“Sounds like fun.” Jaye felt a little jealous. She’d never gone to a fair with someone who won her a whimsical toy. Her youth was spent in constant preparation for the future, learning HTML and JavaScript. The closest she came to playing was when she took pictures with a camera she got for her tenth birthday. Not much had changed. Photography was still her favorite activity. Often, Jaye wished she never had to put down her camera.
Abigail, a white-haired grandmother who worked in Blake Glassware’s retail shop, peered over her cards. “Do you have a boyfriend, Jaye?”
“Um, no, I don’t.” She looked up and froze like a bunny with nowhere to run. All three women stared her way in various degrees of disbelief.
“A pretty girl like you doesn’t have a boyfriend?” Sarah drummed her fingers on her pregnant belly and sighed. “What is the world coming to?”
“Well, I had a boyfriend,” Jaye admitted. “We broke up a few weeks ago.”
Abigail’s white eyebrows arched. “How long were you together?”
“We dated for a year.” Twelve months with David felt like a decade.
Sarah lowered her cards. “What did he look like?”
“Blond. Green eyes. He had a little dent in his chin.” Jaye shrugged. “We met at work. He designs promotional campaigns, too.”
“He sounds dreamy. What happened?” Abigail pointed a sugar cookie at her. “Don’t hold out on us.”
Sarah laughed and pointed to the wedding band on her swollen finger. “We’ve been married forever, so we live vicariously through girls like you. So, tell us why this guy didn’t pop the question. Did he get cold feet?”
As much as Jaye liked these women, she couldn’t share the sordid story of David’s betrayal. The memory stung too much. “I broke up with him because we weren’t right for each other.”
“Oh.” Sarah made a face. “Sounds rational, logical, and not at all dramatic. There’s more excitement here in town. Let’s see, we’ve got a tramp sleeping with three brothers, and none of the young men have a clue. Oh, and a girl who wants to get pregnant so her boyfriend will marry her.”
Veronica patted Sarah’s big belly. “You, on the other hand, get pregnant after your husband gets a vasectomy.”
“He has very determined sperm,” Sarah quipped with a sigh.
All of them laughed.
“Don’t forget Harry, who just told his wife of thirty years he’s gay.” Abigail tossed her chip into the kitty. “And we’ve got a lovesick postal worker who hasn’t worked up the courage to ask the piano teacher on a date. We’re watching that one with bated breath, because a handsome dentist just signed up for music lessons. Nothing more entertaining than a good old-fashioned love triangle.”
Jaye widened her eyes. “All you need is a tale of someone getting left at the altar, and you’ve got everything.”
“Oh, that’s old news.” Veronica tossed her chips into the pile and glanced at the unicorn sitting on an empty chair. “Poor Mitch.”
Disbelief vibrated along Jaye’s spine. “He was left at the altar?”
“Two years ago. He had to get up in front of a packed church sanctuary to announce his fiancée changed her mind.” Veronica dipped a tortilla chip into some salsa and glanced at Sarah. “Are you in?”
“I fold.” Sarah met Jaye’s gaze. “His fiancée left him about the same time his parents broke up. She lived in Coudersport, which is about twenty miles away. They met when Mitch reported at the courthouse for jury duty.” Sarah wrapped two arms around her belly. “I can’t understand why anyone would get mad at Mitch. He’s such a good guy.”
No one disagreed with Sarah’s assertion. Jaye watched her hug the large pregnant mound of her stomach like it was some crystal ball capable of revealing the mysteries of the universe. Deep down, she suspected Sarah was right. Mitch was a good guy—but he mistrusted anyone who threatened his plans for the factory.
“Something happened the week before the wedding,” Veronica chimed in. “I overheard him talking on the phone. He wanted to know why she’d gone out to dinner with another man.”
“I fold, too.” Abigail scratched her head. “Who in their right mind would cheat on Mitch?”
“We’re very biased, girls. None of us have lived with Mitch. Who knows what he’s like behind closed doors?” Veronica slid a glance at Jaye. “What is he like at home, anyway?”
Pretending she wasn’t living with him would be foolish. These women probably knew she would be occupying Mitch’s extra bedroom long before Jaye found out.
“I haven’t spent much time alone with him, but I can tell he’s devoted to Blake Glassware,” Jaye acknowledged. “When he’s not working at the factory, he’s fixing up his house. I can tell he renovated the hall bathroom a little while ago. It’s beautiful, with new fixtures and a big shower. Oh, he’s also addicted to coffee and can’t cook a thing.”
“We know all that.” Veronica elbowed Jaye. “What is he like?”
“Well, he’s bullheaded, opinionated, and has to do things his way. He’s ferociously protective of Blake Glassware, especially if he thinks an outsider might interfere. On the flip side, he’s loyal and smart.” When she recalled his smirking threat to feed her to a fire-breathing dragon, she laughed. “I’ve never had so much fun arguing with a man. He’s very funny, even when he’s mad.”
“We haven’t seen much of the funny side lately.” Veronica tossed four chips into the center of the kitchen table and smirked at Jaye. “Okay, slick. I want to buy a new lamp for my desk at the office. You ready to lose?”
“No way. I’m taking your money so I can buy some decent boots. I had no idea this part of Pennsylvania was so cold. My toes are ready to fall off.” Jaye matched Veronica’s bet.
“Show me what you got, city girl.”
Jaye laid down her pair of threes.
“Sorry, kid, but I’ve got a couple of brides.” Veronica threw down two queens and swept the chips into her enormous pile.
“Goodbye, boots.” Jaye sighed. “Hello,
