Sprinkled with Love

“What has she done now?”

Jillian held up a finger to get Suzanna to wait. She headed straight for the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. Then she rummaged around in her purse until she found a bottle of painkillers. She popped a couple aspirin in her mouth and swallowed them down with coffee. She choked, realizing that she’d forgotten the milk and sweetener.

Her mind was scattered. As the years passed by, her mother was getting more assertive about finding Jillian a husband. She didn’t actually say husband, but Jillian knew it was her mother’s ultimate goal.

“Are you okay?” Suzanna sent her a concerned look.

“Just forgot the sweetener.” Jillian checked to make sure they were alone. “My mother is trying to set me up, again.”

Suzanna got a big grin on her face.

“This isn’t funny,” Jillian ground out.

Suzanna struggled to maintain a straight face, but the amusement reflected in her green eyes. “And who’s the lucky guy?”

“I don’t think she cares as long as I have a date in time for my cousin’s wedding.”

“Oh. I see.” Suzanna turned the closed sign in the window to open.

“Why are you so amused by all of this? If your mother were to do this to you, I don’t think you’d be amused at all.”

“True. But thankfully my mother is remarried and living in Seattle. I think I’m pretty safe from her meddling.” Suzanna moved behind the jewelry counter and started to switch on all of the display lights. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Would you believe my mother has me so worried over what she might do that I evaluated every man I passed on the way to work for their dating qualifications.”

“And did you find any potential dates?”

“No. They were either too old or too young or too married.”

“What about Avery—”

“No!” Jillian glowered at her best friend.

“But—”

“Suzanna, you of all people know that he’s completely off limits to me.”

“Listen, I know he hurt you, but I thought you said you were past it.”

“I am. That’s why I don’t want to ask him on a date.”

“Who said it has to be a real date? Couldn’t it just be two friends hanging out together?”

“Really?” Jillian sent her a disbelieving look. “At a wedding, with my mother and the rest of my family? How’s that going to work?”

Suzanna shrugged. “Well, I’m out of ideas. Let me know who you come up with.”

This was just great. Not even her best friend could think of a respectable date for her. Because she was never ever going to walk up to Avery and ask him to be her plus one to this wedding. There had to be a better solution. She just had to give it some more thought.

*

He was bored.

How was that possible?

Not so long ago, there weren’t enough hours in the day for everything he needed to accomplish. Now the house was empty, but his knee refused to cooperate so that he could work at the Crooked S. Other than physical therapy a few mornings a week, he had absolutely no pressing matters. For the first time in forever, he could do as he pleased.

Avery stared at the kitchen wall where he’d just finished removing the ivory tile backsplash that had been there all of his life. It was in desperate need of updating. In fact, the whole kitchen needed updating, including the floor.