The Best Man (Blue Heron #1)(49)

Dad gave her a confused look. “No. She’s just fun. A nice person. Very vivacious.”

Faith paused. “Dad, we’re pretty sure she’s after your money.”

“I have no money. I have four children instead.”

“She was cataloguing Mom’s perfume bottles.”

“Oh, those things. Your mommy sure did love them. I thought they were dust collectors, myself, but...” His blue eyes softened at the memory, and Faith’s heart tightened. She had to find him someone else. He deserved it.

A woman edged closer. Nicely dressed, age-appropriate. Faith gave her a tiny nod and turned back to her father.

“Dad, if you think Lorena’s fun, maybe you’ll like talking to other women who don’t discuss thongs with your teenage granddaughter.”

“Did she do that?” Dad asked, suitably shocked.

“Ask Abby.”

“Give someone else a shot, Mr. H.,” Colleen said. “See what you got. Oh, that guy is giving me the eye. Back in a flash.” Colleen dashed off to another septuagenarian, this one with a walker, and tossed her shiny hair.

“Hello there! I’m Beatrice,” said the woman who’d been eyeing dear old Dad. Attractive, lively, smiling. A contender, in other words. She spoke to Faith, rather than John. “Aren’t you beautiful! I love red hair.”

Nicely played, Faith admitted. Go straight for the child. “I’m Faith, and this is my dad, John. He’s a widower.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss,” Beatrice cooed, her eyes sparkling with delight. “I’m divorced, three kids, four grands.”

Dad didn’t answer, so Faith gave him a hearty nudge to the ribs. “Oh, uh, I’m...uh hello. John. John Smith.”

“Dad,” Faith muttered.

“I have several children myself,” he said. He was sweating already. Faith stepped discreetly away, pretending not to see Dad’s pleading look.

Colleen intercepted her near the refreshments table. “The guy was impotent. I mean, come on. I’m willing to overlook certain things, but that? No. Says his heart condition prevents Viagra, so thus ends our courtship. Oh! Faith, check that out. If the flip side is half as good as what we’re seeing, I think we’ve found your soul mate. That, my friend, is a great ass. Do you concur?”

“I concur most heartily.”

The man was not old, nor did he have a walker. Score two points. Jeans (yes, she checked out his ass first, what else was a girl to do when presented with that side of a man?), a green T-shirt, the sleeves tight around his gorgeously muscled arms. Broad, solid shoulders. Short dark blond hair.

An icicle sliced through the warm curls of lust that were starting in her girl parts. He turned toward them. Yep.

“Oh, my God, it’s Levi!” Colleen exclaimed. “What’s he doing here? Don’t tell me he’s cruising these pathetic singles things?”

“I hate to point it out, but we’re cruising these pathetic—”

“I know, but I’ve seen up close how that man has to fight off the hordes of hungry females in our town.”

Faith glanced at her. Colleen was unabashedly, er...open about liking sex. “You and Levi ever...?”

“Oh, no. He’s too young for me.”

“He’s our age, Coll.”

“I’m aware of that, Faith. No, I like them broken in.”

“That sounds filthy.”

“Trained. I like them trained.”

“That’s worse.” Faith grinned.

“Okay, I’ll stop. Hey, Levi, come on over, bud!”

“No, don’t, Colleen, you know he never... Hi, Levi.”

“Ladies.”

Colleen put a hand on his arm. “Levi, we’re looking to get laid.”

“Colleen,” Faith groaned.

Her friend ignored her. “Can you hook us up with the hottest men here? I like them fifty, fifty-five plus. Don’t mind a little beer belly. Missing limb is okay, as long as it was lost heroically. I don’t want some dumb ass who cut off his own hand chopping wood.”

“Got it,” Levi said. “Been through the population of Manningsport, Coll?”

“Don’t be catty. Seen anyone who might be Faith’s soul mate?”

“I’m just here to keep my dad company,” she muttered.

“Which is not to say we weren’t just checking out your ass,” Colleen added.

“And you, Levi?” Faith asked, feeling the heat prickling not just her cheeks, but her throat and chest, too. “Looking for Mrs. Cooper the Second?”

He gave her a long, unblinking stare. A nine on the scale, sort of a So this is what hell is like look. “I’m the instructor,” he said.

Great.

“Hey, Levi,” her father said, having extracted himself from Beatrice of the voracious eyes. “How you doing?”

“Good, thanks. The girls say you’re...”

“Let’s not talk about it,” John suggested.

“Fine with me,” Levi said. “I need to get started.”

“Sure, sure, do your thing, hottie.” Colleen smacked him on the shoulder, then mugged for Faith as he walked away. “I would ride him like a Brahma bull if he were twenty years older.”