Page 35 of Unlikely to Stay
Breckin shrugged her shoulders.“Because CC made us promise not to bid on you for her.Since we couldn’t break our promise and do it ourselves, we asked Karen to do it for us.And it worked like a charm.”
“I think it worked better than a charm.If I had bid on you myself,” Annie said, “The old biddies in this town would probably string me up by my toes for cheating on Wyatt.”
“But you’d give your bid to CC.”
“Trust me, they wouldn’t see it that way.”
Brant shook his head.“I don’t know.If she made you promise not to bid on me, I think that makes it pretty clear she didn’twantto go on a date with me.I’m not making her mad or uncomfortable.”
Brant turned to Karen.“Sure you don’t want to take me out instead?”
Karen handed the wad of cash in her hands to Breckin, who placed the money in the bank bag she was holding.
“Nope.I told you, I don’t date.”
“Why not?You even said yourself I’m attractive,” Brant said with a smile.He could think of worse women to go on a date with.
“That’s a story I don’t tell anyone,” Karen said, a sad smile on her face.“Now that my good deed is done, I’m going home to my bed, a cup of tea, and a good book.”
Brant watched the lovely woman walk away before turning to Breckin and Annie and sighing.“I’m not forcing her to do anything.”
“We aren’t forcing you to do anything, either,” Annie said.“But I think it would be good for her.She’s in a rut.Maybe you’ll be the one to get her out of it.”
Brant stood there, contemplating what they said.Even though CC tried to avoid him at all costs, he still didn’t know what he did to make her dislike him so.And all of a sudden, he wanted to know why.“Okay.I’ll do it.”
Breckin and Annie did the girl thing where they squealed and held hands while jumping up and down.Women.It made him glad he grew up in a house with just Betty.He didn’t know if he would have been able to handle sisters.
“You have to go tell her what you did, though.”
Breckin and Annie stopped jumping and turned to face him, horror on their faces.
“Oh, no.Uh huh.We can’t do that,” Breckin said.
“Why not?”
“Because she’llkillus!”Annie added.“You’ll have to be the one to tell her.Make something up.Tell her Wyatt was the one who won you for her.She didn’t make him promise.That way she won’t disown us as her friends.”
Brant shook his head.“She really hates me, doesn’t she?Would you at least tell me what I did to her?”
“She doesn’t hate you,” Breckin said, exchanging a knowing look with her friend.“Just go talk to her.You’ll see.”
“Okay.I’ll go see her sometime this week.”
Annie shook her head.“Nope.You have to do it tonight.”
“Tonight?Why?”
“Because word will get around on the old people rumor mill that Karen gave up the date.It will get back to CC and then she’ll figure out we were the ones who came up with the scheme.It’s now or never.”
Brant looked toward CC’s shop, which was still bathed in light.She had taken the bright yellow sale sign from her window, so he could see her clearly.She was reaching on the highest shelves to restock the shampoo she hadn’t sold during the festival.Her t-shirt had ridden up as she stretched on her tiptoes, leaving a line of smooth, ivory skin showing above her shorts.Karen may be beautiful, but CC with the rainbow hair was the woman who left him breathless.
“Okay, I’ll go,” he said.“Just don’t do the girl thing and jump up and down.It’s weird.”
Instead, both women saluted him.“Good luck,” they said.“Don’t let her scare you.Her bark is meaner than her bite.”
CC had just putthe last shampoo bottle she hadn’t sold on the top shelf when she heard the bell jingle above her door.Damn it.She had forgotten to lock it.She didn’t want to sell any more shampoo or conditioner.She just wanted her comfy bed and to catch up onStranger Things.
“I’m sorry.I forgot to lock the door but I’m clo—” CC stopped in her tracks.It wasn’t someone wanting to buy shampoo.It was Brant Billings, looking just as good up close in his casual attire as he did on stage.Better, really.