Pippa blinked. “I did, but only after scarfing down a pecan caramel cluster.” She rubbed her belly and laughed. “This baby already has his daddy’s disposition.”
“I’m sure you’ll tame the baby the same as you did Ryan.”
“You think he’s been tamed?” She snorted and shook her head. “At least I’m doing a good job selling the lie. So what’s up? You’ve got that perturbed look on your face.”
“I do not,” I insisted, but perturbed was exactly how I felt. And out of sorts.
Pippa sighed, a smirk twisting her lips into a lopsided smile. “Tell me.”
My shoulders sank in defeat and I put an embarrassed hand up to cover my face. “Trey asked me out. To the Valentine’s Day dance.” My head fell forward and a huff of laughter escaped out of me. “It sounds silly when I say it out loud, never mind. Pretend I didn’t say a thing.”
“Oh no I won’t,” Pippa’s hand darted out to mine. “So a hottie of a man asked you to be his date for the dance. What’s the problem?”
I stared at my best friend as if she’d lost her mind. “What do you mean, what’s the problem? He’s younger than me for starters.”
“Barely, and it’s not like that’s illegal, Val. What else have you got?”
“He doesn’t mean it. He can’t.”
“He can, and he does. You’re beautiful and fun, what’s not to like?” Pippa smiled and shook her head. “You have to see yourself as you really are, Val. You’re not the frumpy housewife you think Rodney was leaving. You’re incredible.”
She hit the nail on the head. That was exactly what I saw each day when I stared at my reflection, a frumpy housewife. “You don’t know that.”
“I do.” Pippa paused. “Want to know how?”
“Because you’re my best friend and duty bound to tell me I’m wonderful?”
She laughed. “Nope. Because I did the one thing I knew you never would. I looked into the other woman, and all I’ll tell you is that she’s older than Trey.”
“You looked her up? Why?”
“I wanted to see the tramp that had my best friend doubting herself. Turns out she’s not a tramp, just a woman who fell for another woman’s husband. Unknowingly, if that helps.”
It didn’t, but I didn’t blame the other woman, because she didn’t make vows to me or promises to my girls. “Okay fine, that’s not why Rodney was going to leave, but that doesn’t make Trey older or actually interested.”
“Okay riddle me this smartass, why would Trey pretend to be interested if he wasn’t? In case you haven’t noticed, he’s gorgeous. He can have any woman he wants and he wants you.”
It still didn’t make sense to me, but then I thought about the photos he’d taken of me in the meadow outside of Carson Creek. I looked younger and more vibrant than I felt. I looked happy. Almost beautiful.
“Look at this.” I pulled out my camera and shoved it in Pippa’s direction. “Look.”
Pippa’s gaze focused on the camera screen and grew wider with every photo she saw. “Holy hell woman, you look fantabulous!” She looked up at me and then back at the camera. “Wow.”
“He said that’s how he saw me, and that he wanted me to see myself that way.”
“Damn,” Pippa whispered and sat back, eyes still glued to the camera. “You have to say yes, Val.”
Just then Carlotta Montgomery dropped down in the third unoccupied seat at our table, looking as if she’d just stepped off the pages of Southern Gentlewoman Weekly in her canary yellow skirt suit with matching heels. Her brown hair sat in perfect shiny waves around her shoulders, brown eyes expertly made up with just a hint of blush and a swipe of feminine pink on her lips.
“What are we talking about?” Her eyes sparkled with the excitement of a juicy tidbit of gossip.
“Nothing, Carlotta. Nothing at all.” I liked Carlotta, she was totally likable and had been from the day she was born. But Carlotta was popular, well-liked, and she was an open book, which meant she didn’t see anything wrong with gossiping.
Pippa leaned in and rested her hand in her chin. “We’re talking about Valona getting asked out on a date by a younger man.”
“Ooh,” Carlotta’s eyes glittered. “A younger man? That’s fantastic, Val. Congratulations.”
I shook my head. “There are no congratulations in order. I haven’t said yes, and I probably won’t.”
“What?” Both women exclaimed at the same time, drawing a few stray stares our way. Thankfully a waiter chose that exact moment to take our orders.
As soon as the waiter walked away, Carlotta turned her big brown eyes at me and grinned. “If a gorgeous younger man sees how wonderful you are, go for it, honey. Men like that don’t grow on trees, and if they do, I haven’t happened upon that tree here in Carson Creek.”