what would that be?” he asked, tilting his head and seeming to feign interest.
“We have a new resident in our small town. We are so blessed to have Darla Zoubak who is moving here all the way from Washington, DC. Now, I said to myself, Helen, who would be the perfect person to show Darla around our town, and do you know whose name came to my mind immediately?”
“Roland’s,” Gilbert said immediately, and Summer had to stifle a laugh. Of course he would name his brother, hoping that Mrs. Tucker would go sink her claws into him.
“That was close. Right family, but it was you.” She used both pointer fingers to point right at Gilbert’s chest. It was a little surprising that he didn’t try to duck.
“I know that you will be the perfect person to lead her around, and I don’t like to be the one that reminds you of things that happened in the past, but it’s been almost a year since you lost your wife, and you really need to get back in the dating scene.
Darla is perfect for you. She’s a professional, she works for a congressman in Washington, and she’s looking for a weekend getaway.
Which, of course, our town is perfect for her.
She has all of next week, and so she’s spending it here with us, and she somehow got my name.
” Mrs. Tucker put a hand on her chest and pretended to be shocked, like everyone in town wouldn’t say her name as the person who knew the most about everyone, except possibly the Secret Saint.
“And she gave me a call and asked me if I could set her up with someone who not only could be a possible love interest for her weekend getaways here but also who would show her around the town and give her a good time. Automatically I thought of you. You are the best person to represent our town, and I hope you don’t mind, but I gave her your name and your number, and she’ll be contacting you about where you two can meet on Tuesday for you to show her everything you know about our quaint little town. ”
Mrs. Tucker looked so pleased with herself that Summer wasn’t sure she would have been able to come up with any kind of rational argument, and… Maybe Gilbert didn’t want to.
After all, Mrs. Tucker was right. It had been a year since his wife passed away, and he probably was ready to get into the dating scene again, and Darla really did sound perfect for him.
After all, he had a business in a bigger town, and he was used to rubbing elbows with businesspeople, and for some reason, that made Summer, and her little horseback riding therapy thing, seem like kindergarten compared to Darla and her big-city ways. A congressman. That was impressive.
She wished she would have left whenever she had the opportunity, but to leave now would feel like slinking away, and she didn’t want Gilbert to think that she was all doom and gloom just because they had spent one evening having a nice conversation together, and now he was being tapped to lead another woman around town.
“I know you’re not going to let me down. Your mom will be so pleased with you being the next Mrs. Tucker of Mistletoe Meadows.” Mrs. Tucker waved her hand in the air and hurried off.
“I’m not sure I was given the opportunity to decline that,” Gilbert said slowly after she left.
“That’s kind of the way Mrs. Tucker is. I got roped into using my horses to give carriage rides at the Christmas tree farm on Mondays between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it didn’t even occur to me to tell her no.”
“That’s the way she is, isn’t it? You feel like you’re not a good, patriotic citizen if you don’t say yes to everything she asks.”
“Exactly. Although… While she’s talking to you, you usually don’t even have time to think about declining.”
“No. But when you see her coming, your instinct is to run, and I don’t know why I didn’t follow that instinct.” He looked at her balefully. “Probably because I didn’t want to leave her with you.”
“I considered running, but she already got me for today, and I figured she wasn’t after me, so I guess I figured I could stick around and watch her massacre someone else.”
“Thanks. You could have pushed me down the steps. That would have been nicer.”
“I’ll remember that for next time,” she said.
“All right. I guess I’m spending time with Darla what’s her name on Tuesday.
” He didn’t look very happy about it, and that did speak to her heart.
Except, if he were truly interested in her, which she realized that, deep down, she was hoping he was, he would have said no unequivocally to Mrs. Tucker.
“I need to go find my kids and sit down. If I don’t see you after church, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as they walked into the sanctuary and prepared to go in different directions.
“Yeah. I’m looking forward to it.” And she realized, no matter what he had agreed to do with Mrs. Tucker and that Darla, it was true. She really was looking forward to it.