town.
Was it a national event when someone was here they didn’t know? She knew the answer to this question. She plastered on a smile. “Hi, I’m River Woods. I…my grandmother is Hazel Woods.”
He snapped. “That’s right. I knew Hazel had her granddaughter coming to help. I ran into her a couple of weeks ago.” He moved closer to her car and put his hand out. “I’m Beau Hardman.”
“Nice to meet you.” She half-heartedly put her hand into his.
He pulled his hand back. “Where ya from?”
“New York.”
“Really?” He leaned on her car and seemed like he had all the time in the world.
This was one of the things that bugged her about this small town, people acted like they had all the time in the world. “There’s people behind me.” She jerked her thumb back.
He didn’t notice the angst in her tone. He tapped the car. “You’ve done a good thing, coming to help your grandmother out.”
The praise made her take pause. She still wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. “You think?” she found herself asking.
He tapped the door again, giving a firm nod. “Yep, family is everything and when you do the right thing for your family, you’ll never be sorry.”
It was strange, the certainty this guy had about him.
He backed away from the car. “This whole place wouldn’t be here if me and my brother hadn’t believed in our family.” His eyes misted. “And now all of my brothers are back and we’re all together and,” he said, letting out a light laugh. “I’m parking cars at a vow renewal, go figure.”
The fact the guy didn’t seem happy to be parking cars or that they were celebrating a vow renewal made her fell better. “Thanks.”
He pointed down the path. “Have a good time, River.”
She began turning.
“Wait.” He was at her car again.
“Yes.”
“Are you married?”
Brazen, that’s what this man was. “Uh. No.” Her heart raced, was he going to ask her out.
As if sensing what she was thinking, he put his hand out. “Oh, not for me. No. I got hitched last year.”
Weird. Strange. Brazen. Yes, the town people were all of those thing she decided again. Even if Charlotte was kind, c’mon people, they didn’t have to ask her about everything.
“I’m asking for a different friend of mine.” His grin widened. “In fact, you’ll meet him in there.”
Someone honked behind her. “C’mon, Beau, let’s get moving.”
“Hold your horses, He winked at her. “You never know, maybe you’ll like the guy I have in mind.”
“Haha,” she said sarcastically. “I doubt it.”
Beau hesitated, then hit the side of his leg and waved her on. “I like you already.”
River parked and quickly walked to the front of the home. She heard music and loud talking. She almost turned back, but then knocked on the door.
For a moment no one answered, then a blonde woman answered. “Hi.”
Why had she come? There were way too many people here. “Hi. Uh, Charlotte invited me.”
“Right.” She stuck her hand out. “I think Star told me about you, you’re Mrs. River’s granddaughter, right?”
Word got around.
“Yeah.”
The baby she was holding looked sweet. Little blonde, tow-headed kid. He smiled at her.
Unable to stop herself, she smiled back.
“His name is Beau Junior. He likes you.” Star backed up. “Come on in, go ahead and grab some food. We haven’t started the vowel renewal yet.”
She put it together. “You’re Beau’s wife? The one parking cars.”
A slow smile filled her face. “What did he do or say to embarrass us already?”
River couldn’t help but grunt out a laugh. “No. Nothing like that. He was …nice. He introduced himself to me.” She didn’t want to tell her the other part Beau had done; tell her that she would meet someone in here that she might possibly date.
“Well, I’m glad he behaved.” Star shut the door behind her, holding Beau Junior on her hip. “He doesn’t always behave, just to pre-apologize.” She put her hand out. “I didn’t catch your name?”
“River Woods.” She decided to just own it. “I’m Hazel’s granddaughter. I came to be with her for a couple of months.”
Undecided how many months. Her grandmother had said she needed help since her stroke. She was having a hard time remembering things. But, though she could tell her grandmother struggled sometimes, at other times she seemed perfectly rational and fine.
“How nice of you.” Star nodded, giving her a once over. “I think I did hear about you and you’re a nurse from New York or something.”
Small towns. She nodded.