Page 46 of All Autumn
Both women frowned. “What do you mean no?” Gloria said.
“Um, no as in no? Beau and I will ride with Connor in the second car.” They were lucky I’d even agreed to participate in this stupid parade. Senator Blanton wasn’t getting to dictate the seating arrangements. And why was he coming to Blue Ridge Valley for this silliness, anyway?
Naomi pulled Gloria off to the corner. They whispered among themselves for a minute, then both turned and looked at me, way too pleased expressions on their faces for my liking.
“What?” I said, although I dreaded their answer.
“He’s a senator, Autumn,” Naomi said as if I didn’t already know that. “He can do great things for our town. He specifically asked that you ride in his car. This parade is for Sam, so we would think you’d want him to have a place of honor. You’re being unreasonable about this, but we’ll let Beau or Sam, whichever name the committee decides on, ride with Connor.” They each smiled as if I’d be pleased with that solution.
“Again, no.” And why was the senator requesting that I ride with him? “Either figure out how to get the senator, Connor, me, and Beau in the same car, or it’s Connor, me, and Beau together. Give the senator the lead car for all I care.”
I was still raw after spending the evening with my mother two nights ago, and maybe I wasn’t in the best of moods to deal with their silliness. I felt a little badly about that but not too much.
Ignoring the hurt expressions on their faces, the ones that said I didn’t appreciate what they were doing for me or for Sam—damn it, Beau—I said, “See you Saturday.”
My guess, they’d figure out how to get all of us in the first car, because who wanted to slight a senator? As for him doing anything for our little town, I had my doubts that would ever happen.
“Seriously I’m beginningto think Beau understands English, all of it,” I said after relating the details of his so-called interview withThe Valley News. Connor and I, along with Jenn, Dylan, and Adam, were having late drinks at Fusions.
“He really barked the right answers?” Jenn said through her laughter.
“Accidently. You get that, right?” I smirked at Dylan. “No more wine for your wife.”
“You hear that, Red? She just cut you off.”
He smiled at her with so much love in his eyes that my heart gave a little trip. That was what I’d once thought I had, but in hindsight I could honestly say that love really was blind.
“Why is Blanton getting involved in this?” Connor said.
Adam glanced at me and then at his brother. “Maybe he likes the scenery around here.”
“Yeah, well, he can find some other scenery to look at,” Connor said, scowling.
“Why don’t you want him looking at our scenery?” Was there a sub-conversation going on that I wasn’t following?
Connor and Adam exchanged a glance, some kind of message passing between them. They did that a lot, talked without words. Even more confusing, Dylan was smirk-smiling as if he understood their twin talk.
“What?” I said, getting exasperated.
Jenn’s gaze darted from Dylan to the twins, then back to Dylan. She shrugged. “I have no clue either. Want me to get it out of Dylan later?”
“My lips are sealed,” Dylan said, winking at her.
“Uh-huh.” She trailed a finger down his arm. “Bet I can get you to unseal them.”
It was fascinating to watch the way Dylan’s eyes heated as he followed the progress of her finger. Sometimes, watching them together, I thought that I’d be willing to fall in love again if I could find a man like Dylan. One I could trust.
“Why don’t we go test your claim,” Dylan said. He tossed some bills on the table. “That should cover our drinks.”
Almost before I could blink, he had Jenn up and both of them gone. “Okay. One of you tell me what you were talking about.”
“The scenery,” Adam said, standing. He picked up the bills Dylan had left. “I’ll take care of the tab on my way out.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Good night, Autumn.”
“Night.” Adam had changed since Savannah had left. He didn’t smile as much anymore. Didn’t laugh much, either. We’d all been a tight group growing up, but I’d always been closer to Connor and Savannah closer to Adam. Savannah and Adam had taken their relationship to the next level during our senior year, though. At the time I’d thought they were the perfect couple, but she’d left a damaged man behind when she’d moved to New York. I hoped someday he’d find a way to be happy again.
Although Adam now had a reputation as a serial dater—as had Connor a while back—I believed Adam still carried a torch for Savannah. And speaking of men with a long list of booty call numbers in their contact list, I needed to have a talk with Connor.
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