Page 61 of Moonshine and Magnolias
“No, it was good. Great, in fact. Really great.” She couldn’t stop the catch in her breath. She had been so out of her mind with Rob, her body had moved on its own. And that had put the experience on a whole new level.
“You were thinking too much, weren’t you?” Brandi asked. “Stop thinking. Start feeling.”
“It’s not as easy as all that.” Didn’t they realize she was trying? She picked up a sharpened pencil and tapped the eraser against the desk. “It doesn’t matter. Going to bed with him was a bad idea anyway. We need to get back to work. There are lots of things to plan for.”
Brandi removed a five-dollar bill from her pocket and handed it to Jordan. The other woman snapped it flat, then folded it in half. “Thank you.”
“You guys bet on me?”
“I knew you’d try to dismiss whatever it was that was bothering you without trying to fix it,” Jordan said.
“So you’re saying I need to get back in the sack with him? That will fix it?”
“Yeah. But so will expressing yourself. And leave your brain at the door.” Jordan took her hand. “Look, honey. It’s obvious you like him and he likes you. You’re two single, healthy adults. Do something for yourself instead of helping everyone else.”
Her cousin nodded encouragement.
Of course it was easy for Brandi, who lived for fun, to agree. She didn’t care about repercussions or consequences or anything but the present. And she wasn’t going through any emotional upheavals right now.
Maybe Brandi was on to something.
“After the fiasco of last night, I bet he’s going to avoid me until he checks out,” Wendy said.
“You’re not going to know unless you try.” Brandi nudged her chin to the door. “So try.”
“Now?”
“Why not?”
She held up her hands. “This is not an excuse to get out of it. But we have an event tomorrow, and there are still preparations to make.”
“She’s right,” Brandi said. “Darn it all.”
“Tonight, then.” Jordan glared at her until she sighed and gave in.
“Fine. Tonight.”
Chapter 12
Between serving the meal and keeping things running in the kitchen, dinner had been a welcome distraction for Wendy. The compliments about the pork roast with grilled peaches were enough to guarantee Anthon had the job for the wedding and any other upcoming events, which eased one burden from her mind.
The sexy historic burden still awaited her. She had searched for glimpses of Rob all afternoon while readying the Hall for Mrs. Lurz’s retirement party, but didn’t see him hanging around. He also hadn’t shown up for dinner. It crossed her mind that he was avoiding her. She didn’t blame him.
The cousin burden had returned with its usual selfishness. Brandi had disappeared in the middle of the dinner shift. She had been setting up flatware when dinner guests arrived, but when Wendy went to pull her into the kitchen, she was gone. Two hours later and she still hadn’t come back. Even knowing what Wendy had going on tonight, her cousin thought only of herself. So much for her pledge to be all in at the Hall.
“I’ll help you clean.” Jordan stacked some plates and napkins onto a tray, her long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and her thick glasses slipping down her nose. Even in the navy Fountenoy Hall polo shirt, she still managed to look sleek. “You can tell me all about what you plan to do with Rob.”
“Really not the time right now,” Wendy muttered. “And you shouldn’t be doing Brandi’s work.” Thinking about Rob made her stomach swirl and her face heat up, but she had also caught herself grinning and letting her imagination play out their talk. It was as if she was living two distinctly different lives. One where she convinced herself to take a chance and let herself feel. The other where she needed to be in charge and keep to a schedule with her emotions safely hidden.
Life number two was exhausting.
She cleared another setting and followed Jordan into the kitchen where the lingering aroma of roasted meat was soured by the smell of bleach from the sanitation sink. Anthon stood at the island, putting the last of the leftover food into the refrigerator. He looked up when Wendy entered. “I’m about finished here.”
“You did great, Anthon,” Wendy said.
He nodded, more like he knew how well he did than in any appreciation. “I look forward to working with you again.”
“Thanks so much,” Wendy said as he headed out the door.
