Was she being nosy? Absolutely.But with that kind of flair, how could I be mad? Plus, there was something oddly comforting about her big-sister vibe, like she was looking out for me, whether I'd asked for it or not.
Fifteen minutes later, we held not booze, but glasses of lemonade, as we sat on two lawn chairs that Tessa had dragged out onto the front porch.
After taking my first sip, I said, "You know what I really want?"
"What?"
"A porch swing. I've been trying to save up, but…well, you know how it is."
This made her laugh. "Guess whatIwant."
I didn't need to guess. I shifted in my chair. "Does this mean that stalling time is over?"
"Oh, please," she laughed. "It was over ten minutes ago. You're just lucky I let you go to the bathroom."
No kidding.After she'd let me into the house, I'd put her off by saying that I had to go to the bathroom first. And then, I'd stayed in there far too long while debating how much I wanted to tell her.
When I'd finally emerged, I'd found Tessa out on the front porch with the chairs, two glasses of lemonade, and a look that suggested I'd better start talking – or else.
And here we were.
But first, I had a question of my own. "So…I'm guessing you heard something?" While in the bathroom, I'd racked my brains, wondering what exactly had prompted this interrogation. But then I recalled Franny's visit to the shop and its unfortunate timing. She had scurried out barely thirty seconds before Devon and Sierra had skulked in.
Had Franny been lingering outside?
Possibly.But I almost surely would have spotted her.
More likely, she'd grabbed lunch in the café across the street.With a nice window seat, she wouldn't gotten a clear view of the little drama playing out inside my shop.
Of course, maybe Franny hadn't witnessed anything herself. She had an impressive grapevine when it came to gossip. This included her nephew Jason who worked in that same cafe. And really, almost anyone could've gotten a nice eyeful through my shop's big front window.
In my mind, I could practically see it – that whole crazy scene from an outside vantage point, starring me and Griff acting all lovey-dovey for Devon and the Centipede.
I was still speculating when Tessa replied, "Oh, I heardmorethan something."
I gave her a long, sideways look."Morethan something? That sounds serious."
"Yeah, but only if it's true." She lowered her voice. "Just tell me…did Griffreallyalmost punch out your ex-boyfriend?"
I almost spit out my lemonade. "What?"
Tessa studied my face. "So…did he?"
"No. Definitely not." Half panicking, half laughing, I leaned forward to set my glass on the nearby railing. "Who told you that?"
She lifted a brow. "Let's just say…a trusted source."
"Franny."
Tessa shrugged all innocent-like. "I'm not naming names."
I groaned and leaned back in the lawn chair, staring at the sky like the answers might be written in the clouds. "That can't be thewholestory – the almost-punching, I mean."
"No. But it's the highlight."
"Or the low point," I countered, looking back to Tessa. "Maybe you should back up a little…like, where does this story start?"
"Oh, that's easy," she said. "It starts with Griff charging out of the back room, looking all pissed-off."
