Page 80 of The Party Line

“For what?”

“Aunt Gracie made me promise not to talk you into moving back to Ditto. It had to be your choice. But if you decided to stay in Austin, then I had to give her my word that I would look after Jasper,” she explained. “Now that you are there, I can travel and do things I’ve always thought would never be possible.”

“Family takes care of family,” I told her. “Jasper is as much my grandpa as Everett is Connor’s. You don’t have to have the same DNA to be family.”

“What about Connor?” she asked. “I was so excited about the Grand Ole Opry that I didn’t ask where he took you on your date.”

I slapped my forehead. I’d been so careful not to bring up Connor’s name. Now that I had accidently let the cat out of the bag, I might as well feed the thing.

“I’ll send you pictures right now so you can see. I clean forgot to send them. We went to the river, but we didn’t have bologna sandwiches. And, Mama, he came over the last two evenings. We sat on the porch and talked for hours. Here they come ...”

“Oh. My. Goodness!” she gasped. “Do I really see cloth napkins?”

“You do, and a bottle of very good wine.”

“I hear something in your voice, Delilah Grace. Are you falling in love with him?”

“Yes, I am,” I admitted. “I asked him outright if he was only interested in me so he could sweet-talk me out of my house and land. He assures me that he is not, and I believe him. Even if we ever did get married, this place is mine and will be forever.”

“Are you still not going to renew Everett’s lease on the strawberries?” she asked.

“I need something to keep me busy and so I will feel productive,” I replied, “so yes, ma’am, I’m going to be a strawberry farmer. I might even start going to the meetings of all the growers in this area. I want to talk to you and Annie about working for me part-time when I start making strawberry wine.”

“Annie is back from her workout in the little gym here in the hotel,” Mama said. “We’ll talk more later—and, honey, be careful with all your decisions.”

“Will do,” I said, “and y’all have a good time.”

I shoved the phone back into my pocket and started down to the kitchen to get a glass of tea when I heard, “Lila!”

There was no mistaking that the voice was Connor’s, but how had I accidently called him? I jerked the phone out, but the screen was dark.

“Lila, are you home?” he called out again.

I realized that he was yelling from the front porch and picked up my pace. “I’m on my way down. Come on in.”

We met in the foyer, and he wrapped me up in his arms. “I know I just saw you last night, but this has been a very long day. I missed you so much.” He tipped up my chin with his fist and kissed me—long, lingering, and hotter than the tip of the devil’s little forked tail. My arms snaked up around his neck, and I leaned into his body. Chest against chest. Heartbeats in unison.

I wished I could stay right there forever in our own little bubble, where the world and all the people in it disappeared, but he finally took a step back and gave me one final kiss on the forehead.

“I might live now,” he said and took my hand in his and led me into the kitchen.

Something had changed in the house when he kissed me that time. It felt like one of those musicals that is shown on television when the music at the end is playing as the credits roll. The happily ever after has been reached after obstacles and loops have been overcome, and thecouple are together. No more ghosts, no more eerie feelings—just pure old unadulterated joy filled the house.

“Was that as good for you as it was for me?” he teased.

“Well, darlin’, I don’t know whether to drink the iced tea I’m about to fix for us or pour it down my shirt. Does that answer your question?”

“Perfectly. Can I help?”

Ice cubes clinked against the tall glasses and then crackled when I poured the tea in on top of them. “Nope, but let’s take our tea out to the porch, and I’ll tell you all about the new café.”

“Why not the back porch?” he asked.

“Jasper is taking his nap, and if Sassy hears someone talking, she might wake him up,” I explained.

“Front porch, it is,” he agreed and carried the two glasses through the foyer and outside.

He waited for me to be seated and then handed me the tea. Then he took a seat and a long drink before he said, “I meant it when I said I missed you. This morning it seemed like the minister was never going to end his sermon, and then he called on Hoot McGeady to deliver the benediction. Hoot thanked God for everything from the day dirt was created and for the rainbow that appeared in the sky after the great flood to the food that we would be partaking of this day and at least four of his previous meals.”

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