I grabbed my camera out of the front seat of the truck and started snapping pictures of her. I captured her getting a penny out of her purse, holding it close to her chest as she closed her eyes, and tossing it into the fountain.
I’d just lowered my camera and was going to go ask her if she’d like a ride home when Dixie Porter, Edith Scoggs, Barbara-Jean Nelson, and Dorothy Higgins approached her. Unless I was imagining things, all the women had shrunk since the last time I’d seen them, which was probably five years ago. They looked like sweet little old ladies and, as much as I loved the foursome, I also knew that they could be very intimidating.
And from the looks of how they circled Josie, these women meant business.
As I got closer I could hear Mrs. Higgins speaking as she ran her hands through Josie’s hair. “Why, aren’t you just the spittin’ image of her.”
“You truly are,” Mrs. Nelson agreed.
“Oh, thank you.”
“Is it true that she dated Rock Hudson?”
“If she did, at least we know why it didn’t work out.” Mrs. Scoggs wagged her brows.
“Um no.” Josie smiled sweetly at the trio. “I don’t think so.”
“Afternoon, ladies.” I tipped my baseball cap to the group at large. “You are all looking lovely today.”
“Is that…” Mrs. Nelson, who had always been my number one fan because I reminded her of her late husband Phil, lifted her hand and squinted as she looked up at me. “It is! Jackson Briggs, what in the world are you doing back in Wishing Well? Have you finally got some sense and moved home for good?”
It’s the same question that I was asked every single time I came back to my hometown.
“He’s here to work on Mia’s project.” Mrs. Porter, whose granddaughter Destiny was married to my brother JJ, explained. “I told you he was coming back Barbara-Jean.”
Mrs. Nelson waved her hand in the air. “Oh, you know I never listen to what anyone says.”
“I hate to interrupt, but I was wondering if I could steal Josie. My mama wanted me to give her a tour of the town.”
The fastest way to get out of a situation you didn’t want to be in around here was to say that your mama asked you to do something. No one messed with mama. Especially my mama. Dolly Briggs did not suffer fools, especially if one of those fools happened to be me or my brothers.
Everyone knew she meant business and took no prisoners.
“Well, now.” Mrs. Nelson patted my arm. “You best listen to your mama.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I dipped my chin and offered Josie my arm just like I had at the dinner table. “Shall we?”
Josie’s fingers wrapped once again around my bicep, and the same jolt shot through me that did every time we touched, no matter how innocent. If we ever had any real contact, I wasn’t sure I’d survive.
But what a way to go out.
“Bye, ladies. It was lovely meeting you all.” Josie waved and allowed me to escort her down the steps of town square.
As soon as we rounded the corner of City Hall, she dropped her arm. I immediately felt the loss of her touch but tried not to read too much into that.
“That’s twice you saved me. Thanks.” She waved and turned to walk in the opposite direction.
“Where are you going?”
On her heels, she pivoted back toward me, uncertainty written all over her face. “Um…back to the farm.”
“I wasn’t lying back there. My mom did tell me to take you on a tour.”
She waved her hands in front of her as she shook her head. “You don’t have to do that.”
I tilted my head to the side. “You’ve met my mother.”
“She is sort of scary.”
“Sort of?” I emphasized, making it clear that she was very scary.
Josie’s head fell back and a flutter of laughter filled the air. The sound was so sweet, so pure it made me feel lighter, freer. Freer than I’d ever felt in my life. Which didn’t make any sense considering I was in the place that had always made me feel trapped.
Chapter 10
Josie
“Lean into the drama, darling. Without it, life would be boring.”
~ Josephine Grace Clarke
As much as I’d been looking forward to the solo walk back to the farm to clear my head and figure out what to do about the show, I had to admit, I wasn’t hating being on a guided tour with Jackson. If anything, I was liking it