Page 13 of Been There Dragon That
“I’m saying I’ve been alive long enough to judge whether or not a man is interested in a woman, and you’re not on his list, Carrie Brady. You should stop embarrassing yourself.”
Rylee’s eyebrows climbed her forehead like a couple of cats jumping out of a full bathtub, and she bit her lip to keep from snorting out a laugh.Damn. This Henrietta wasn’t pulling any punches for poor Carrie.
“That hurts, Henrietta.”
“Don’t whine, child; it’s unbecoming. You’ve been breaking boys’ hearts since you were five. All I’m saying is that you don’t have a chance with that one. Move on.”
“He’s not seeing anyone. Eventually, a man needs a woman. It’s just about timing.”
“Well, don’t say I didn’t try.”
Rylee walked down the aisle and up the next one, stealing a quick glance at the two women near the register. One was short, bright pink glasses, and steel-gray short curls. The other was tall, with legs and boobs that would make a Victoria Secret supermodel jealous. Her perfectly styled wavy blonde hair made her look like she’d just left a country-western saloon. Tight jeans. Cute boots. A low-cut sweater that hugged in all the right places.
“Afternoon miss, can I help you find anything?” The woman Rylee now knew was Henrietta called out.
Rylee shook her head. “Grabbing a few things before the storm. Thanks.” The last thing she wanted was to draw the supermodel’s attention to her oversized Guns N’ Roses sweatshirt, ragged jean shorts barely peeking beneath the hem, thick black leggings, and high-top hiking boots. Her bright purple and pink hair was twisted into a messy bun on top of her head with a bright orange velvet scrunchie.
Good grief.That was probably why the man had stared at her so intensely. She was a hot mess of lazy I-don’t-give-a-shit-what-you-think with a healthy dose of punk rock bite-me attitude.
Which was the entire point. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone. Especially not a man who probably prided himself in how many women lost their ability to think in his presence.
Still. An unwelcome mixture of tension, excitement, and fear fluttered inside her chest.
She grabbed a few boxes of pasta, some sauce and several cans of diced chicken. A bag of rice also found its way into her basket along with some pre-cooked bacon and beef jerky. When there were no more aisles to peruse, she wandered over to the register where the holds-nothing-back Henrietta stood looking at her phone screen and smiling every few seconds.
“Did you find everything you need, hon?” Her tone was genuine.
Rylee didn’t feel any judgment either. “I did. Thanks.”
“You’re new in town, right? Staying out at the Florence house on the other side of the river?”
Worry crept up Rylee’s spine like skeletal hands climbing out of a grave. “I—how, um.”
“Sorry, sweetie. Small town. Gossip travels faster in Mystery than Grandma Sampson’s knitting needles. Maria cleaned the house a few days ago to prep for your arrival.”
“So if I want to know what’s going on, I come to the store?”
Henrietta met Rylee’s gaze with a soft laugh. “Now you’re getting it.” The older woman put all the groceries into a paper bag and then handed her a small black and white pamphlet.
“This is our little town activity list. Katherine and Knox run the MCC, Mystery Community Center, we have game night, meals, fun clubs, etc. And then if you’re looking for a mite of alcoholic entertainment, the Watering Hole down the road is the best local bar. Liam is the bartender there, sweet beast of a man. Tor and Dawn own the place, but Liam is usually the first face you see or his cousin Sean. Then the best food and breakfast in town is Lily’s Café, and she’s catty-corner to the bar.”
Rylee took the bag from Henrietta and gave her the best smile she could muster. People were not why she’d come to Mystery. But she didn’t want the town gossip to think she was a rude, terribly dressed bitch. “I promise once I get a little more settled in to check some of this out. Thanks. Right now, I need some time to decompress. Not really looking for entertainment of any type.”
“Well, welcome to Mystery…”
“Rylee Florence,” Rylee filled in the blank. Apparently, the whole town knew she was coming. Jeff didn’t know she was here. And it was Alaska. She was four thousand miles away.
“Getting away from someone?”
“You could say that,” Rylee answered, her tone flat and pained. The car ride had been long. Her ribs hurt. Her bruises had bruises. She was ready for a hot bath and a nice bed. “Sorry, I need to get out to the house and get settled before the storm hits.”
“Of course, dear. I will say this, as someone with a bit more life experience. Sometimes it's quicker to get over a man if you distract yourself with another. I could point you in a couple of good directions, if you like.”
Like the man trying to escape Carrie Brady?
Rylee couldn’t help the snort that escaped through her mouth. “Pretty sureI’mnot what men are looking for. My ex sunk that point in pretty firmly when I discovered he was cheating on me a week before our wedding. Another man is the last thing on my To-do list.”
Except maybe that one I saw outside on the sidewalk.He could probably crook his finger, and my ovaries would make sure I sat up and paid attention.
