5. Delilah #2
“You’re sure Suzy will have her here in time?
” Lacey didn’t have the same unwavering faith in Suzy’s abilities.
In addition to working for the taxidermist, Suzy was the local florist. Up until Lacey started bringing in brides, my aunt mainly worked with the town’s funeral parlor.
But recently she’d been doing a whole lot of weddings and never missed an opportunity to cross over between her two loves, sometimes working a small token of local wildlife into one of her bridal bouquets.
“The town’s got a lot riding on this competition.” Lacey bounced her son on her hip, even as she pinned me in place with her glare.
“I know. So do I.” I glanced toward my boots, the ones I’d polished to a shine.
“That’s why I don’t think I’m the best person to act as hospitality host. If we don’t pull this off, I don’t know what we’re going to do at the farm.
Dad seems hell-bent on replanting, but it’s going to take years for new trees to start producing. ”
“You may not be the best person, but you’re my only option.” Lacey shifted the baby and put a hand on my arm. “We’re in this together. We’ll make it work.”
I shook my head.
“Unless you want me to offer the job to Suzy instead.” Lacey shrugged.
My thoughts bounced back to Delilah’s reactions at Suzy’s place. I couldn’t leave the fate of the town or the farm to my eccentric aunt.
“Fine.” I let out a sigh. “I’ll do it.”
“I hoped you’d see things my way.” Lacey gave me a confident grin, like she knew she had me over a barrel the whole time.
At that moment, a loud noise caught our attention. Sounded like a dozen Harleys headed our way, right through the center of town.
“What the heck is that?” Lacey’s hand dropped, and she turned to face the incoming rumble.
I walked to the edge of the gazebo, straining to catch a glimpse of what might be causing the noise.
A motorcycle turned the corner. Followed by another. And another. I put my hands to my temple. So help me, if my aunt had done what I suspected . . .
“Please tell me Suzy isn’t involved in this?” Lacey’s lips were set in a straight line, but her eyes went wide.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head, my arms falling helplessly to my sides. I’d asked Suzy to make sure Delilah got to the event in one piece, but I should have specified how.
The local biker gang, if one could call it that, slowed as they reached the center of the square.
I jogged down the steps and over to the curb, each step taking me closer and closer to my downfall.
I could feel it in my core. Lacey would fire me for this.
Delilah would be traumatized and tear out of Ido faster than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
But when I reached the curb, I caught a glimpse of Delilah’s wide grin. Her perfectly aligned, whiter-than-white smile hit me in the center of my chest. Helmut reached out and offered a hand, helping Delilah climb out of the low sidecar attached to his motorcycle and get her footing.
“What’s going on?” I directed the question to Suzy, who was in the process of climbing off the back of a bike.
“The boys showed up and wanted to give us a ride into town.” She waddled, slightly bowlegged, joining me on the curb. “Your friend seemed up for the adventure, so here we are.”
“Here you are?” I muttered through clenched teeth. “Are you deliberately trying to send me into cardiac arrest today?”
“Settle down, we’re just having a little fun.” Suzy swatted at my shoulder.
I turned away from my aunt, making a concerted effort to clear the frustration from my expression before facing Delilah. She stood on the curb, perfectly poised, not looking like she’d just ridden ten miles in the sidecar of a death trap on wheels.
“Are you okay?” I reached her and took in her appearance. Her hair flowed over her shoulders in soft waves. The light-yellow dress she wore practically glowed under the early evening sun. If she’d been traumatized by the ride into town, she was doing a damn good job of hiding it.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” She peered up at me through full, dark lashes. My chest warmed at her attention.
“I just . . . I didn’t realize my aunt would be riding in with her club.”
“It’s a gang, not a club, Jasper.” Helmut approached, his fingers wrapped around the handles of Delilah’s bags.
“Sorry, Helmut. Aren’t you supposed to be doing the food?” I glanced over to the tables under the gazebo.
“Sure am. Deputy Phillips brought that generator over, and the team should be showing up with the vittles any minute.” He held up Delilah’s bags. “Where do you want me to put these for you?”
“I’ll take them.” I reached for the bags. “I’ll just put them in my truck until after. I plan on running you back to your trailer when we’re done here to make sure you get settled in okay.”
“Thank you.” Delilah nodded.
“I’m gonna show the guys where to park.” Helmut gestured over his shoulder. “Then I’ll start setting up.”
“Great,” I said. “Be right back.” I walked the short distance to my truck and locked Delilah’s bags inside the cab.
Delilah didn’t look any worse for wear, but what the hell had Suzy been thinking?
From now on I’d have to keep a closer eye on the contest judge.
I couldn’t afford for her to get the wrong idea about Ido or, worse, get injured and hold it against us.
“So where do you want me?” Delilah joined me and we made our way to the gazebo together.
I could think of several responses, none of them particularly appropriate in the moment. So, I cleared my throat and chased away the illicit thoughts of Delilah underneath me, her tight yellow dress scrunched up above her thighs.
“We’ll have you in the gazebo to start. Like I said earlier, the high school marching band will kick us off, then Mayor Cherish will say a few words. Since you want to say something, we’ll have you go next. Then it’s just a meet and greet. Should be pretty casual.” I cast a glance her way.
She matched my stride, even though I had no idea how anyone could walk in the tall heels she had on. “That sounds great. Your little town has been so welcoming so far.”
So welcoming. Was that a genuine comment or was she in beauty queen mode? It was hard to tell. “About that ride to town,” I started.
She turned to me, her eyes shining. “I’ve never ridden in a sidecar before. It was . . . fun.”
“Fun?” My gaze roamed over her. How was she not covered in dust?
“Well, it would have been more enjoyable if they hadn’t put a pop-up rain shelter over me until we hit the pavement. But I had to protect my hair.” She ran a hand over her blond waves.
“A rain shelter?” I racked my brain, trying to figure out what my aunt had done. Didn’t really matter now. What mattered was that Delilah had arrived, uninjured, apparently untraumatized, and ready to kick off the next thirty days.