Jenn tittered. “Oh. My. Word. A wreath for me? How lovely and completely unexpected!” She took a second to bend over and jiggle her boobs into place inside her bra, while Cody and I exchanged a quick look and then studiously glanced at the ceiling. She smoothed her tight sweater dress down and grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer of the reception desk. “I’ll be happy to come outside, Cody!”
This I had to see.
So, apparently, did everyone else in the Thicket, because when I stepped outside, it was to find no less than a dozen Thicketeers assembled on the sidewalk looking at the… the… the… thing on my tiny front lawn.
The thing was more like an Entwinin’ topiary than a wreath, nearly as tall as a redwood, and I could not imagine how many wisteria vines had to be sacrificed for this homage to bad taste. On the bottom was a vine-shaped outline that looked vaguely like an SUV, if I had to venture a guess. On top of that was the enormous shape of a house, complete with wisteria windows, a wisteria roof, and a wisteria door. Above the house, thicker vines spelled out the word L-O-V-E, where the O was very clearly a diamond ring, and on top of that was a heart… made out of the exact whippy kinds of vines I hadn’t been able to find.
“What the frickity freak is that?” I demanded of no one in particular.
Jenn gave me a satisfied smile over her shoulder. “That is an Entwinin’ wreath.” She clasped her hands and stared at it with a happy sigh. “The kind I deserve.”
“Merciful heavens,” Vienna whispered from behind me.
“Jesus, please us.” Carter pushed open the little gate by the sidewalk and came up the walkway, taking care to keep a distance from the Entwinin’ pillar, lest it should reach out and suck him in. “I thought you said this shit was supposed to be symbolic, Tucker,” he said as he climbed the steps. “Constancy in the midst of change or whatever. What is this fuckery? Have I mentioned that this town is a hoot?”
“Who the heck paid for this thing?” Dot Johnson shook her head.
“Who’s dreamed it up?” Monette Ivey, Ava’s mother, called from the sidewalk. “That’s what I’d like to know.”
“Oh, yes, Cody!” Jenn said, her eyes positively glowing. “Where’s the card? In fact… in fact, why don’t you read it out loud?”
Cody patted his pockets, plainly panicked. “Shoot! I don’t… I think… I must’ve left it back at the shop. It, uh… it definitely said ‘To Jenn.’ And then, uh…” He scrunched up his forehead in confusion. “Thanks for being patient. I’m ready for a commitment to you, my darling. And then… I love you.” Cody expelled a breath like he’d passed a test.
Carter looked at me, wide-eyed, and I… well, I couldn’t take my eyes off the monstrosity in front of me.
“And?” Birdie Johnson demanded.
“A-and?” Cody looked around, bewildered. “And that was all, I swear.”
“But who sent it?” Colin Richards said, shifting his little daughter up on his hip. “Who was the card from?”
“Oh, that.” Cody waved a hand. “It said ‘Dunn Johnson.’”
“Yes, it did,” Jenn breathed.
Uhhh. What?
No way. There was… there was simply no way.
I felt the weight of a dozen gazes—every assembled person except Jenn, who studiously avoided looking at me—but I couldn’t think of a damn thing to say. There were no words forceful enough.
And then a limousine pulled up to the curb and honked. “Car for Jennifer Shipley?” the driver called through the open window.
“That’s me!” Jenn yelled back, waving a hand excitedly. “Dunn and I have a date at the Italian place. I might be a bit late tomorrow morning, Doc.” She tossed me a wink. “If he proposes, I might not be in at all! Night!” She skipped lightly down the steps to where the driver was waiting with an open door and a glass of champagne.
I felt like my feet were rooted to the spot.
How? Why?
He’d invited me to the Italian place, damn it.
Jenn was stealing the date that should have been mine!
The second the car pulled away, I sucked in a breath and whirled for the door, then ran back to the mudroom to grab my car keys. I let myself out the back door without even closing it and headed for my car.
Carter stepped in my path.
I huffed out a breath and clenched my fists by my sides. “Carter, get out of my way. I have a date to crash and possibly a man to hog-tie, kidnap, and stow in my basement. Unless you’re willing to go down for a felony with me, let me go.”
“Tucker Wright, I care about you. I’m not letting you go off half-cocked,” Carter said in a warning tone. “You’ve gotta know Dunn Johnson was not responsible for that… thing on the lawn.” He waved a hand toward the Entwinin’ Pole.