Page 17 of A Moment for Us
Bill grins. “You should thank us because we’re a blessing. Now, are you going to take our advice or continue being a nincompoop?”
I hadn’t realized there was advice somewhere in there. So far, all I’ve heard is that I’m a pansy and stupid. “And what advice was that? I thought you just said I was stupid.”
Fred huffs. “You’re clearly not listening, stupid.”
“I have no idea what you’re saying.”
“To ask the Andrews girl out!” Bill exclaims and then lets out a long sigh.
“I don’t want to ask Delia out. If I did, I would have done it.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not sitting around waiting for you,” Delia says from beside me.
Shit.
Bill turns quickly toward Fred so his back is to me, proving they are all talk. Delia is wearing a huge smile, but under it, I can see I hurt her. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
She shrugs. “Relax, Josh, I’m just teasing.” She leans over the counter. “And you two know better than to try to get me a date. Last time you tried, I almost moved to avoid having to see him.”
Bill and Fred give her warm smiles. “We just want you to have what we have.”
Delia raises a brow and points her finger. “I will, when I’m good and ready to find that. Until then, no meddling.”
“We don’t meddle,” Bill says a bit defensively.
“No? What the hell has the last twenty minutes been?” I ask.
“That was us setting you straight.”
She laughs, and I turn to her. “You think it’s funny?”
“Of course I do. For once it’s not me having to listen to them tell me how, in their day, I’d have been married and raising a brood of kids by my age. You’re the one getting their unsolicited and usually bad advice—well, other than them telling you to ask me out, which we all know won’t happen, but it’s actually good advice.”
“I could ask you out,” I challenge.
Jennie walks over and hands a bag to Delia. “Here you go, honey, tell Jessica I hope she’s feeling better.”
“I will,” Delia says with a smile. When she turns to me, that smile vanishes. “You could ask, but . . .” Her voice drops low so that Bill and Fred can’t hear. “I might not say yes.”
She turns and saunters out the door, leaving me stunned. A second later, a hand lands on my shoulder.
“She sure showed you.”
I blink. “Yeah.”
“Fool,” Fred mutters.
Bill squeezes a little and chuckles. “He’s got it bad.”
No, I can’t.
I won’t.
I never will.
Chapter 6
Delia
