Page 28 of Peacocks

For the first time in my life, I had the urge to commit murder… or, at the very least, to hit a man directly in the face.

How the hell had Lane been with someone somean? I thought maybe I understood now why he reacted to the smallest kindness like a plant in the desert after a nice cool rain.

It was like a gift from the heavens when Kelsey came bustling over with a huge tray, interrupting Chad’s reminiscing.

“Happy Entwinin’, you two!” Kelsey smiled broadly as she set down a plate in the center of the table… and only then seemed todo a quick head count. “Um.Three?” She frowned like she was recounting.

I frowned, too, when I saw what she’d placed on the table. “These are tots, Kels.”

“Well, yeah. I know.” She shifted her weight from foot to foot. “On account of… Barbara said she offered Lane the pre-Entwinin’ lunch special when he called to make the reservation.”

Ah, shit.I immediately realized what must’ve happened. Lane had been trying to do a nice thing, inviting me to lunch, and he’d accepted Barbara’s offer in all innocence. But the man didn’t understand why tater tots were significant in the Thicket in the same way that he didn’t understand that the Steak n’ Bait wasn’t just a normal lunch spot.

Around here, sharing a plate of tots wasn’t just about enjoying a crunchy shredded potato; it was a declaration. The equivalent of a promise ring. One step up from being in a relationship, one half step down from happily-ever-after-let’s-adopt-some-pets.

A man didn’t casually partake of tots with a hookup.

He sure as hell didn’t partake of them with an ex.

Tots were the opposite of casual.

For a second, I debated whether I could simply let it go. Lane didn’t realize what he’d be doing if he ate tots with both of us, and neither did Chad. But I’d been born and raised in this town. I was Thicket to the bone, and I’d be damned if I let Lane—myLane—eat tots with another man while I sat by.

“Take them away,” I told Kelsey. To Lane, I added, “Been overdoing it on the fried foods. I’d sooner stick to salad, to start.”

Lane’s blush intensified for some reason, but he nodded unhappily. “Right. Salad appetizers for everyone,” he told Kelsey. “Good idea.”

“So, Jay,” Chad said sometime later after Kelsey had left with the offending tots. “Tell me about yourself. You’re Lane’s landlord?”

“Yep.” I set my elbows on the table, then vaguely remembered that was supposed to be bad manners and scooted them off again. “He lives over my workroom.” Lane looked like he might be feeling uncomfortable, so I added, “Best tenant I ever had. I hope he’ll stay forever.”

Lane glanced at me, and one side of his mouth ticked up in a smile.

“Uh-huh. And where do you work?” Chad made it sound like an idle question, but I knew it wasn’t.

“I do lots of things. For example, I recently started a small peacock-rental enterprise. Thinking of calling it Jay Proud’s Peacocks, but I’m still workshopping it. Primarily, though, you’ll find me at the Suds Barn, the Thicket’s best and only car wash.”

“You… wash cars,” Chad said like this wasn’t obvious. “For a living.”

“Sure do.” I grinned. “Most satisfying job in the world, getting to fix things up and make ’em shine.”

“Jay’s excellent at what he does. He’s also an artist.” Lane gave me an encouraging smile. “He carves things out of wood, and he twines the most beautiful wreaths for our Entwinin’ festival?—”

Chad blinked. “Your… what?”

“The Entwinin’.” Lane gave Chad a look. “It’s like Valentine’s Day, but instead of cheap candy hearts, you celebrate by twining wisteria vines into a special shape for your loved one. It’s very sentimental.”

“If you say so.”

“Itis,” Lane insisted. “People work hard on their wreaths for months, Chad. It’s a sign of commitment to a relationship.It’s a sign of emotional vulnerability.It’s a sign of… of love.”

Wow. I hadn’t realized that Lane had become such a fan of the Entwinin’, but he’d nailed it.

Chad blinked, then glanced back and forth between me and Lane. His eyebrows winged up. “Are you serious?” he demanded. “Lane, come on…”

“Lane’s right,” I cut in because I didn’t understand what had put that incredulous look on Chad’s face, but I decided I didn’t like it. “It might sound silly to an outsider, but… lots of romantic things do, when you think about it. Who decided the only way to love someone was with hearts and… and… diapered babies with wings? Cupid just had a good PR person. What matters is the love you put into a thing. What matters is taking the time to do something special for the person you care about and making them feel seen and appreciated and wanted and… and important.”

I broke off, feeling my own cheeks go hot. I was just talking about my own feelings for Lane now, and from the look on Chad’s face, he knew it.

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