Page 7 of Loving Carter

“You’re the only man I know who isn’t insulted to be called a dork as long as he’s also told he’s handsome.”

“That’s me—a vain, handsome dork.” He laughs when I roll my eyes again, then heads out the door.

I’m still smiling long after he’s left. Maybe working on this expo will be fun after all.

Chapter Two

Carter

“What time is the meetingtonight?” Tillie asks as soon as I climb out of my truck. I’d stopped to pick up groceries after leaving The Endearing Bakery, so it’s midday by the time I get back to the large two-story house that’s the focal point of the ranch.

“The meeting’s at seven o’clock tonight,” I say, walking up the front porch steps to the farmhouse.

I hope we don’t talk long. I’m carrying a large reusable bag filled with groceries in each arm, plus I have a couple more reusable bags hanging from my wrists. I know I should make more than one trip, but it’s almost a matter of pride. How many bags can I drape on my body and still move? Of course, I look like some sort of crazy monster—call me Reusable Man.

Truthfully, all I want right now is to set this stuff down. I can’t wait until we get some help on this ranch. I’m happy to pitch in, but I am beyond tired of doing almost everything myself.

Still, tired or not, I’m not going to be rude to my aunts. They’re not the people who should help. The people who should help are my slacker brothers, Ryker and Kellan.

The aunts are sweet ladies who’ve been very good to me over the years, and now they deserve help. They’re both in their late seventies, with short gray hair. Tillie is taller and thinner than Edna, but Edna has a gentler face. Like me, they both have brown eyes.

At the moment, they’re sitting in the rockers I got for the front porch. It’s a cliché, old folks rocking on the porch, but it’s what they want to do. I redid the porch for them a few months ago. The aunts insist on rocking pretty much year-round, which can be a challenge when Texas weather makes sitting outside some days like tossing yourself inside a microwave and pressing start. To help the aunts, I installed a mister and overhead fans on the porch to keep them somewhat cool on brutal days.

Both women are watching me closely. If I had to guess, I’d say they want to know if I finagled my way out of the meeting. I won’t share that I tried to finagle but got shot down.

“Well?” Edna asks when I pull the front door open.

“Well, what?”

“Did you wimp out and say you wouldn’t help?” Tillie asks.

I hate that they know me so well that they can guess I tried to ditch the meeting. “I said I’d be there, and I will be.”

“That’s good,” Edna says.

Large smiles form on their faces, and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being led into a trap. I nudge open the front door wider and carry the bags inside, still wondering about my aunts. The ladies are notorious for their schemes and little plots, but for the life of me, I can’t figure this one out. The best I can come up with is that they’re trying to get me involved with the town so I won’t leave.

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