Page 50 of As They Are
“It’s how we welcome people. And you joined the bet later.”
“You joined?” I asked. “What did you bet?”
If she’d said it would never happen, then she was going to be a rich woman. I was still considering making a fake identity to get the winnings, but something was stopping me. I knew Henry and I wouldn’t happen, but if hell froze over and we did, it would be mortifying to lose a bet with myself.
“She bet that you two would be in denial and be together by late summer.”
Tammy went red in the face. “Kerry, I swear toGod?—”
“It’s fine,” I said. “It’s your money to lose.”
“Lose?” Tammy asked. “What, do you know something we don’t?”
“I’m not single, guys.”
“You’re still with that little twerp?” Tammy nearly yelled. I realized my mistake.
“No, not really. I mean, it’s just complicated. I’m not ready to move on.”
Kerry and Tammy looked at each other, seemingly silently exchanging words between them.
Then Kerry spoke. “I think you had something on the denial thing.”
“I’m not dumb.”
“Can we get back to whatever we were talking about before?” I begged. There was something about the idea of me and Henry that made my entire body hot. In the early summer heat, it wasn’t good for me.
“Oh, right!” Kerry said with a laugh. “I have information to get.” She suddenly turned serious. “The library. What’s happening with that?”
“Kerry,”Tammy warned.
“She’s on a major show, Tammy! We could be featured! Do you know what tourism does to economies? Good things. This could be great for us.”
“Mollie’s gonna kill me for saying this, but we all know she’s going through something because of the twerp she was with. Can you give her a break?”
Suddenly, I wished we were talking about the bet again. Thinking about whatever post must have gone up about me was my worst nightmare. I hated that they even knew about Jude, but what I hated more was that they would all see me cave and go back.
“I’ll get over it,” I ground out. I had to. “I’ll have plenty to focus on if the show comes here.”
“So it’s a possibility?” Kerry asked.
“It’s getting more and more real by the second.”
“Can I post this on the Facebook group?Please?I’ll do whatever you want!”
“Let me finalize the sale. It would be worse if this didn’t happen and everyone was excited.”
“Okay. So don’t post. But I can draft it!” She ran back to the diner, obviously thrilled by the idea of drafting a post.
Tammy sighed. “She never stops.”
“It’s sweet. Definitely different than Nashville.” I looked at Tammy and bit my lip.
She caught it immediately. “Got a question for me?”
“What did they say in the Facebook group?”
“You really wanna know?”
