is in her nineties. I think it’s a little too late.”
“It’s never too late for a second chance at love,” Penny said. “Even if Cru came back when I was a hundred, I still would want to marry him and spend whatever time we have left together.”
“I don’t think Aunt Gertie is the type of woman to forgive and forget—even if Double Diamond boys have a way of getting under your best defenses with their seductive ways.”
“Seductive ways?” Evie stared at Reba. “How do you know about Double Diamond boys’ seductive ways?” Her eyes widened. “You’re smitten with Val, aren’t you?”
“No!” Reba said a little too loudly.
Penny laughed. “I think she protests too much, Sis.”
Reba shook her head. “I am not smitten with Valentine.”
“Your red cheeks say otherwise,” Evie said. “That’s why you’ve been acting so weird. You have a thing for Val.”
Before she could deny it again, Penny leaned closer. “So give us the dirt? What kind of seduction are we talking about?”
“There was no seduction.” When the sisters’ eyebrows hiked up identically, Reba gave in. “Fine. There was a kiss. But it was just a fluke. I stumbled and Valentine caught me. Which probably threw out his back.”
“Stop that,” Evie scolded. “You are not that big, Reba.”
“Yes, I am. I make two of you.” And yet, Valentine had no trouble catching her or lifting her into his arms and swinging her around like she weighed nothing.
“So did he kiss you with tongue or without?” Penny asked.
With. With lots of hot, tempting tongue. “It was just a little ol’ kiss, Pen,” Reba lied.
“But you were still seduced.” Evie smiled. “You just said so.”
“Yes, I was seduced for a split second. Then I realized that a famous author like Valentine Sterling would not be interested in someone like me for anything but a quick roll in the hay. I’ve be there and done that and have no desire to do it again.”
Evie reached across the table and squeezed Reba’s hand. “Not all men are like that dumbass Billy Bob, Reba.”
“With me, they seem to be.”
“What do you mean? Another man treated you badly?”
She sighed. “What man hasn’t? Cal Ripley took me to the drive-in and then dove on me before the opening credits even started. Dougie Huber didn’t even bother with dinner or a movie and took me straight out to Rustler’s Roost and ripped my shirt in his enthusiasm to get it off. And then there was prom night with Alan Stetler, who I thought was safe because he was such a sweet guy who blushed whenever I talked to him. But he turned out to be worse than all the others. I actually had to get him in a wrestling hold to get him to stop. At least Billy Bob acted like he liked me for something other than sex. Of course, after I gave him sex, I found out differently.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me about those other guys?”
“Because you had other things to worry about. Like getting pregnant and taking care of a son. That, and I knew you would’ve gone after them and made them pay.”
“Hell, yeah, I would’ve.” Evie’s eyes narrowed. “And I still might.”
“I’m in,” Penny said. “I never did like Dougie.”
Reba laughed. “Thanks for taking up for me, y’all. But I handled those boys just fine without you.”
“Wait.” Evie pointed a finger at her. “Were you the one behind Cal’s broken nose? He told everyone in town that he’d gotten in a fight with a redneck.”
“A redneck woman.”
Evie and Penny laughed and Reba joined in. Even though, at the time, it hadn’t been that funny. But time healed all wounds as her mama liked to say. Although old wounds still left scars. Which was why she had no intentions of adding new ones. Valentine Sterling might be able to sweep her off her feet physically, but she wasn’t going to let him do it metaphorically. She was too smart for that.
“Hey, girls!” Luanne came hurrying up to the table carrying a big shopping bag. “I’m glad I ran into y’all. I have gifts for you.” She reached into the bag and pulled out a bright purple t-shirt that she held up proudly. Across the front in darker purple was a slogan.
Luanne, Texas, a Lovely Place to Live.
“What in the world?” Evie said.
“They’re t-shirts promoting a new town name.” Luanne held the shirt with her chin so she could point to the words. “See how Luanne starts with the same letter as Lovely