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Or like a hairdo sprayed into undentable perfection.
He sank his finger into my hair, then took it out.
My hair sprang back into place.
He smiled.
I clenched my teeth for a moment, then laughed. If we
ever needed proof we shouldn t be alone together, that was
it.
You re probably right.
My heart sank a little. I am. We really don t have any
business
Hey, buddy! The workman bellowing from the lighted
doorway of the South Winds lobby cut me off. I got them
numbers for you, but working or not, I can t salvage any-
thing more than I promised.
Ry s gaze fixed in my eyes as he reached into his jeans
pocket and called out to the man across the lot behind us.
If I use some more of that money you said brings things to-
gether, do you think I can find someone who will take more
of the sign and won t slice up the diver on top?
The man coughed. Or cursed. I wasn t sure which.
Well? Ry asked.
I reckon you rub enough money on any problem you ll
find someone willing to fix it for you.
152 Annie Flannigan
My heart raced. Ry? Are you saying. . . ?
He held up the marked quarter I had left for him to pon-
der over.
You believe in signs now? I asked, dubious.
Let s just say I find myself uncharacteristically receptive
to new ideas and philosophies. More so the longer I stay in
Verbena.
My breath stilled high in my chest. I could only mouth
the words Me too.
He smiled. Tomorrow then?
Tomorrow, I murmured.
Good.
I slipped away with the light of the sign shining down on
me and tried not to think about anything but the imperma-
nent promise I had made . . . Tomorrow.
Chapter 13
{ The course of true love never has run smooth, but let
me tell you, when you live in a town the size of Verbena,
the course of a little trifling lust has its own set of unique
speed bumps along the way as well!
I suppose that given my personal slant on things like
this, I should have considered my grandmother barging in
not thirty seconds after I arrived at the garage to see Ry as
some kind of divine guidepost. Well, I didn t.
I saw it for what it was. Pure nosiness. And orneriness.
And, much as I hate to admit it, more than a little love and
concern on her part toward me and wanting to protect me
from getting hurt.
I never thought I d see the day! Granny Missus strolled
into the far end of the carport. An O Malley working in my
garage. Devil must be wearing mittens today, boy, I tell ya.
Ry had just begun the few final adjustments on the Star-
liner. Her craggy voice made him pause.
I narrowed my eyes and tried to send him the mental
154 Annie Flannigan
message to just let the remark go. Give a grunt. A nod. Then
pretend to be so engrossed in your work that you can t stop and
shoot the breeze with the eldest living Hadley. But years and
layers of damned hair spray must have hampered any po-
tential telepathic powers I might have had.
He looked up. Morning, Mrs. Hadley. Or would you
prefer that I call you Granny Missus, ma am?
I don t suppose you ll stick round long enough for it to
matter what you call me, will you?
He rubbed a rag over the newly installed part.
I cleared my throat to warn him to leave well enough
alone. Shut up. Move on. Not to give Granny an excuse to
speak her mind.
Of course that s what she wanted to do, or she wouldn t
have come out here. But she would never have initiated a
bona fide conversation with this particular man on her
own. She needed him to pursue it.
Any gentleman raised to revere his elders, all women,
and the insufferably eccentric would have taken up his end
of the bargain. It would only have taken a word from him
and she d be off and running at the mouth.
Ry did not rise to the bait. He clenched his teeth and
wiped off parts of the engine already so clean they practi-
cally sparkled.
No sir. Granny adjusted the red, white and blue
beaded brooch that held her lace-trimmed handkerchief to
the breast pocket of her coveralls. It s an old Hadley say-
ing that it doesn t matter what any O Malley calls you as
long as he calls you long distance.
An old Hadley family saying? He stopped polishing
and reached into his back pocket.
L ove and a Bad Hair Day 155
Yes, sir, she said, firmly but soft.
He took out his penlight and began to shine it into the
machinery s crevices. Or an old Hadley saying you made
up just now?
She pressed her bright pink lips together.
Ry pretended to examine the battery.
She crept closer and stretched herself up as tall as she
could to examine his handiwork under the hood.
He twisted his head around and gave her a look that said
he knew she approved of what he d done with the engine.
She looked away, then watched him again from the cor-
ners of her eyes. She wrung her hands. Her gold-toned
bracelets clattered on her age-spotted arm.
You know, Granny, I don t see how Ry could be calling
you long distance if you insist on hovering over him all
day. Okay, so subtle was not a learned trait among the
women of my family. I d made my point and could take
some pride that I hadn t resorted to actually chasing the old
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