One Look: A grumpy, single dad small town romance(9)

“Lucky girl.”

She smiled and looked back at me. “Don’t I know it. There’s something in the water in Outtatowner. I’m telling you, the men here are something else.”

My thoughts immediately flipped to the grump I’d run into at Bowlegs’s funeral. A tiny sliver of me wanted to ask her about him. Probe, just a little, to see who he was and what the hell his deal could have been.

Before I had the chance, my eyes snagged on a ghost walking across the street. My mouth popped open to see Mr. Bowlegs, appearing very much alive and well, shuffling down the street. I slowly lifted a finger, and Cass’s eyes followed.

“Oh!” She laughed. “That’s Bowlegs’s brother.”

“Brother?” I was dumbstruck.

“Identical twins.”

“Wow.” My brain stumbled to find words to replace the shock to my system. “I didn’t see him at any of the services.”

“I’m not surprised. He is as much of a loner as Bowlegs. If you stay long enough, you’ll find out all kinds of wild things about Outtatowner.” Cass turned back to her laptop, shutting it and slipping it into a shoulder bag. “It was nice to meet you, Lark.”

I said goodbye and watched her quietly slink her way through the crowd and toward the back of the bakery. Once she reached the baker behind the register, in one swift move, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her through the swinging doors and out of view. Her laughter floated above the bakery noise, and I finally did let myself swoon with only the tiniest ping of envy.

Love was for the lucky, and that I was not. In fact, a fortune teller at a Renaissance festival had once told me that I was cursed in love. At the time I’d brushed it off as complete and total bullshit, but at twenty-nine and still woefully single, combined with my trail of disappointing breakups, I was starting to worry she might have been right.

“Daddy, pleeeeeease.” My attention was pulled away from the cute couple and to the whiny grumbles of a familiar little girl pouting in line. My system jumped.

“Pickle, I said no.” The little girl immediately crossed her arms and committed to a deep pout.

“Come on, Wyatt. You’re only here for one night. I’ll show her around the fire station.” Tootie’s nephew, Lee, pushed the shoulder of the grouchy man I couldn’t seem to escape.

Damn small towns.

“Lee, you’re not helping.” Apparently I wasn’t the only one this man was abrasive with. There was something about him that made me want to poke the bear—irritate him with positivity until he smiled once, for Christ’s sake.

I scooped up my coffee and bounced out of my chair toward the trio. “Well, hey there, Sullivans!” I chirped. I leaned down toward the little girl. “It’s a great day for a visit to the fire station, don’t you think?”

A lopsided grin spread over Lee’s face. “You’re welcome anytime, Miss . . .”

Wyatt shot him a hard glare, and I laughed. My hand shot out. “Lark Butler. Nice to officially meet you. And that is so kind of you. I just might take you up on that.” I headed toward the door and directed a smile at Wyatt. “See ya later, Oscar.”

He straightened and frowned, and I stifled a little laugh. I knew damn well his name was Wyatt, but if he was going to be such a grouch, then Oscar it was.

Breezing past them, I stepped out onto the sidewalk and into the late-morning sunshine. I pulled a deep breath of coastal air into my lungs and let the warmth of the morning wash over me.

There was something special about this town and its quirky residents. I felt it in my bones. Outtatowner was definitely a place I would hope to come back to someday. After a little walk along the beach, I would check my website for messages and line up a new job and a new town.





“You could always try California again.” My mother’s voice was soothing as I cradled my phone to my ear and scanned the newspaper one more time.

California. LA. The city of broken dreams and hordes of hopeful actresses, like myself. I still couldn’t believe I had sent out dozens of audition tapes and hadn’t received even a single callback. Honestly, it was embarrassing.

No freaking way. “I don’t know . . .”

“I’m sure you’ll get that callback any day now!”

Her unwavering faith infused her words. If Mom could make things happen with tenacity alone, she would.

“It’s been weeks and I haven’t heard anything. I think that ship has sailed, Mom.”

“Aubergine.”

I rolled my eyes. Since moving to a commune, my mother and stepfather, Larry, had taken to being addressed only by their spirit names: Aubergine and Eagle. “Sorry, right. Aubergine.”

“Goddess will provide.”

In all sincerity, I came by my general positivity honestly. My mother was a literal ray of sunshine. Though what she lacked in firm parenting skills, she more than made up for in enthusiastic support.

“I’m just hoping Goddess will provide an interesting job and a decent place to stay.” My website traffic was still surprisingly strong, but there hadn’t been any new inquiries for my services yet. “There’s not a lot in the small-town mourners market.”

“You could come live here. We all provide for each other in blessed peace and harmony.”