Until You (The Redemption, #1)(22)

Bobbi Jo looks at the hand Crew holds out, her smile turning sultry as she shakes slowly. “Bobbi Jo Simmons. Nice to finally meet the new man in town I’ve heard so very much about.”

His return smile is stilted at best as he draws his hand back. “Hopefully all good.”

“Definitely all good,” Bobbi Jo says, completely transfixed by Crew.

“And we’ve actually met before. I’d say a good twenty years ago if memory serves me correctly.”

“There’s no way. I know I’d remember a man such as yourself.” She giggles. Freaking giggles and shifts on her feet as if she’s the Belle of the Ball.

“Twenty years ago, I wasn’t a man.” He winks. “That’s probably why.” Crew looks to us and then back to Bobbi Jo. “Now, if you’ll excuse us. I was just taking the girls for a little pre-birthday shopping while we waited for Tenny to meet up with us for some ice cream.”

“How lovely. Don’t let me keep you then.” She takes a few steps away, giving one long last look at Crew. “Enjoy yourselves.”

The four of us stand there and watch her click her heels down the sidewalk as she lifts her cell phone to her ear.

“I can’t imagine what rumors we just started with that little encounter,” I mutter.

Crew snorts. “Would you have rather let her know you lied? You think those rumors would have been any better?”

“How do you know I lied?” I turn and face him, mock offended.

“You’re not a very good liar, West,” Crew says.

“He’s right. You’re not,” Paige pipes in.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side,” I say to Paige and pull her against my side and squeeze her.

“I’m on your side,” Addy, with her adorable freckles, says, making sure to get equal snuggles as she sidles up against my other side.

“You can thank me for saving your ass from the pink paraphernalia party I’m sure she was about to badger you into attending,” Crew says.

“How did you know that?” I ask.

He shrugs as if it were a good guess. “Do you think she sleeps in pink too?”

The girls burst out laughing, and thank God they do, because my sudden jolt at Crew placing his hand on my lower back to steer us toward Cups and Cones goes unnoticed.

“Ice cream awaits, ladies,” he says.

I try to exhale the breath I’m holding softly as we make our way a few stores down the mall area.

It takes a few minutes to order our ice cream, for me to argue with Crew over not letting me pay for mine, and for us to get settled in the back corner of the local hangout.

The girls are chatty and giggly and quickly make me forget Bobbi Jo and the rumors that I’m sure are flying right now.

And honestly, why do I even care? There could be worse things or people I’m rumored to be with.

“So, did I hear the word birthday?” I ask.

“Technically, not—” Crew starts.

“Not yet, but out of the blue today, Dad declared that since there are two of us, we get to celebrate it for the whole summer,” Addy says before taking a heaping bite of ice cream.

“The whole summer? Wow. You girls are lucky. What’s on the agenda?” I ask.

“Shopping. Finishing our influencer room. More shopping. And dinner, our choice somewhere, but we don’t know where yet since we’ve only been here a few days,” Paige says.

“Sounds like a plan many would envy,” I say.

“We know.” Paige shrugs. “We’re lucky we have Dad wrapped around our fingers.”

Crew barks out a laugh and gives a sharp shake of his head. “You girls couldn’t make me look any less masculine if you tried.”

“What does that mean?” Addy asks.

“Here.” Crew digs some quarters from his pocket and pushes them across the table, motioning to the old-fashioned jukebox in the corner. “Go pick out some music.”

We both watch them head toward it, already bickering over what songs to pick, before falling into a comfortable silence.

“What has you out and about today and meeting up with the all-knowing Bobbi Jo?”

“You know her?” I ask.

“I knew the nine-year-old version of her the last time I was here. She clearly doesn’t remember me, but I do her. I don’t think one can quite forget her.” He chuckles.

“She’s a little extra. Nice, but extra.” I take a lick of my ice cream and want to groan at how good it is. Cups and Cones definitely has a superior product to the numerous gallons I’ve tasted from the grocery store.

“Definitely extra.” He chuckles.

“I was invited to help with Founder’s Day this year. If I’m honest, I’ve been invited to help before, but this is the first time I’ve ever agreed to help.”

“What changed? Why’d you say yes this time?” he asks.

I shrug. “No reason.”

“I’m not buying that. C’mon. Why’d you say yes?”

I twist my lips as I look at the girls still deciding which songs, then slowly nod. “I’ve pretty much kept to myself for the two years I’ve lived here. I figured it’s as good a time as any to be a part of the community versus its outlier, cat lady.”