Page 7 of Marrying the Guide
She sat opposite me on the couch and played with the towel in her hands. That was so not Brianna. She never sat still for more than a few seconds.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Something on your mind?”
“Guess who stopped by the bakery early this morning?”
“The Banner twins? I’ve already drooled over them from a respectable distance, but thank you. The sheriff is very easy on the eyes as well, by the way.”
“Howell. You know, the guide?” She added the last part when I wasn’t responding immediately.
“I know who Howell is. It’s my body that’s hurting, not my brain.”
“He asked about you.”
I sat up straighter, ignoring my muscles, which screamed their tale of protest. “He did?”
My voice sounded odd even to my ears—hopeful, hesitant, and utterly bewildered.
“Wanted to know if you were okay.”
“What did you tell him?”
She shrugged. “That you spent three hours in the bathtub yesterday, soaking your muscles, and that your feet looked like a war zone.”
Oh my god, was she serious? “Please tell me you didn’t.”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it? And you Dutch are always so proud of being Dutch direct, so why wouldn’t I tell that man, that absolutely fiiiine specimen of a man, the truth?”
“Because… Because…” I sputtered. Shit, she was fighting to hold back her laughter. “Bitch, you had me there.”
“You make it too easy, honey. But no, I didn’t say that. Just told him you were sore but had loved the hike. Oh, and I gave him permission to use your number.”
“What?”
“He had your number from your booking, but he didn’t want to use it without your permission, so I gave him that on your behalf and told him you’d love to hear from him.”
Huh? Why? I’d pegged Howell as straight. After all, he’d mentioned an ex-wife. The possibility of anything else hadn’t even crossed my mind. Until now. “I thought he was straight.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“No, but…” Brianna was right. He could be bi or pan or have had a gay awakening later in life. I shouldn’t assume, even though my gaydar had been completely silent.
“If he asked to use your number, he may not be as straight as you think. Sounds like someone made quite the impression.” She winked at me.
Warmth crept up my neck as realization slowly dawned. Perhaps I wasn’t as perceptive as I’d thought. Jesus, have mercy on me and let it be so. Though for the life of me, I couldn’t imagine what a man like him would want with me.
Howell didn’t leave me in suspense long. About an hour later, his text interrupted my aimlessly scrolling through articles on how to treat blistered feet.
Howell
Hey, this is Howell. Brianna said it would be okay to text you. Hope she was right.
Me
Of course it’s okay! It’s good to hear from you.
Howell
How are you? Brianna mentioned you were sore.