Page 78 of This Time Around
He frowned at her. “What do you mean you found some money?”
“Here. At the house. In the attic. That’s why I was asking you all those questions.”
Wade folded his arms. “How much money?”
Allie swallowed, feeling guarded now. “A lot.”
“Like—more than two hundred and fifty dollars?”
Allie nodded and watched Wade’s frown deepen. “How much are we talking, Albatross?”
She opened her mouth to answer, not entirely sure what she was about to say. Lucky for her, Skye chose that moment to step out onto the deck looking radiant and lovely in a red and gold sari skirt with a white T-shirt knotted at the hip. She wore big hoop earrings and gold sandals with laces up the ankles, and she was beaming at Wade like he’d just offered her the keys to his Jag.
Wade snapped his attention to Skye, and Allie had never felt more relieved to have another woman steal the limelight.
“Good God in heaven.” Wade pantomimed stabbing himself through the heart, his distress at Allie’s confession all but forgotten. “You’re stunning.”
It would have sounded like a line if Allie hadn’t been watching his face to see the absolute adoration there. It almost took her breath away.
Skye laughed and took his arm. “Thanks.” She glanced at the radio and frowned. “I didn’t realize you guys were fans of the Bloody Buttholes.”
“We’re not,” Allie muttered, glancing up at the eaves where a woodpecker had begun hammering at the cedar siding. “But apparently the woodpeckers are.”
“You ready to go?” Wade planted a kiss on Skye’s forehead, his conversation with Allie seemingly forgotten.
“Anytime you are.” Skye looked back at Allie. “Sorry about the woodpeckers. If it helps, I could maybe talk to a friend of mine who works with birds at the zoo.”
“Really?” Allie felt her hopes rising. “You think she might know something about woodpeckers?”
“I don’t know. She works with penguins, so I guess that’s not the same thing.”
“I’m getting desperate,” Allie said. “At this point, I’ll try anything.”
“Even the Bloody Buttholes,” Wade said. “Come on, let’s get going.”
The two of them walked off together arm in arm, and Allie watched them go. Skye’s hand was tucked in Wade’s back pocket, and she leaned toward him as though drawn by magnets. As they rounded the corner, Wade reached out to brush a curl from her face, his hand lingering longer than necessary on her cheek. The whole tableau made Allie’s heart feel like a warm, gooey puddle in the center of her chest.
Okay, so Wade and Skye had known each other less than twenty-four hours, and yeah, it seemed like an odd match. But maybe this would be it for Wade. When he and Allie had split, he’d never seemed sad about it. She hadn’t been, either, so she didn’t take it personally. Though it hadn’t worked between them, Allie had always held out hope he’d find someone. Maybe Skye was it.
Maybe they’d ask her to be a bridesmaid or to read a poem at the wedding. Maybe she could bring Jack, and he’d turn to her after the ceremony and whisper?—
Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her hoodie. She fumbled it out, snagging her wristwatch on the fleece. Freeing it at last, she held it up and glanced at the screen. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Jack Carpenter on the readout.
Then it stopped altogether when she read the words.
Made a mistake.
Plz don’t text me, K?
Chapter 12
Jack walked into the living room to find two of the three most cherished females in his life sprawled on opposite ends of the sofa, each with an iPhone in her hand.
His mother looked up at him and smiled. “I really like this new Kegel reminder app your team developed,” she said. “It’s good for ladies my age who need to strengthen their pelvic floors, so we don’t tinkle.”
“What’s a pelvic floor?” Paige asked as she glanced up from her own phone.
Er, make that Jack’s phone.
