Waiting On You (Blue Heron #3)(98)

“I thought you had Jeremy Lyon for that sort of thing,” Colleen said.

“Leave me alone, Colleen,” Carol said. “I have to get my jollies somehow.”

“Carol, you’re still a fine-looking woman,” Lucas said with a pirate grin. Carol squealed, giggled merrily, then held up her empty glass for Bryce to refill. He obliged, winking at Colleen.

“Oh, Colleen,” Carol said, “I have a house for you to look at. This one might actually be perfect, and it’s not even listed yet. I thought I’d give you first dibs.”

For some reason, the words gave Colleen a twinge. “Where is it?” she asked, sneaking a look at Lucas. He was kneeling on the roof, doing something at the base of the chimney.

“It’s on Ivy Lane. The Lowensteins’ place.”

“Oh, that house is very charming!” Mrs. Johnson exclaimed. “The roses, the hydrangeas, the little sunroom in the back!”

Colleen knew the house, a little fairy cottage made of stone. It did indeed have a beautiful garden, and a shady front yard. And a brook in the back. “Thanks, Carol. I’ll take a look.”

“That should do it, Jeanette,” Lucas said. “I’m done here.”

A chorus of boos and protests went up from Team Menopause. “You didn’t even take off your shirt,” Carol complained.

Lucas sighed. “It’s tough, being objectified like this,” he said.

“Boo-hoo-hoo,” Colleen called. “Just do it, Spaniard.”

He grinned, sighed, obeyed. Got a hearty round of applause. “Ten,” Mom called.

“Ten,” Carol and Mrs. J. echoed.

“Nine and a half,” Colleen said. Didn’t want him to get cocky.

“Jeanette, do you have a license for this?” Levi Cooper approached, shaking his head. “Ladies, I’m disappointed in all of you.”

“Take off your shirt, Levi,” Carol said. “Let’s see what you got.”

“Inappropriate, Carol,” he said, his eyes resting on Faith. “Hey, beautiful.”

“Love,” Jeanette sighed. “Mrs. Johnson, you’re so lucky to have a grandchild on the way.” She gave Colleen a pointed look, then turned her eyes to Lucas. “I wouldn’t object if you knocked up my daughter, Lucas.”

“Okay, everyone’s cut off,” Colleen said. “Levi, do a quick sobriety check, will you, buddy?”

Bryce approached her, pulling on his shirt. “Coll, got a minute?” he asked.

“Sure, bud.” They went a few yards away from the ladies (though not before Laura Boothby had tucked a ten into his pocket). “So, uh, the whole Paulie thing. I feel really bad about that.”

Colleen sighed. “Yeah. She likes you a lot.”

“I guess that’s why she adopted all those animals,” he said, frowning.

“Yep.”

He gave her a sad smile. “Not lot of people really like me.”

“What are you talking about? Everyone likes you.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. Just...you know. Not when they get to know me and find out I’m just...good-looking and stupid. No one ever gives me a second thought.”

“Bryce! You’re not stupid.”

“Oh, come on. Did you ever give me a second thought?”

He had a point.

“I got fired from the wedding dress place,” he said. “And the bride went back to her husband. Fiancé. Whatever. She wasn’t really that fun, turns out.”

“For what it’s worth, Bryce, Paulie really does like you. Not just because you’re beautiful. And she doesn’t think you’re stupid.”

“Well, she does now, I bet,” he said. “Anyway, I just wondered how she’s doing. I called her the other day and said I hoped we were still friends.”

“What did she say?”

Bryce fiddled with a button on his shirt. “She said I had some growing up to do. But she was really nice about it, too. She didn’t lecture me.”

“Do you think she has a point?”

“Probably.” He sighed. “Well. I should go. See you, Colleen.” He walked away, and Colleen couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for him.

“So, hotshot.”

She looked behind her, and there stood Lucas. “Spaniard.” The slow curl of warmth unfurled in her stomach.

“You busy later?” he said, pulling on his shirt. Pity.

“I’m always busy,” she murmured.

“You want to come over when you’re not? Set my apartment on fire this time?”

“Is that a metaphor for sex?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Then yes.”

He grabbed her, gave her a quick, hard kiss, copped a feel and went off, smiling over his shoulder.

Le sigh.

Fifteen minutes later, when Team Menopause had been wrangled out (and Levi had ticketed Carol for parking in front of a hydrant), Mom gave Rufus his third piece of bacon, put her hands on her h*ps and gave Colleen a look. “So? Are you staying or what?”

“Aw. That’s so sweet, Mom. Why? You have plans?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Rufus stole a fourth bacon strip, then licked Mom’s hand.