Page 3 of Peacocks

If I stopped at Chuy’s Barbershop to get a trim, he was there dropping off a bundle of firewood and discussing the merits of pellet stoves versus hardwood for reliable whole-home heating.

If I needed my car washed yet again, he’dstillbe at the Suds Barn, singing a falsetto rendition of “Car Wash” while punctuating every word with a sway of his hips when he got to the “workin’ at the car wash, yeahhh”part of the chorus.

If I went to the library, I might find him reorganizing the gardening section and chatting with patrons while Chad the librarian looked on with a smile… though he’d have violentlyshushedanyone else.

And if I needed my car washed… well, you get the picture.

Andyes, I suppose I did make a lot of trips to the car wash. The man had a killer body, and it happened to look amazing in damp denim and threadbare cotton tees, okay?

And I couldn’t help it if living in the countryside wasdusty.

I sighed and stood up, crumpling my sandwich paper and taking a final sip of my drink. “Thanks for meeting me. Sorry it was so short.”

Hunter stood up and gathered his own trash. “Want me to send you the info on the Borris place, or are you going to freeload off Jaybird a little while longer?”

I hadn’t thought of it as freeloading. I’d been more than willing to pay Jay rent, and he’d refused, so I figured he was okay with me staying there.

I frowned. “You think he wants me out so he can rent the place to someone else?”

Hunter shrugged. “Who knows? Man seems to be a sucker for a pretty face. First Charlie, now you. Wonder if he’d finally start charging if a plain-looking lady moved in.”

I stared at him. “You’re acting like Jay isgay,” I said, whispering the last word like an old lady gossiping about someone’s angina.

Hunter’s eyebrows dipped in confusion. “Uh… that’s ’cause he is?”

I stood up straighter and inhaled a breath for patience. “Hunter. The man knows how to string a bow and fletch an arrow.”

He nodded. “Okay?”

“He knows at least seventy-five percent of the starting roster of the Tennessee football team.”

“Sure. Big Vols fan,” he agreed. It was Hunter’s turn to frown. “Are you saying gay men don’t follow sports? Because that’s weird and also wildly inaccurate.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Name one wide receiver in the NFL, current or retired.”

Hunter opened his mouth to respond but hesitated when he realized I had him. “This isn’t about me,” he said with a sniff. “Besides, you don’t know any either.”

“That isexactlymy point,” I hissed.

“Peerless Price,” someone muttered nearby. “Saw him once when he played with the Falcons.”

I didn’t even justify the interference with a glance. I’d been in the Thicket long enough to have learned to ignore the nosy nellies. They were like forest fires. If you gave them more fuel, it only made the flames last longer.

I moved away from the crowded tables and tossed my garbage in the can before turning to Hunter and lowering my voice even more. “Jay can’t be gay. He’s having an affair with Blythe Nelson! She’s over twice a week like clockwork and stays until well past midnight.”

Not that I paid much attention. Obviously.

Jaybird Proud’s love life was none of my business.

I just happened to share a driveway with the man and couldn’t help it if his girlfriend’s obnoxious minivan took up half my view every Wednesday and Friday night.

Hunter threw back his head and laughed. “Now I’m a little worried about your mental acuity, my friend. First of all, Blythe is happily married to the world’s quirkiest ophthalmologist. Secondly, she’s pregnant with her third child.”

“Don’t you think I know that? It’s disgusting. Both of them should be ashamed of themselves. Unless… well, unless she’s in an open relationship, I guess.”

“Definitely not,” he said with a laugh. “But she is head over heels for her husband and has asked Jay to teach her how to make a giant Entwinin’ wreath in the shape of a bunch of pairs of eyeglasses for her husband’s practice to display this April.”

Oh. But that meant… I closed my eyes and groaned. “That… would make more sense than the other thing.”

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