Page 50 of Grit
Tayla rolled her eyes. “Seriously though.”
Melissa grimaced. “Yeah, that’s a new level of clueless.”
Despite the grimace, everything about Tayla made Melissa smile. The girl was hilarious and whip-smart.
Emmie, on the other hand, was smart, quiet, and low-key sarcastic, which suited Ox perfectly. Despite outward appearances, her brother was a big softie, and Melissa couldn’t have custom designed a better girlfriend for him. Emmie was exactly the person Ox needed.
Her brother had a heart of gold, but he could be horribly unorganized and wasn’t the best on follow-through. Falling in love with Emmie had given him focus.
“Anything new for Abby?”
Emmie’s eyes lit up. “Did she likeSong for a Whale?”
“Loved it.”
“Okay, so it’s a graphic novel and I don’t have it, but I know Jeremy has it across the street at Top Shelf. It’s calledSea Sirens, and it’s amazing. I almost picked it up for Abby the other day, but I didn’t know if she was still liking fantasy and magic stuff.”
“Everything. She reads everything. She even reads to the goats. She says it’s soothing.”
Tayla said, “Your daughter is painfully adorable, Melissa.”
“Thanks. I like her.” Melissa glanced across the street. “The new book is at Jeremy’s?”
Emmie nodded. “I just saw it the other day.”
Melissa nodded. She hadn’t been inside Jeremy’s comic shop since last spring when Cary exhibited some of his photography for the monthly Art Walk hosted by the city.
She’d gone in expecting some cool ranching pics she could pick up for the house and walked out feeling like Cary had stripped her bare and left her hanging naked on the wall. Nothing about the picture was revealing—she’d been wearing work clothes—but something about Cary’s perspective had made her feel completely naked.
Melissa turned to Emmie and lowered her voice. “Um… the pictures Cary took at the ranch—”
“You mean that hot-as-fuck portrait your smokin’ silver-fox neighbor took of you and hung up for the town to see?” Tayla said. “It’s not there anymore.”
She could feel her cheeks turn red. “Right. Okay, thanks.”
Tayla walked over to the counter and sidled next to Emmie. “Soooo, Melissa.”
“Yeah?”
Tayla wiggled her eyebrows. “You and Cary. What’s going on there?”
Had she been wishing she had girlfriends to talk to about Cary? She was an idiot. She didn’t need anyone to talk to. Talking was overrated. “Uh, Cary and I are friends.”
“Friends?”
Friends who kiss.
Emmie put a hand over Tayla’s mouth. “Ignore her. She respects no boundaries.”
Tayla shoved Emmie’s hand away. “There’s something going on. I can tell. Look at her face.” Her eyes lit up. “Look, look, look! Things have happened, Emmie!”
“You think?” Emmie’s eyebrows went up. “Oh, she’s blushing.”
Melissa started backing out of the store. “Okay, so I’m gonna go grab that book now.”
Emmie held up a hand. “Um, Melissa, maybe you should—”
“I’m good!” She waved as she walked out of the shop. “I’m good. Going to get that book. Bye!”
