Page 35 of Unforgettable

“Pancakes,” Jamison finishes. “I thought you looked familiar, but it’s been a long time. My gran loved your restaurant when we visited years ago.”

“Oh, I’d forgotten about that,” I say.

“Well, I love to hear that. I’m not on Heritage Lane, so most of the tourist crowd misses my place. I love that my little place stuck with you,” she says, her smile wide.

“It absolutely did. In fact, I need to get over there soon. I’m still getting settled in, but I’ll make it a priority to come to Sunny Side this week. Maybe I can even talk Scarlett into joining me.”

Jo’s eyes light up and she looks at me, her smile even bigger.

“Yes, Scarlett. I think this past week might be the first time you’ve ever not come around. Pleasedojoin Jamison.” Her eyes widen at me pointedly—I love Jo, but she has the worst poker face in the world.

It’s impossible to live in a town like Landmark and not have everyone in your business. I’m used to it, and especially with being a Landmark, the gossip my family and I generate around here just seems to come with the territory.

I would’ve never been able to get away with that night with Jamison if we’d been in Landmark. If nothing else, the glow on my face from finally having earth-shattering sex would’ve told the tale. The whole town would’ve known by morning that I’d slept with him.

Jamison shoots his sexy smirk my way and I give him the driest look I can muster.

“Sunday morning, ten o’clock?” he asks, pushing me while he has an audience.

“I’ll have to check my calendar.”

Jo’s head tilts likewhat is wrong with you, girl?

And when someone calls Jamison and he excuses himself, she leans in and whispers, “Wowsers, he’s even more handsome than everyone said he was. The Golden Girls were in this week and Grinny warned me he was a looker. Helen said she dusted off his back and he had shoulders like a Viking, and you know Helen doesn’t complimentanyone. But Istillwasn’t prepared.”

“You know better than to listen to all that,” I fuss.

She laughs like I’m ridiculous. “Honey, this fifty-two-year-old is living vicariously through you. I’m doing good to get Mark to realize I’ve even walked into the room. He’s so tired when he gets home from the restaurant and so am I. The least you can do is give me some good stories about your love life.”

Oh, if she only knew.

I turn and Jamison is surrounded by women. The Thompson twins from Hooked, the knitting shop; the owner of Hit the Slopes, the ski apparel shop; the sisters from The Great Divide, a combo of ski gear, kayaks, and hiking equipment. Their brother is nowhere to be found, and he’s really who I’d consider to be the owner of The Great Divide. And let’s not forget our teacher representation.

Seems like the whole town—heavy on the female side—has turned out to see the new bachelor of Landmark.

And is he ever making a splash.

“There’s a pool going on over who can catch him the fastest,” Jo says. “You better get in there, girl. My vote’s on you.”

Sounds like my cue to move to Timbuktu or maybe a huge place like New York City…a place where no one knows my name.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

WAX AND FLESH

JAMISON

The cocktail party was a hit last night.

It went much later than scheduled, guests lingering until eleven even though the food and drinks were long gone. Scarlett made her escape around 8:30, looking gleeful to use the dogs as an excuse.

Around mid-afternoon, I email her asking what the dress code is for dinner at Grinny’s, and she responds with:

A Hawaiian shirt and khakis.

I’m surprised by that and more than ready to give the suits a rest, but I’ve never owned a Hawaiian shirt in my life and besides my suit pants and jeans, I only have one pair of pants that will have to suffice for khakis. I venture out with only an hour to spare, and start with the lodge’s gift shop. No Hawaiian shirts to be found. There’s still snow on the ground, for crying out loud.

So I head to the strip of shops on Heritage Lane and come up with nothing. My last stop is Cecil’s and I go in there to buy flowers to take to Grinny, and Cecil is on the far left side, hanging up several Hawaiian shirts.

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