didn’t choose to gossip on bunco night, they still knew every damn thing that went on in town.
“He didn’t hold my hand…”
“Listen here, little lady.” Roberta pointed her finger at Brinn. “My granddaughter waited on your table, and she said that Tyler held your hand.”
“That was Margo?”
“Nearly all grown up.” Roberta smiled and tilted her head. “Starts college next fall. Early admission to Notre Dame.”
“Last time I saw her, I think she was in fifth grade.”
“Time rolls, baby. It rolls fast.” Roberta nodded her head. “Don’t usually realize that until you’re well past thirty. Think you got tons and tons of time, but you don’t.”
The Bunco Babes nodded.
“Back to Tyler holding your hand—” Nonna started and Brinn’s phone rang.
Air whooshed over Brinn’s lips. Saved. She picked up the phone from the table and flipped it over. A Denver number? Who from Denver would be calling her?
“Excuse me.” She stood and walked from the kitchen and toward the bedrooms at the far end of the house, thankful to escape the interrogation at the bunco table.
“Hello?”
“Brinn?”
Could it be? The voice was a warm caress over her skin.
“Tyler?”
He had called her. He was on the phone with her right this very moment. She pulled in a long breath. Calm down. He probably was just wondering when would be a good time for him to bring Charlotte by to see the castle again.
“How’s the Christmas castle going?”
“Good. Drapes are down. Foundation is finished. We’re right on schedule.”
“You’re quite the builder. Sure I couldn’t hire you for the Grande project?” There was a smile in his voice. She could picture this gorgeous man with the phone pressed up to his ear.
“If you want the buildings done in eggs and flour, no problem.”
There was a pause and Brinn cast her gaze around her mom’s childhood bedroom.
“Soooo.”
“So.”
He took a deep breath. “Would you ever want to grab some dinner? Maybe see a movie?”
Brinn’s heart stopped in her chest. She bounced on her toes like a fourteen-year-old girl. A date! Oh my God, a date with Tyler Emerson!
“Sorry, did that come out okay?”
“Uh, sure, when were you thinking?” Brinn forced her tone to remain even, to play it cool, to keep the excitement from her voice.
“Friday? Around seven?”
“Sounds good.” Brinn smiled. She had exactly two days to make herself gorgeous. They said good-bye, and Brinn sat on the bed. Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head. A smile pulled across her face and she pressed her phone to her chest.
Tyler Emerson. Tyler Emerson had asked her out. The world suddenly felt upside down. On the far side of her mother’s old room hung Ma’s wedding picture. Ma a drop-dead beauty with an incredible hourglass figure. Her father, more square and thick. She took after her father.
Brinn pressed her lips tight. How could a man who looked like Tyler ever want a woman shaped like a box? The moment of excitement drained away and Brinn bit her bottom lip.
“Well?” Nonna stood in the doorway with a giant smile on her face, and behind her four other women gathered around the door.
“I know you heard.” Brinn stood, slipped her phone into her back pocket, and folded her arms over her chest. “You bunch of magpies. I bet you knew he was going to call.”
“We cannot compromise our sources.” Mabel wiggled her eyebrows.
Roberta ducked her head around the group. “But there was some chatter about just how smitten you two seemed at lunch.”
Brinn had dreamed of dating Tyler Emerson when she was a girl and still found him gorgeous now that she was a grown woman.
Her stomach pitched. Even with her excitement, she couldn’t quell the nagging voice in her head that whispered she hadn’t been the type of girl Tyler went for when he was younger, so why would she be the type of woman he’d want to date now?
“Come on, girls.” Nonna turned toward the Bunco Babes.
“He didn’t hold my hand…”
“Listen here, little lady.” Roberta pointed her finger at Brinn. “My granddaughter waited on your table, and she said that Tyler held your hand.”
“That was Margo?”
“Nearly all grown up.” Roberta smiled and tilted her head. “Starts college next fall. Early admission to Notre Dame.”
“Last time I saw her, I think she was in fifth grade.”
“Time rolls, baby. It rolls fast.” Roberta nodded her head. “Don’t usually realize that until you’re well past thirty. Think you got tons and tons of time, but you don’t.”
The Bunco Babes nodded.
“Back to Tyler holding your hand—” Nonna started and Brinn’s phone rang.
Air whooshed over Brinn’s lips. Saved. She picked up the phone from the table and flipped it over. A Denver number? Who from Denver would be calling her?
“Excuse me.” She stood and walked from the kitchen and toward the bedrooms at the far end of the house, thankful to escape the interrogation at the bunco table.
“Hello?”
“Brinn?”
Could it be? The voice was a warm caress over her skin.
“Tyler?”
He had called her. He was on the phone with her right this very moment. She pulled in a long breath. Calm down. He probably was just wondering when would be a good time for him to bring Charlotte by to see the castle again.
“How’s the Christmas castle going?”
“Good. Drapes are down. Foundation is finished. We’re right on schedule.”
“You’re quite the builder. Sure I couldn’t hire you for the Grande project?” There was a smile in his voice. She could picture this gorgeous man with the phone pressed up to his ear.
“If you want the buildings done in eggs and flour, no problem.”
There was a pause and Brinn cast her gaze around her mom’s childhood bedroom.
“Soooo.”
“So.”
He took a deep breath. “Would you ever want to grab some dinner? Maybe see a movie?”
Brinn’s heart stopped in her chest. She bounced on her toes like a fourteen-year-old girl. A date! Oh my God, a date with Tyler Emerson!
“Sorry, did that come out okay?”
“Uh, sure, when were you thinking?” Brinn forced her tone to remain even, to play it cool, to keep the excitement from her voice.
“Friday? Around seven?”
“Sounds good.” Brinn smiled. She had exactly two days to make herself gorgeous. They said good-bye, and Brinn sat on the bed. Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head. A smile pulled across her face and she pressed her phone to her chest.
Tyler Emerson. Tyler Emerson had asked her out. The world suddenly felt upside down. On the far side of her mother’s old room hung Ma’s wedding picture. Ma a drop-dead beauty with an incredible hourglass figure. Her father, more square and thick. She took after her father.
Brinn pressed her lips tight. How could a man who looked like Tyler ever want a woman shaped like a box? The moment of excitement drained away and Brinn bit her bottom lip.
“Well?” Nonna stood in the doorway with a giant smile on her face, and behind her four other women gathered around the door.
“I know you heard.” Brinn stood, slipped her phone into her back pocket, and folded her arms over her chest. “You bunch of magpies. I bet you knew he was going to call.”
“We cannot compromise our sources.” Mabel wiggled her eyebrows.
Roberta ducked her head around the group. “But there was some chatter about just how smitten you two seemed at lunch.”
Brinn had dreamed of dating Tyler Emerson when she was a girl and still found him gorgeous now that she was a grown woman.
Her stomach pitched. Even with her excitement, she couldn’t quell the nagging voice in her head that whispered she hadn’t been the type of girl Tyler went for when he was younger, so why would she be the type of woman he’d want to date now?
“Come on, girls.” Nonna turned toward the Bunco Babes.
Similar Books
