The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love - By Beth Pattillo Page 0,46

be great,” Evan said, smiling like an idiot at Daphne.

Maria and James exchanged a mutual look of disappointment, and then realizing what they’d just done, shared a guilty smile. At that unexpected moment of camaraderie, Maria’s stomach tightened, not leaving much room for the iceberg lettuce that resided there.

“Daphne, they may have other plans,” she chided her sister, hoping to reverse the disastrous course her sister was setting them on. While Evan Baxter was a laid-back, unaffected guy, she doubted he saw Daphne as anything other than a pleasant diversion for the evening. She worried his attention might get her sister’s hopes up. Almost as much as she dreaded spending the rest of the evening as James’s pseudodate.

A few moments later, their entrées arrived. Between eating and Evan’s easy management of the conversation, Maria found the experience of dining with the two men far less trying than she would have imagined. James Delevan even turned out to have a sense of humor, telling a couple of amusing stories about his life in Memphis and his travels abroad.

The movie proved a little more awkward. The men had insisted on paying for dinner, but when the four of them stepped up to the box office, Maria was determined that she and Daphne would pay their own way. Here, though, James’s arrogance once again asserted itself. He thrust his credit card through the opening in the box office window, and Maria could do nothing but stand on the sidewalk and seethe. What was worse, she refused popcorn and candy at the concession stand, two of her favorite indulgences, rather than be further indebted to him.

“Sure you don’t want something?” James asked as they moved away from the concession counter and toward the doors into the theater. He popped a couple of Milk Duds into his mouth, and Maria could feel her own mouth starting to water.

“No. I’m fine.” Maybe she could sneak out in the middle of the movie and snag some candy. And pay for it with her own money.

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

They were two steps from the door when James stopped abruptly and grabbed his jaw.

“You okay?” Evan asked.

James shook his head. He turned away, and at that moment Maria realized what had happened.

“Did you lose a tooth?”

James shook his head, more to ward off her questions than in response. “I’m fine.” The words came out garbled.

“You’re going to need a dentist.” Despite how much he annoyed her, she felt sorry for him. He continued to hold his jaw and wince.

“Is it broken?”

He shook his head. “I just lost a crown.”

He faced her now, and the look of misery in his eyes overrode her common sense. “I can call Dr. Baker and see if he’ll meet us at his office.”

James looked horrified, and she could only guess that his expression came from the thought of letting a country dentist get hold of him.

“Really, that’s not—” He stopped, winced in pain, and grabbed his jaw again.

“I think it’s completely necessary.” Maria dug in her purse for her cell phone.

Evan nodded his agreement. “But I can take him, Maria. You don’t want to miss the movie.” Even as he made the offer, though, Maria could see his disappointment. He cast a longing glance at Daphne, and then his ears turned pink when he saw that Maria had caught his look.

Maria knew what she had to do. The happiness of her sister was worth putting up with James Delevan. “You don’t know where Dr. Bakers office is,” she said to Evan. “If you wouldn’t mind keeping Daphne company for the movie, I’ll take James.”

James scowled. “I can make it to the dentist on my own.”

Maria decided there was no point arguing with him. She flipped through the contact numbers on her phone until she found Dr. Baker’s home number and pressed the green button to dial it. In a few short minutes, she’d arranged for an emergency office visit.

“You two go on to the movie,” she said to Daphne and Evan. “If you’ll see Daphne home, Evan, I’ll bring James back to Sugar Hill when we’re done.”

She didn’t wait for anyone to agree. Instead, she put her hand on James’s arm and gently led him away. The pain must have increased, because he didn’t protest.

Evan and Daphne called their good nights, and Daphne shot Maria a quick, happy smile of thanks. Maria wanted to smile herself, but she refrained. She didn’t want James to say anything to spoil Daphne’s enjoyment of the evening. Better