“Wade still giving you a hard time?”
“It’s like he’s made me his personal mission.”
I chuckled, then quickly coughed, clearing my throat when some of the town’s busybodies looked my way.
“He gets too big for his britches let me know and I’ll call Auntie Marabella to put him back in his place.”
Dev frowned. “You’re related to Gator?”
“Kind of, I think. It’s confusing, but my dad’s younger brother, Uncle John, married a woman named Rosalie LaCroix, the first cousin to Marabella, Glorianna, and Savannah LaCroix. So, we’re related, but not. I don’t know. All I know is that when you’re in the bayou, everyone is family, somehow.”
“So you’re related by marriage to Sugar?”
“Maybe, I’m not sure. All I know is that Sugar’s mom was formerly Savannah LaCroix, the youngest sister to Glorianna and Marabella. The three beautiful LaCroix Sisters of New Orleans. So what’s Wade done now?”
“He’s still breathing,” Dev deadpanned, and I smirked as she put her phone in her back pocket, then groaned.
I met Devlyn Never by chance shortly after the twins and I moved back to Rosewood when I swung by City Hall to drop off some zoning paperwork for a new build that dad was considering for the Ski Resort. That was when I saw Wade annoying the poor woman. I wished I could have told her that Wade would eventually give up if she ignored him, but that would be a lie. Wade Crawley was hands down the most stubborn man I’d ever known. To make matters worse, when he wanted something, he stopped at nothing until he got it.
“Can we get this crap over with? I’ve got shit to do.”
“Jesus, Dev, in a rush much?”
The woman sighed. “Sorry. I just can’t seem to concentrate on anything lately.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“Sure.” The woman smirked slyly. “Right after you tell me what’s going on with you and George.”
Frowning, I looked at her and whispered, “We are just friends.”
Slowly tilting her head to the side, she stared dumfounded at me.
Rolling my eyes, I groaned. “For the hundredth time, there is nothing going on between me and George.”
“Right, and I haven’t dreamed of shoving Wade’s head up an alligator’s ass.”
I chuckled because I could name quite a few people who would gladly hold him down while she did just that.
Leaning over, Dev snickered. “Brace yourself. Yourfriendis walking over.”
My eyes snapped up, and sure enough, George was walking over with Jasper and Jasmine in tow. And thank the good Lord, because the second he stepped up beside me, the Rabbi that LeeAnn hired from out of state, started Mr. Munson’s service.
I stood there wondering why Devlyn thought there was something going on between me and George. It wasn’t like that between us. It never was. We were just friends until I saw him screwing Scribe’s cousin. I don’t know why seeing them like that bugged the piss out of me, but it did, and now every time I looked at George, all I could see was his face while he fucked Ares.
I would never begrudge my friend a little romp in the sack, but it wasn’t something I ever wanted to see again.
No matter how good-looking George was.
Not that I cared what he looked like.
Still, the more I thought about it, Devlyn wasn’t the only one who believed there was something more between me and George. My dad, Mrs. Steiner, Mr. Howard over at the Hardware Store, Mrs. Cohen, Judge Tomlinson, even Morgan Delany over at the Heavenly Spa & More said something the other day, and if my information was right, she knew everything in town. No matter how many times I told them the truth, they would just smile slyly. Almost like they knew something I didn’t.
Even now, as I looked around at the town residents, I spotted several people smiling, whispering, some even openly talking as they looked my way and grinned. Scanning the crowd, I saw Ms.Cohen talking with Judge Tomlinson as both of them nodded in my direction. Linda Perkins, the sheriff’s secretary, was standing next to Diana Peters, Rosewood’s only CPS agent, who nodded at something Diana said, both of them grinning as they looked at me. But it was Mrs. Steiner herself, and her broad smile of pride that got my hackles up.
Refusing to give the gaggle more fodder to talk about, I whispered, “George?”
When the big oaf didn’t respond, I lightly stepped on his foot for good measure.
