Page 11 of Honey Be Mine
“Libby?” Rosemary’s swallowed, her voice unsteady as she said, “Right. Libby Owens.”
“She’s my secretary. Libby Owens-Baldwin, actually.” He gave her a long look. Was she going to give him grief for hiring Libby, too? Nah. It wasn’t Rosebud’s style to gossip or tear a person down—something he’d always respected. “But she and Silas divorced.”
“Right. How nice. I mean... Not that she’s divorced... That she is your secretary.” She tucked a long strand of her thick red hair behind her ear. “Your mother might have mentioned that.”
“I’m sure she did.” He could only imagine what else his mother might have mentioned. “Mom said you had a nice visit. I appreciate you bringing over those onesies for Gramma Dot.” He shook his head. “She’s convinced those onesies are essential to keeping those babies warm.”
“I don’t know how essential they are, but the goat kids do look adorable.” She glanced up at him. “You know I love your family. They’ve always made me welcome and treated me like one of their own.”
“Yeah, I guess they’re all right.”
“You guess?” She laughed, then shook her head. “You’re hilarious.”
He grinned, glad he could still make her laugh. “I try.”
“So, what are you doing with these?” She held up the flier she’d read.
“I’m putting one in each of the mailboxes of the businesses along Main Street. Hopefully, the shop owners will hang them in their windows tomorrow. There’s a good portion of Honey that hates technology—especially emails and texts. Unless I want to go door-to-door, I’m hoping these old-fashioned fliers will do the trick.”
“I finished closing up the boutique, so I can help.” Rosemary held out her hands. “Tansy and Dane are my ride home, and they won’t be along for a bit.”
“Even after I almost knocked you down?” He wasn’t flirting with her. Or was he?
“Even after that.” Her gaze met his, searching. “I can see why you’d be a bit distracted. This sort of thing doesn’t happen around here.” She glanced at the fliers, then her extended hands again. “Let me help.”
He handed her some fliers. “I appreciate it, Rosebud.”
“You know...” she walked with him to the next business, folding a flier and tucking it into the mailbox “...you’re the only one that’s ever called me that.”
“I can call you Rosemary, if you’d rather.” He couldn’t remember when or why he’d started calling her that, only that it stuck.
She shook her head. “It’d be weird if you did.”
“Good. You’ll always be Rosebud to me.” Okay, that was probably—definitely—flirting. He kept walking, sliding a flier through the mail slot in one shop door. “How long are you staying in town?”
She paused, holding open one of the mailboxes. “I’m staying.”
“Staying? Here?” He was so shocked, he stopped and stared at her.
“For now, yes. Sorry to disappoint you.” She seemed almost defensive about it.
“No, no. It’s just I heard... Word is you were real happy.” He broke off, noting the stiffening of her posture. Was he wrong? Had something happened? He tucked a flier into the next mailbox, and she closed it. Even though it was none of his business, he asked, “You okay?”
“I’m great.” She moved on to the next door and held open the mail slot in the green door of Bee Friendly Blooms. “Really great.”
“Uh-huh.” Everett slid a flier through, noting the edge to her voice. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“And you?” She took a deep breath and turned to him. “What’s new in your world, Everett?”
“Work, mostly.” Try as he might, his gaze kept returning to her. He’d missed her. That was all.
“So I see.” She glanced at the stack of fliers. “County parks and recreation director? That sounds super important.”
He chuckled. “Does it?”
“I think so.” She opened the next mailbox. “What, exactly, does that mean?”
“It means I wear a lot of different hats. My office is here, since Honey is the county seat. But I’m all over working with Texas Parks and Wildlife and every town in the county, planning events and festivals, programming for kids and seniors, summer camps and sporting events...that sort of thing. That’s all.”
