“And he never intends to be,” Gabby said firmly. “Isn’t that right, Doug?”
The smile on his face slipped, and for a moment, Gabby wasn’t sure if she’d said too much, embarrassed him even more than Candy was capable of doing, but he recovered quickly saying, “Married to my career, as they say.”
“And what career is that?” Candy pressed.
“I’m an attorney.”
Candy’s eyes burst with approval again. “Is that so?”
“A divorce attorney,” Gabby informed her. There. That should shut down this conversation, and any of Candy’s notions.
Candy’s brow pinched slightly, but still, she wasn’t about to be completely deterred. “Well, I don’t want to interrupt…”
“There’s nothing to interrupt, Candy,” Gabby said firmly. She smiled expectantly at Doug. “I’m surprised to see you back here. I know that flowers aren’t exactly your favorite gift to give.”
“You changed my mind about that.” Doug lifted an eyebrow.
Gabby flushed with pleasure. “Glad to know I could be of service.”
“Actually, the help I need today is more of a personal nature.”
Candy visibly gasped and then scurried to the door. “That is most definitely my cue! Gabby I will call you later to discuss…well, you know.”
Yes, Gabby did know, and she was nearly certain it had nothing to do with Candy’s flowers or even Jackson Bradford. She shook her head as the door closed behind Candy, who was already pulling her phone from her bag and punching at the screen as she scurried down Main Street, not even bothering to open her umbrella.
Doug’s grin was wicked as he walked to the counter and leaned into it.
Gabby folded her arms over her chest and tipped her head. “Thanks for that. In case you didn’t notice, she has been trying to set me up for weeks now that she already has all of her step-daughters settled down.”
“Maybe now she’ll stop,” Doug pointed out.
Gabby considered this. “Maybe,” she said with reluctance, even though it was likely true. A single, attractive attorney had moved back to Blue Harbor. What more was there for Candy to say? On paper, he looked perfect. But Gabby knew the real Doug…At least, she thought with a start, she’d once thought she did.
“I’m here to see if you have plans this Saturday night.”
Gabby blinked at him as her chest began to pound, wondering if she was hearing him correctly, if she hadn’t misread their time together, if there really had been a moment on the dance floor when things shifted from an excuse to something they wanted—maybe even enjoyed.
She wondered if he was asking her on a date.
She opened her mouth and then closed it, unsure of what to say, or what she wanted to say. It was the Cherry Festival weekend; she had a solid excuse. Once upon a time, it would have been so easy. Clear cut. Black and white. The man had driven her absolutely crazy! But now… Now she had seen that there might be more to Doug than she’d first noticed.
She decided to keep things vague and friendly, because more and more, he was starting to feel like a friend. One she looked forward to seeing. One she saw a lot of, too.
“For once, I do not have a wedding to attend. Possibly my only wedding-free weekend until September.”
He winced dramatically. “Unless you’re willing to accompany me as my plus one?”
Her mouth was dry. Was this a date? What did he even mean? He’d made his stance on marriage and love as clear as the night sky. What could he possibly want from her as his plus one?
“My mom put me down with her friend’s daughter,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Lanie Thompson.”
Gabby felt her breath exhale. So it was a friendly favor then. Nothing more than that. She didn’t know why she struggled to smile. Really, she should be relieved.
“Ah, you need a wingman, then.” She knew Lanie, of course. She was attractive, a successful real estate agent, and, like Gabby, single. “Last I checked, Lanie didn’t own hamsters.”
Doug laughed and shook his head. “I don’t want my mother thinking something might happen between us, because it won’t.”
She was quiet for a moment, even though a strange part of her was relieved. Many men would find the idea of a date with Lanie to be a nice way to spend the evening. “You certainly are closed off to the idea of love. Won’t even give the poor girl a chance!”
He shrugged. “I’d like to say that I’m sparing her disappointment by sending the wrong message.”
Gabby nodded. Perhaps it was noble of him, or perhaps it was just cynical. Either way, she should heed the advice.
“Let’s just say that if you think the woman in your shop just now was pushy, she was downright tame compared to the tricks my mother is playing.”
Gabby started to laugh. “Well, in that case…”
“What do you say? I know it’s a big ask.”
Gabby thought of the plans she had for this Saturday, or rather lack of plans altogether. In past years, her sisters and cousins had gathered together at the annual Cherry Festival, but this year, with so many of them now paired off, it wouldn’t be the same. Britt would be busy running the event with Robbie, and Amelia would be selling food alongside Maddie, but this time likely with the assistance of their boyfriends Matt and Cole. Even Cora had a new man in her life, and she couldn’t stop talking about showing his daughter all the wonders of the festival. Gabby had asked Jenna her plans in the hopes of pairing up together, but Jenna was busy with a summer music camp rehearsal, and her Clark cousins had bailed too. Brooke had a poetry club meeting, which Gabby was invited to, of course, not that Gabby was interested. Heidi was going on a date with a man she’d met online from a neighboring town, and Natalie couldn’t find a babysitter but said Gabby was welcome to stop by her house for some drinks instead.
Then she thought of Candy’s upcoming wedding,
