Page 33 of Just This Once

She huffed and stood tall. “Figures.”

“Can’t even show up to your own fundraiser?” I poked.

Her eyes betrayed her by snagging on my uniform and lingering for a second too long. Her hands settled on her hips with a huff. “Well, I can’t cook, and Dad said there were plenty of volunteers, so I decided I’d be best put to use with cleaning up.” She glared at me. “Not that I have to explain myself to you.”

Damn. That makes a lot of sense.

I lifted a shoulder in indifference. “Fine. You can explain to Mama Faye how you broke her table.”

Emily glared at me, and I smiled broadly, just to piss her off.

“Hey, Prim!” Brooklyn walked past us toward the parking lot, raising her container of food. “Great idea for a fundraiser. Seemed like a hit.”

Emily swiveled in her flats and glared at me. “You didnot.”

I held my hands up innocently. “You wanted to be a townie. A nickname is just part of the gig.”

Emily turned her back to me and lowered to her knees to continue fussing with the table leg. I distinctly heard her gruntand mumble something over her shoulder about me and myglitter dick.

A laugh threatened to burst from my chest, but I tamped it down, not wanting her to permanently detach it from my body. After letting her struggle for another minute, I decided to put myself to use loading the smokers onto the truck beds of their owners, but not before ruffling her feathers one last time.

“Hey, Prim.” She glared up at me, and I bent low so only she could hear. “Figure it out yet?”

She sat back on her heels, sizing me up as I peered down at her with an amused look on my face. She pointed her finger at me, motioning up and down the length of my tactical cargo pants. “Are those functional pockets where you store all of your audacity?”

I laughed and her scowl deepened. I turned to walk away. “You know...” I turned back, rubbing my palm against the stubble on my chin. “I forgot how good you’d looked on your knees.”

Blush flooded her cheeks as fire ignited in her eyes. A coy smile spread across her face as she looked up from under her lashes and raised her middle finger. “Enjoy it, because this is the last time you’ll ever get to see it.”

THIRTEEN

EMILY

“Mom. What did you do?”My teeth ground together as my mother arranged another place setting at the table. Despite a casual cookout, she gently placed a thick, white paper plate in front of the proper seat.

“What do you mean?” She blinked and tried to play innocent, but I could see right through her.

I sighed. “Who is coming for dinner?”

Her shoulder raised, causing her light-brown hair to fall in a lovely cascade down her back. “Just a friend of your father’s. He’s up for some promotion, and I thought it would be hospitable to invite him to supper.”

My eyes tracked my mother as she scurried around the farmhouse-style table. I toyed with the inside of my lip. “As long as this isn’t another one of your setups. After Dickie and Tall Chad, your matchmaking privileges are permanently revoked.”

“Other Tall Chad,” she said.

“What?”

“I tried to set you up withOtherTall Chad.” She waved a hand in dismissal. “Totally different person.”

I shook my head and tried not to laugh at how bizarre this town was. I shot my mother a pointed look. “Please just tell me this dinner isn’t you trying to arrange another date for me.”

“Of course not.” She batted her lashes as a smile teased the corner of her lips. “Our guest works with your father. That would bescandalous.” Mischief glittered in her eyes as her eyebrows waggled.

I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes. I looked over my dusty-pink blouse that was french-tucked into a simple pair of ankle-cropped jeans. “Just tell me who it is so I at least know whether I need to hurl myself off the roof before or after dessert.”

My mother’s soft laughter filled the dining room despite my total lack of humor regarding the situation.

“His name is William, and he is very charming. I’d wait until after dessert, at least.” Her blue eyes swept over me. “Maybe do up your hair a bit?”

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