Page 2 of Five Alarm Love
She sighed and took another sip of coffee and stayed quiet while the guys talked, as per usual.
Mav leaned a hip against the register countertop.“So, Lee and I are getting along great.But did you hear the latest about Dr.Garrett and Dee?”
Tuli whipped out his ubiquitous cell phone, thumbs poised to type and likely post to his The Real Alaska page.“No!Tell me.”
Lou leaned forward.
Mav said, “They’re getting married next month!”
She was startled into making a comment.“Oh, congratulations to them.”
Tuli looked up from the phone, narrowed his eyes at Mav.“That’s right around the corner.They’re moving along quickly.”
“Dude,” her work partner growled.
“What?It’s an observation.”
Reason number 491 why Lou kept her personal life and innermost thoughts and feelings locked down tight—Tuli’sobservations, which he shared out loud and online with reckless abandon.There wasn’t a thought in his head that didn’t shoot directly out of his mouth.
Mav nodded.“I think they realized how much time they had lost over the years and decided not to delay being together any longer.”If he tipped his head toward Lou, she pretended not to notice.“They’re adults.Their timeframe works for them.They are going into this with their hearts and their eyes wide open.”
With a wise nod, Tuli said, “Makes sense.”His gaze slid past Lou, then a broad smile creased his face.“The biggest question is, am I invited?And can I use the wedding for The Real Alaska online content?”
“The invitation list isn’t up to me, but I imagine everyone in town will be there.Most folks seem to ignore RSVPs and just show up for these things.”He pointed a finger.“You’d better clear any social media plans with Dee first.You do not want to get on her bad side.I tried to argue for downgrading my suit to hiking pants and a flannel shirt.That conversation went about as well as you’d expect.”
“I bet.”Tuli grinned.“Boy, oh boy, I can’t wait to see you in a penguin suit.”
Lou smiled as well.The town loved a good wedding event, and this one might take the focus off of her social failure.At least it would give people something else to talk about until their collective memory ran out.
“Hey, at least I won’t have to scramble for a date.”Mav stopped, clamping his mouth firmly shut.The silence was punctuated only by the tiny squeak of a grocery cart wheel coming from somewhere near the front register.
Lou’s face burned as she studied the contents of her coffee mug.
“My bad,” Mav began.
Tuli cleared his throat.“Say, Lou, any interest—”
Her phone buzzed with a notification, and she glanced at the screen.She froze.Time stopped.The email she had been waiting for popped up.
Her heart thudded, and she held up a hand.“Excuse me for a minute.”
“Everything okay?”Mav asked.
“Yes,” she murmured as she walked out of the deli and over to fishing supplies on the far side of the store.
No customers in sight.Ducking behind a rack of waders, she set her coffee cup on the floor and opened the email.As the message from Gensight loaded, she wiped her palms on her EMS uniform pants leg.
Since last fall, when she and Ryan had seriously discussed starting a family, she had wanted this information to help make those kinds of life decisions.
Too bad the decision was moot.No more Ryan.
Actually, no.Not too bad.Good riddance to him and close call for her.
Now Lou really wanted to know the answer.The information could impact everything in the rest of her life.
Dating or no dating.
Kids or no kids.
