He stood up. “You know what, Teresa? For once, you and I are in total agreement about something. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“A smart man might consider stopping by Sullivan’s to pick up some of that apple bread pudding she loves or maybe a selection of scones,” she advised as he was going out the door. “I’ll call Dana Sue and tell her you’re coming. They’re not open yet so just poke your head in the kitchen when you get there, if she’s not around out front.”
He considered balking at Teresa’s interference, but concluded she’d come up with an excellent plan. “Thank you.”
“Take your time coming back,” she said. “I’ll keep things running around here.”
“I don’t doubt it,” he said.
He’d made it as far as Sullivan’s when he was accosted by Mary Vaughn.
“My goodness, twice in one day!” she said, tucking her arm through his. “How lucky am I? I see you’re heading to Sullivan’s. Will you join me for lunch? They won’t be open for a few minutes, but I’m sure they won’t mind if we get there early.”
Oh boy, he thought. This time she didn’t even attempt to disguise the invitation by mentioning real estate. He needed to handle the situation diplomatically. Maybe he just needed to turn her down enough times that she’d get the message without getting any hurt feelings.
“I’m afraid I can’t,” he said, edging away from her. “I’m grabbing some takeout that Teresa called ahead to order. I have a meeting to get to.”
“You’re certainly busier than any town manager we’ve had before,” she grumbled, not even trying to hide her disappointment. “I suppose I’m just going to have to call and make an appointment if I want to spend any time with you.”
“I’m pretty tied up these days,” he said carefully, hoping that would dissuade her from any further attempts to hook up with him. “There’s always a lot to learn on a new job.” He glanced deliberately at his watch. “Sorry, Mary Vaughn. I really do have to run.”
As Teresa had directed, he went inside and dashed directly into the kitchen, picked up the bag Dana Sue had waiting for him and paid her for it, then glanced toward the back door. “Any chance I can get out of here that way?”
“You hiding from someone?” she inquired.
“Mary Vaughn,” he said in a low voice.
“Enough said,” she said, gesturing toward the door. “The alley runs parallel to Main Street. In fact, if you take it to the end, it will take you all the way to Palmetto.”
He gave her a sharp look. “Oh?”
“That order is for Jeanette, isn’t it? Ronnie told me you were trying to come up with some way to make amends. When Teresa called, I put two and two together.”
“Is everybody in this town good at that kind of math?” he asked testily.
She beamed at him. “Pretty much. Good luck, by the way. Jeanette’s a wonderful woman, but she doesn’t say much about herself. We’ve known her three years and none of us have ever met her family or even heard much about them. From the amount of time she spends at the spa, I get the feeling she’s a bit of a loner.”
“You think there’s a reason for that?”
“Isn’t there usually?” Dana Sue said. “I just think she’s erected some pretty thick barricades around her heart. Don’t try tearing them down if it’s just a game to you.”
He heard the warning and understood it. “I can’t say this with a hundred percent certainty, but I don’t think it is.”
“Maybe you ought to be sure,” she said.
“How can I be without getting close enough to find out just how well suited we are?”
“Fair enough,” Dana Sue said, though she didn’t look entirely happy about it.
Tom left Sullivan’s, cut down the alley all the way to Palmetto, then happened upon a flower vendor. He grabbed a huge bouquet of summer flowers to add to his offering for Jeanette, then made his way over to the intersection with Main where The Corner Spa was situated. The parking lot out back was full, he noted as he walked around the building to the front.
Now that he was at the spa, he realized that the one thing he hadn’t considered was the no-men-allowed rule. Would one of those personal trainers try to toss him out on his backside before he ever made his way to Jeanette? He’d just have to risk it. Right now he was determined enough to fix things with her that he’d happily deck anyone who tried to prevent it.
Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he walked inside and headed for what looked to be a suite of offices. He’d made it about ten paces into forbidden territory when Maddie stepped into his path. Even though she was obviously trying to look stern, a smile tugged at her lips.
“You know you’re not supposed to be in here,” she scolded.
He shoved the flowers into her arms. “Couldn’t you bend the rules for about ten minutes?” he pleaded.
“You think you can win Jeanette over in ten minutes?”
“I plan to give it my best shot. Is she with a client?”
Maddie shook her head. “She’s taking a break on the patio. I don’t think anyone will get too riled up if you go out there.” She grinned. “Other than Jeanette, of course. I can’t speak for her. She seems fairly annoyed with you.”
“Believe me, I get that.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, and handed the flowers back to him. “Something tells me you’re going to need all of this and more. Good luck.”
“Who needs luck?” he asked jauntily. “I have flowers, scones and bread pudding.”
Outside he found Jeanette reading a dog-eared copy of a romance novel. He found that encouraging. Apparently she
