Page 122 of Unlikely to Stay
“Then let’s just let it be our little secret,” Hattie said, batting her eyelashes.
Brant chuckled.That girl was already shaping up to be a great little negotiator.
“How about you stop and I’ll go buy you a funnel cake your mom said you couldn’t have.As long asit’sour secret.”
“Ooo, I likeyoursecret better, Uncle Wy!I can already taste all that delicious white stuff on top.”
“That’s powdered sugar.”
“No wonder it tastes so good.Sugar is just as good as tomatoes, practically.”
Wyatt lifted his niece out of the back of his truck and hoisted her on his shoulders.“Do you know where your mom went, Hattie Ann?”
“She went to that booth with all the signs you can buy.Said they looked like they could be on an episode of that show she watches with the funny guy with red hair who busts through walls all the time.I forget the name of it.They have a lot of kids, too.”
“Fixer Upper?”
“Yeah!She’ll be gone forhours.”
“Let’s go hide at the senior citizen center, just to be safe.”
“Good plan.”The duo walked off, Hattie holding on to the top of Wyatt’s head.
“Is it weird to anyone else that she compared tomatoes to powdered sugar?”Brant asked, scratching his head.“Those two items couldn’t be any further from each other on the scale of food groups.”
“She’s always loved tomatoes.When I first met her as a tiny six year old, she was talking about her grandma’s ’matoes,” Annie replied.“Wyatt’s mom plants them in her garden every year.I’m pretty sure Hattie eats ninety percent of them herself.”
“That’s one funny kid.”
“She sure is.I can’t wait to see her grow up and find out what she becomes.I just hope it’s not a con artist,” Annie said, shaking her head.
“My bet is on hostage negotiator.”
“I’ve never thought about that but you’re right.She’d be a good one with the way she can talk people into doing pretty much anything she wants.”
“My thinking exactly.”
“Annie, how exactly did Wyatt know the name of that television show?”
Annie smiled.“Easy.I make him watch it.He pretends to hate it, but I caught him the other day watchingHome Townwhen he thought I was outside.He loves HGTV.”
They stayed for a few more minutes, Annie and CC discussing the details of the baby shower, before CC’s stomach started grumbling.“That’s my clue to get her some food,” he said to Annie.
“Ten to one you’re heading to the cheesy corn dog booth.”
“How’d you guess?”
“She’s been ordering them since the fourth grade.”
CC and Brantwere rocking in the hammock in Annie and Wyatt’s backyard, the breeze coming off the lake cooling their sunburned skin from the day spent in the town square.CC swore they had hit every booth in town.No matter what it was, Brant wanted to see it all.He purchased an American flag to hang on his flagpole from a bifocaled old lady who probably bought the flag at Dollar Tree before selling it for twenty bucks.He sampled every pie and chili flavor, no matter how unappetizing some of them looked.He even bought an atrocious wood carving of what could be an elk or a very distorted elephant from the cute old man with hearing aids and a ton of nose hair.
CC loved watching him enjoy what she had seen her entire life.It was refreshing seeing it through another person’s eyes.Things had even gone fairly well when they had crossed paths with CC’s mother.
CC introduced them and Brant was the definition of a gentleman.He chatted about CC’s childhood like her mom was mom of the year.He discussed the pros and cons of marijuana being legalized in Colorado.Somehow, CC had even gotten swindled into meeting her mom at Sadie’s the following week for lunch.
“This is really nice,” Brant said, curling a strand of her hair around his finger.“Relaxing.”
“Don’t you be getting sleepy eyes, mister.We still have fireworks to watch and you promised me a dance.”