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serving tray. It’s a perfect place to set your cup of tea.”
Her gaze on the oh-so-perfect tray, Rose surrendered. “What’s the security code for the Wi-Fi?”
SEVENTEEN
June
At the end of the third day of the five-day children’s cancer camp program at Angel’s Rest, Colt sat with Ali Timberlake at a table set for four at the Bristlecone Café. Nic Callahan and Sarah Reese had excused themselves moments ago to visit the ladies’ room. As a high school kid bused their plates, Colt gazed glumly out the window toward Angel’s Rest and the footbridge over the creek where Rose Anderson basked in the attention of Connor Keene, cartoonist and wolf on the prowl. “Sage is going to hear about this and it’s going to drive her crazy.”
“Why is that?” Ali asked.
“Because Pencil Boy is the perfect pawn in the War of the Herbs.”
A laugh bubbled from Ali’s lips. “War of the Herbs?”
“Sage and Rosemary. I halfway expect their twin brothers to show up anytime now looking for their true love.”
Ali visibly thought it through. “Parsley and Thyme? Are you a Simon and Garfunkel fan, Rafferty?”
“I’m a sucker who has somehow, without any intentional effort, found himself stuck in the middle between two hardheaded women.”
Ali summoned Glenda Hawkins’ attention with a little wave and gestured toward her tea glass. “They are both determined.”
“Demented,” he grumbled, taking a swig from his own glass of iced tea.
It had been six weeks since the sisters’ scene at the hot springs at Angel’s Rest. Four weeks since Rose went public with the news of her “extended vacation” and flew a bee right into Sage’s bonnet that had yet to stop buzzing. The two women hadn’t spoken to each other, but from what he observed, they each spent half their day trying to ferret out news about the other. Yet a part of him couldn’t complain, because for the most part, he had been the beneficiary of Sage’s snit about her sister.
She turned to him when she was in turmoil. That had gotten him back into her bed when he first returned to town, and despite a halfhearted attempt or two, she had yet to kick him out. His mistake—and in retrospect it had been a doozy—was to let Sage talk him into approaching Rose for the purpose of subtle interrogation.
He liked Rose Anderson a lot. She was friendly and funny and straightforward. She’d flat out asked him if he was a spy for her sister. He’d confessed that Sage was curious, she’d admitted to a similar state, and he’d launched into his newest part-time job—acting as go-between for the Anderson sisters.
He sighed and said, “So, how did the kids like Cartoon Man?”
“What do you have against Connor Keene?” Ali asked. “He’s a really nice guy.”
“He’s a wolf. He comes on to every woman he meets—doesn’t matter if they’re sixteen or sixty. Single or married or …”
“Sleeping with someone?” Ali arched a brow. “Jealous, Rafferty?”
“He has octopus arms and he needs to keep them off my woman.”
Ali laughed. “Well, he’s great with the children, and he’s been a wonderful addition to the program. He’s even promised that if we do this again next summer, he’ll come back.”
“Oh, joy.”
At that point, Glenda finally managed to break away from the other table of diners and make her way over to refill Ali’s iced tea. Ali smiled up at her and asked, “How are the moving plans going, Glenda?”
“Pretty good. Our builder has promised the house will be ready by mid-August. We intend to be in and settled in time for Billy to start school in September.”
“Any luck finding a buyer for the Bristlecone?” Ali gazed around the restaurant a bit wistfully.
“Not yet. We’re not in a hurry, though, because thankfully our plans don’t hinge on our ability to sell the Bristlecone first.” As she topped off Colt’s glass, she glanced out the window and clicked her tongue. “There’s that wonderful Mr. Keene. He is such a nice man. So handsome, too. Don’t you think?”
“He’s adorable,” Colt drawled in a dry tone.
Ali laughed as Sarah and Nic rejoined their table. “If you’ll bring me our check, Glenda, we need to get moving.”
“Don’t we get to have dessert?” Nic protested. She looked at Sarah. “Didn’t you make a chocolate cake for Glenda this morning?”
“I did.”
“Then we need to stay and—”
“Nope.” Ali grinned without remorse. “I promised Gabe I’d have you home by eight.”
Nic threw Colt a pleading look. “Don’t you want dessert, Colt?”
“Not enough to risk the wrath of Sage if we’re