Sporting (Unleashed Romance #3) - Kylie Gilmore Page 0,13

hip.

“Hi, Mrs. Ellis,” Jenna says, suddenly standing stiff and straight. The General is in! “Can I help you?”

“Bah. I’m eighty-eight years old, fit as a fiddle. You think I got this way eating sweets? Sugar is the devil.”

I chuckle. “See? I’m not the only one who avoids sugar.”

Mrs. Ellis turns her sharp gaze on me. “Eli Robinson, you’re looking fit. So if you’re not here for sugar, why are you here?”

I flush guiltily as though my lust is showing. It’s unnerving the way she seems to see right through a person. Now I know why Sydney always said they were all scared of her. “Thought I’d check out the place everyone’s always raving about.”

She gives me a knowing look before turning to Jenna. “He’d be good for you, Jenna. Solid and stable, a real man. They’re not so easy to find nowadays, so when you do, make sure you do something about it. Has he asked you on a date yet?”

My jaw gapes, and I close it with a snap.

Jenna flushes bright red, gesturing toward me, her mouth open but nothing coming out. Finally she puts her hands on her hips, looks to the ceiling, and lets out a breath. “Mrs. Ellis, surely that’s not the reason you stopped by today.”

Mrs. Ellis gives me a pointed look. “Looks like it’s time for you to step up here. She’s clearly overcome at the thought. A good sign.”

I grin. “I’m on it, Mrs. Ellis.”

She rubs her hands together. “Excellent. Jenna’s good people.”

Jenna’s eyes are huge, staring at me. I wink at her behind Mrs. Ellis’s back, figuring she’ll look relieved, but instead she searches my expression. Does she want me to ask her out again?

Mrs. Ellis gets down to business. “I’m here about the Fall Harvest Festival. I wasn’t satisfied with the way the meeting ended last night.” The Fall Harvest Festival takes place the last Saturday of September on a large piece of preserved land next to the Presbyterian church.

Mrs. Ellis pauses.

And keeps pausing.

Finally, Jenna bites and says, “Why weren’t you satisfied?”

“Because we still don’t have enough for the kids. It’s all about the beer tent and concessions.”

They get into a detailed discussion over the festival. Jenna’s polite and respectful, even when Mrs. Ellis declares she has the solution to bring people together—square dancing.

Jenna shoots me a horrified look. I grimace.

Mrs. Ellis goes on cheerfully. “The kids always enjoyed square dancing in gym class. They’d come back to the classroom sweaty and red faced. Good clean fun.”

“More like embarrassed,” Jenna says under her breath.

Mandatory boy-girl square dancing in gym class was definitely embarrassing at that age. Boys didn’t want to link arms with a girl. Barf. And girls thought the boys had cooties. They were always screaming about them.

“What’s that? Speak up!” Mrs. Ellis barks at Jenna.

“I don’t think square dancing is the answer,” Jenna says evenly.

Mrs. Ellis arches a brow and looks at me. “Do you agree?”

“I do. It’s not what kids are into nowadays.”

“Well, we need something!” Mrs. Ellis exclaims. “I swear, kids don’t know how to have fun anymore. It’s all about pressing buttons and staring at screens.”

Jenna looks thoughtful. “I’m sure we can come up with something, though it’s only a little over two weeks away. We can’t get too ambitious.”

“A dance-athon,” Mrs. Ellis says with a note of finality. “That’s it. We’ll do it in the big red barn from five p.m. to midnight so the dancers don’t get too tired out. Kids, adults, everyone together.” The big red barn is the long-standing home of our very own Standing O theater company.

“Hmm,” Jenna says.

Mrs. Ellis continues enthusiastically. “We’ll ask the dancers to get sponsors and use the money to fund next year’s festival and make it even bigger. People can wander over to the barn to watch.”

“We’d have to ask the Standing O if it was okay,” Jenna says. “And what about music? We’d need to hire a DJ or get a live band.”

“I’ll leave that part to you,” Mrs. Ellis says. “I’m just the idea lady. You young people have the energy to make stuff happen. Good talk.” She points to the case. “I’ll take one of those chocolate chip cookies to go. You know, just in case Harper visits soon.”

Jenna gives her a knowing look. “You’ll need a few more, then. She’s got a husband and baby now.”

Mrs. Ellis sighs dramatically. “Might as well make it a dozen. My son-in-law Garrett is a big man.” Her face softens. “Caroline is two months old and