who actually dated the guy fourteen years ago.” Zarah couldn’t help but be amused by the interchange between Caylor and Flannery. When the gorgeous redhead had shown up just moments after Zarah arrived at the coffee shop, Zarah knew she’d been betrayed. Of course, she had almost suggested that Flannery call and invite Caylor to join them. After all, the three of them were best friends. And Sunday afternoons were pretty much the only time they could get Caylor out without Caylor experiencing a guilt complex over leaving her grandmother home alone with no means of transportation, since Sassy couldn’t drive anymore.
“But I knew you would’ve been shocked to see him, Zare.” Caylor flashed her megawatt grin at Zarah. “I was more curious about Flan’s reaction to seeing him.” Caylor’s turquoise eyes twinkled.
“Seriously though,” Flannery interjected, “why do you think he’s come back to Nashville after all this time?”
“You’re asking me?” Zarah held her hands out in front of her. “IfI could read that man’s mind, my life would have turned out much differently.” If she’d known from the beginning that he’d never intended to do anything other than toy with her, she never would have agreed to sneak around and disobey her father’s direct order that his daughters were not, under any circumstances, allowed to date enlisted men.
Caylor and Flannery continued to gaze at her as if somehow, miraculously, she would come up with an answer for them. “Flan, you’ve known him a lot longer than I have. Why do you think he came back?”
Flannery shrugged her delicate shoulders. “Why does anybody do anything?”
Caylor threw a wadded-up napkin at her. “What kind of answer is that?” She pushed her coffee mug back and leaned forward on the edge of the table. “Why does anybody move back to their hometown? I’ve never met this guy, but I can’t imagine his intentions in moving back to Nashville are evil or malicious. And he grew up here. From what Flannery said, it sounds like all of his family is here. I think since we’re close to his age, we can all understand if he came back because of a desire to be close to them. He probably spent his twenties being wild and free, but now he realizes it’s time to grow up and start acting like an adult.”
“The problem with that scenario,” Zarah said with a sigh, “is that in being closer to his family, he’ll be closer to my family—because his grandmother and my grandmother are best friends. And you know how much they and their closest friends—including your grandmother, Caylor—like to throw parties where all of our families are invited.”
Flannery pulled her hair out of its haphazard ponytail, finger-combed it back, and secured it so that half of it stayed tucked up in the band. “There’s only one solution then.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Zarah crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
“You’re just going to have to find some absolutely fabulous guy to start dating, so you can show old what’s-his-name that you’recompletely over him and that you’re capable of landing someone a hundred times better than he is.”
Caylor made a face as if considering the merits of the plan.
Zarah shook her head, staring at her two friends. “And where, exactly, am I supposed to find this paragon of manhood?”
“You just leave that up to me, sweetie.” Flannery patted her hand.
Zarah hoped her expression showed her friend just how insane she thought Flannery was. She could count the number of dates she’d had since moving to Nashville on two hands, with a couple of fingers left over. And most of those had been in college. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been attracted to anyone since Bobby—she had, but he had turned out to be more interested in that year’s Miss Tennessee. And, as her father had always said, no man in his right mind would choose a fat girl over a slender one. If it hadn’t been for her father’s
“But I knew you would’ve been shocked to see him, Zare.” Caylor flashed her megawatt grin at Zarah. “I was more curious about Flan’s reaction to seeing him.” Caylor’s turquoise eyes twinkled.
“Seriously though,” Flannery interjected, “why do you think he’s come back to Nashville after all this time?”
“You’re asking me?” Zarah held her hands out in front of her. “IfI could read that man’s mind, my life would have turned out much differently.” If she’d known from the beginning that he’d never intended to do anything other than toy with her, she never would have agreed to sneak around and disobey her father’s direct order that his daughters were not, under any circumstances, allowed to date enlisted men.
Caylor and Flannery continued to gaze at her as if somehow, miraculously, she would come up with an answer for them. “Flan, you’ve known him a lot longer than I have. Why do you think he came back?”
Flannery shrugged her delicate shoulders. “Why does anybody do anything?”
Caylor threw a wadded-up napkin at her. “What kind of answer is that?” She pushed her coffee mug back and leaned forward on the edge of the table. “Why does anybody move back to their hometown? I’ve never met this guy, but I can’t imagine his intentions in moving back to Nashville are evil or malicious. And he grew up here. From what Flannery said, it sounds like all of his family is here. I think since we’re close to his age, we can all understand if he came back because of a desire to be close to them. He probably spent his twenties being wild and free, but now he realizes it’s time to grow up and start acting like an adult.”
“The problem with that scenario,” Zarah said with a sigh, “is that in being closer to his family, he’ll be closer to my family—because his grandmother and my grandmother are best friends. And you know how much they and their closest friends—including your grandmother, Caylor—like to throw parties where all of our families are invited.”
Flannery pulled her hair out of its haphazard ponytail, finger-combed it back, and secured it so that half of it stayed tucked up in the band. “There’s only one solution then.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Zarah crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
“You’re just going to have to find some absolutely fabulous guy to start dating, so you can show old what’s-his-name that you’recompletely over him and that you’re capable of landing someone a hundred times better than he is.”
Caylor made a face as if considering the merits of the plan.
Zarah shook her head, staring at her two friends. “And where, exactly, am I supposed to find this paragon of manhood?”
“You just leave that up to me, sweetie.” Flannery patted her hand.
Zarah hoped her expression showed her friend just how insane she thought Flannery was. She could count the number of dates she’d had since moving to Nashville on two hands, with a couple of fingers left over. And most of those had been in college. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been attracted to anyone since Bobby—she had, but he had turned out to be more interested in that year’s Miss Tennessee. And, as her father had always said, no man in his right mind would choose a fat girl over a slender one. If it hadn’t been for her father’s
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