Page 234 of Not Over You

Trudy smiles sweetly. "Just be nice to the gentlemen, Brooke, and they’ll be nice to you."

I cast a quick glance to the heavens and pray for patience. "As always, Aunt Trudy, thank you for your input tonight."

Trudy smiles proudly and thumps her cane on the hardwood. "Absolutely, honey. You know if you’re going to ask me for my opinion, you’re gonna get my honest to God thoughts."

"And a Reba lyric." I wink.

Trudy nods. "And remember, honesty isn't the best policy; it's the only policy in this house."

"That's right." This woman is a riot—four feet eleven inches of pure sass. Ever since I was a child, Trudy’s had a wicked sense of humor, but she never sugar-coated or minced her words. Over time, I’ve grown to appreciate that I can rely on her to tell me the hard things that no one else wants to.

A noxious fume wafts up from the droopy-eyed, brown, and white basset. "Oops, I think Duncan needs out. He loves these treats, but boy, do they give him an awful case of the runs."

She turns, flinging her oxygen tubing out of her path, and slowly disappears down the hall with her loyal hound farting his way down beside her.

Colby blinks rapidly and folds her arms across her chest. "One, that’s the most putrid smell I’ve ever had the displeasure of inhaling."

I bite the undersides of my lips and nod understandingly. "My eyes are watering."

"Two, there's no beating around the bush with your auntie. I knew you had to attend tonight’s party, which is why I brought an armful of dresses for you and a bottle of tequila for me. You know, to help me settle in."

"I always knew you were brilliant."

"But I'm a little nervous to have margaritas with Auntie Trudy. Things might get intense. How much more brutally honest does she get while tipsy?"

I shake my head and reach for diamond stud earrings. "You've got nothing to worry about. It's Friday night, and you're making margaritas. Aunt Trudy's going to become your new best friend the second my driver backs down the drive. Just remember, she weighed in at ninety-six pounds at the doctor's office last week, so go light on your pours for all of our sakes."

Colby holds up her hands. "Deal, because I don’t know how many frozen margaritas I’m even going to be able to enjoy this evening. I should’ve bought stuff for hot toddies. It’s May, why is it still so cold in Pennsylvania? When I left Charleston, it was in the high eighties, low nineties."

Laughing, I fasten the backs of my earrings. "I told you to pack for all weather. Spring weather in the northern forests of Pennsylvania is like rolling the dice every few hours."

Colby rubs her hands up and down her arms. "I’ll say. I feel half bad that I didn’t bring you a long-sleeve dress to wear tonight. But I knew you’d rock this one. You’re movie-star gorgeous in this dusty-blue silk with your dark chocolate-brown hair and toned gams. You’re gonna sell out this new neighbor in no time flat."

"That’s too sweet of you, and this dress is perfect." Although the dress is securely in place, its cut makes it look like one false move could send the fabric tumbling to the floor. No doubt the millionaires will like that.

I sink my teeth into my bottom lip. The dress actually reminds me of one I used to own. "Ever since Raffi and I split, he has yet to return a single piece of clothing from the Charleston house."

Colby makes a cross over herself. "Don’t speak his name unless you want me to spit three times and circle us in salt."

I love Colby; she’s an awesome friend, but she’s also been very supportive since my life as I knew it came crashing down around me, even when socially it would’ve been easier for her to stick with Raffi. I gaze down at her cocktail dress, overcome with gratitude, and love the way the material shimmers like a summer lake in the light. "Col, I can’t thank you enough."

She swats at me. "Stop. I’m happy to help, and plus you’re gonna walk me through this Frost Forest tomorrow after I get a hot toddy and a fucking parka. I want to see all the potential commercial properties, because the word is this Frost Forest, so close to Clear Creek, is going to be the next millionaire’s playground."

"Hell yes it is, if I have anything to do about it." We hold up our invisible champagne glasses and pretend to toast.

Aunt Trudy's oxygen tubing scrapes across the wooden flooring, and she appears in the doorway. "Cinderella, you're going to be late for the ball if you don't get going."

I agree and drop a kiss on top of Trudy's head. "You're right, I'm off! You two behave yourselves this evening. Don't wait up, and if it gets too late, or if I have one too many glasses of wine, the Brocker's invited me to stay in one of the empty guest rooms."

Colby winks at me. "We'll just see you in the morning for all the details over coffee then."

Trudy's hand wraps around mine. Her eyes are shiny, and her smile is so sweet, a pinch of worry over her health balls in my chest. Should I really be leaving her alone for an entire night?

"Brookey-bru, tonight will you do me a favor?" Her voice is so soft.

I give her cold little hand a gentle squeeze. "Anything for you, Aunt Trudy. Are you feeling okay?"

Her voice snaps back to normal. "Fit as a fiddle. And good, I'd like for you to wear a piece of jewelry tonight. Promise me that you will not take it off until you return home."

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