“Nicely played. He’s coming here to pick you up?”
“Yes.”
“Good. We can get a look.” Anne rubbed her hands together, making Beth laugh.
“Don’t scare him away.”
“He grew up surrounded by Murphys. There’s no hiding from that. Anyway, he’s got his own scary reputation to overcome. He’d best be a good guy or you know how many Murphy older brothers are going to come down hard on him.” Tate raised one brow as she kept working.
“It’s lunch. We’re not getting married, for crissake.” She waggled her brows.
She was still grinning when the bell over the door jingled and she looked up to find him there. He’d gotten rid of the coveralls and stood in jeans and a T-shirt with those sunglasses on.
“This place is crawling with Murphys.” He looked around, smiling.
“We’re notoriously hard to get rid of.” Beth grabbed her bag and headed to the door. “You remember Tate and Anne? Girls, of course we remember Joe.” She looked up at him. “We’ve been gossiping about you for two hours now.”
He blushed. “I’m not sure how to take that.”
“Good.” She looked over her shoulder and told her sisters she was off to lunch and would return in an hour or so.
He opened her door, a very good sign.
“Tate looks pretty much exactly the way she did back in the day. Anne used to have brown hair like yours, didn’t she?”
Currently Anne was rocking some auburn hair. “She did. Her specialty is color. You never know what color she’ll come in with on any given day. I was thinking about that shade of red too.”
He slowed down, frowning as he looked her over. “Don’t. I mean, it looks nice on her. But your hair is…” He shook his head.
“Well go on then. Is what? Ugly? Gross? Fabulous?”
He barked a laugh. “I keep forgetting how you all are. It’s pretty. I like all the gold in it. In the sun I mean. Brunette is underappreciated. But it works.”
“Nice answer.”
He opened the door for her at the Sands and they went in. Petal was a small town. Small enough that everyone looked up to see who was coming in. She waved to a few people.
Roni, the owner, waved back. “I’ll be with you two in a bit. Grab some menus. That booth over there is empty.”
She obeyed, pausing to peruse the pie selection, and she grinned when she saw the cake.
“Cake day. Score.”
He slid in across from her. “What?”
“They have cake today. Coconut frosting. My favorite. Do you like cake?”
He paused. “I feel like this is a test.”
“Well?”
“Pushy.”
She laughed as she watched him. The light coming in the windows seemed to glint off his hair. “You have great hair.”
“Um, thanks.” He slid his fingers through it. “Yes. Yes I like cake. Don’t know about the coconut part, though.”
“Well, you’re halfway there. The pie is awesome too. Have the peach. I have it under very good authority that it’s really good.”
“By good authority do you mean you had some?”
“Don’t tell anyone, but I have a baked-goods problem. Really don’t tell Tate, as she’s like the queen of baked goods and I had some here instead of at her house. She’s territorial.”
“What’ll you give me if I keep my mouth shut?”
She raised a brow and leaned in. At first he dug it and then got nervous. This was flirting, but they had chemistry. Like whoa.
She frowned. “Stop that.”
“You’re an incredibly random woman. Stop what?”
“Stop thinking of me as William’s little sister. You weren’t there for a bit. And then you remembered. How on Earth am I ever going to get you to kiss me if you keep that up?”
His laugh was a little uncomfortable, but he was saved when Roni came over to take their order.
Once they were alone again, he sighed and caught her gaze. “You are William’s little sister.”
“So what?”
“So it’s a fact. You and I both know it. Let’s talk about something else.”
She let it go for the time being. She’d be back. She knew he was interested. Good thing she was patient. She’d been bored with the men in Petal for years. He was the best thing to come along in ages. She wanted him and that was that.
“So, tell me why you’re back in Petal and I won’t pester you about kisses. For a little while anyway.”
“You promised to catch me up on all the doings around town. So you first.”
She sniffed, but sipped her iced tea and shrugged. “Well, my sister Tate married Matt Chase and they have two kids. There’s another one on the way too. You know William is married, of course. Tim is married as well. Lots of kids all over the place. Each is cuter than the last. It’s a trial, I tell you, being an aunt to all that adorable.”
“I take it you love kids.”
“Well, other people’s kids most especially. I can fill them up with sugar and pretend we’re watching all the Disney movies for them. They provide excellent cover for my addiction to Doritos and Mary Poppins. Oh and cake. But if you tell anyone that I’ll only deny it.”
“Gotta admit I was surprised to hear about Tate marrying Matt Chase.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “And why is that?”
“Yes.”
“Good. We can get a look.” Anne rubbed her hands together, making Beth laugh.
“Don’t scare him away.”
“He grew up surrounded by Murphys. There’s no hiding from that. Anyway, he’s got his own scary reputation to overcome. He’d best be a good guy or you know how many Murphy older brothers are going to come down hard on him.” Tate raised one brow as she kept working.
“It’s lunch. We’re not getting married, for crissake.” She waggled her brows.
She was still grinning when the bell over the door jingled and she looked up to find him there. He’d gotten rid of the coveralls and stood in jeans and a T-shirt with those sunglasses on.
“This place is crawling with Murphys.” He looked around, smiling.
“We’re notoriously hard to get rid of.” Beth grabbed her bag and headed to the door. “You remember Tate and Anne? Girls, of course we remember Joe.” She looked up at him. “We’ve been gossiping about you for two hours now.”
He blushed. “I’m not sure how to take that.”
“Good.” She looked over her shoulder and told her sisters she was off to lunch and would return in an hour or so.
He opened her door, a very good sign.
“Tate looks pretty much exactly the way she did back in the day. Anne used to have brown hair like yours, didn’t she?”
Currently Anne was rocking some auburn hair. “She did. Her specialty is color. You never know what color she’ll come in with on any given day. I was thinking about that shade of red too.”
He slowed down, frowning as he looked her over. “Don’t. I mean, it looks nice on her. But your hair is…” He shook his head.
“Well go on then. Is what? Ugly? Gross? Fabulous?”
He barked a laugh. “I keep forgetting how you all are. It’s pretty. I like all the gold in it. In the sun I mean. Brunette is underappreciated. But it works.”
“Nice answer.”
He opened the door for her at the Sands and they went in. Petal was a small town. Small enough that everyone looked up to see who was coming in. She waved to a few people.
Roni, the owner, waved back. “I’ll be with you two in a bit. Grab some menus. That booth over there is empty.”
She obeyed, pausing to peruse the pie selection, and she grinned when she saw the cake.
“Cake day. Score.”
He slid in across from her. “What?”
“They have cake today. Coconut frosting. My favorite. Do you like cake?”
He paused. “I feel like this is a test.”
“Well?”
“Pushy.”
She laughed as she watched him. The light coming in the windows seemed to glint off his hair. “You have great hair.”
“Um, thanks.” He slid his fingers through it. “Yes. Yes I like cake. Don’t know about the coconut part, though.”
“Well, you’re halfway there. The pie is awesome too. Have the peach. I have it under very good authority that it’s really good.”
“By good authority do you mean you had some?”
“Don’t tell anyone, but I have a baked-goods problem. Really don’t tell Tate, as she’s like the queen of baked goods and I had some here instead of at her house. She’s territorial.”
“What’ll you give me if I keep my mouth shut?”
She raised a brow and leaned in. At first he dug it and then got nervous. This was flirting, but they had chemistry. Like whoa.
She frowned. “Stop that.”
“You’re an incredibly random woman. Stop what?”
“Stop thinking of me as William’s little sister. You weren’t there for a bit. And then you remembered. How on Earth am I ever going to get you to kiss me if you keep that up?”
His laugh was a little uncomfortable, but he was saved when Roni came over to take their order.
Once they were alone again, he sighed and caught her gaze. “You are William’s little sister.”
“So what?”
“So it’s a fact. You and I both know it. Let’s talk about something else.”
She let it go for the time being. She’d be back. She knew he was interested. Good thing she was patient. She’d been bored with the men in Petal for years. He was the best thing to come along in ages. She wanted him and that was that.
“So, tell me why you’re back in Petal and I won’t pester you about kisses. For a little while anyway.”
“You promised to catch me up on all the doings around town. So you first.”
She sniffed, but sipped her iced tea and shrugged. “Well, my sister Tate married Matt Chase and they have two kids. There’s another one on the way too. You know William is married, of course. Tim is married as well. Lots of kids all over the place. Each is cuter than the last. It’s a trial, I tell you, being an aunt to all that adorable.”
“I take it you love kids.”
“Well, other people’s kids most especially. I can fill them up with sugar and pretend we’re watching all the Disney movies for them. They provide excellent cover for my addiction to Doritos and Mary Poppins. Oh and cake. But if you tell anyone that I’ll only deny it.”
“Gotta admit I was surprised to hear about Tate marrying Matt Chase.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “And why is that?”
