“Come on, Lucille. You know that menu from cover to cover,” Jenny sighed. “You don’t need to look at it, to decide what you want.”
“I don’t want to talk about it, right now.”
Jenny only relented, for the time being, because the waitress had finally worked her way across the crowded room, to their table. “Hey, Ladies,” she greeted with a bright smile. “Are you all ready to order? I got the feeling Lucy was using the menu to hide behind.”
Jessie laughed so hard, she snorted, drawing a dirty look from Lucy, which she shot around the edge of the menu, before going back into hiding. “Lucille, I think your covers been blown. Stephenie is sharp as a tack tonight, or she just knows you very well. You might as well put the menu down.”
“Stop calling me Lucille,” she said, barely keeping her volume below a shout. “I hate that name.”
“We’ll stop calling you Lucille, when you start talking and tell us what’s got your panties in a twist,” Jessie said, titling her head to the side and giving her a stern look.
“Don’t look at me that way. I feel like I’m talking to my mom.”
“Good. Maybe you’ll talk,” Jenny said, eyeing her the same way.
When Lucy noticed Mary Ellen was wearing a similar look as the other two, she groaned and dropped her head in her hands. “You three aren’t going to drop this until I tell you, are you?”
“No,” they all replied together.
“I ran into Tyler at the grocery store earlier. I was hoping after his eight years on the rodeo circuit, he would have grown up a little bit. He hasn’t. He still teases me every chance he gets,” she huffed, throwing her hands up.
Jessie shook her head and looked to the other two. “Will she ever understand, he’s not teasing?”
Jenny sighed. “One of these days, maybe, but it’s going to take a miracle.”
Lucy gave Stephenie her order, ignoring the other three the best she could. Once they had all finally placed their orders and the café owner, turned waitress had walked away, they all turned back to stare at her, waiting for her to spout off again.
Before they managed to draw even a groan from her, a guy they had all went to school with walked up and said hello. “Well, hello. How are four of the most beautiful ladies in Sapphire Springs doing tonight?”
“Hello, Harry,” Mary Ellen smiled up at him. “We’re all doing good. How are you?”
“Wonderful,” he said, looking down at Lucy. “I was wondering if Lucy would like to have dinner with me tomorrow night.”
Lucy sat up straighter and looked over at him. “I’m sorry, Harry. I really don’t think that would be a good idea.”
He nodded his head. “Well, a guy has to try. I guess you’ve still got a thing for Tyler, don’t you?”
“Harry!” she exclaimed, turning bright red. “Please, keep it down.”
“Sorry,” he said, looking around the crowded room at all the other people eating dinner. “I didn’t realize it was supposed to be a secret. I’m pretty sure most of the town already knows.”
Jessie snorted, finally unable to hold her humor inside. “I’m sorry, Harry. You’re a great guy, but I think you’re just out of luck where this one’s concerned. I’m sure she’s always going to have ‘a thing’ for Tyler.”
“Well, he’s a lucky guy,” he said, looking back down at Lucy once again. “I wonder if he knows just how lucky.”
“I don’t think he knows, yet,” Jenny added. “But if we have anything to do with it, he’ll know soon enough.”
Lucy gasped, turning a shocked look on her friend. “What do you mean by that?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Jenny said cryptically. “I’m still thinking about it.”
“Well, you ladies enjoy your evening,” he said, before walking back over to a table with a couple of his own friends from school.
Mary Ellen waited till he was out of ear shot, then turned back to Lucy. “Why won’t you go out with him? He’s asked you out several times just this last year.”
Lucy shrugged, picking up the dessert menu to give herself something to do.
“Harry is a really good guy. He and Rick are really good friends.”
“Then why don’t you go out with him?” Lucy asked, not looking up from the menu she held in her hand.
“Well, he’s never asked me out, and we’re like brother and sister, anyway. He spent a lot of time at our house, growing up.”
“Whatever,” she shrugged. “I know he’s a good guy. I’m just not interested.”
“We know,” Jessie added. “He’s right, you know? The whole town knows you’re in love with Tyler.”
“They do not.”
“Yes, they do,” Jenny chuckled. “Well, everyone except for Tyler, himself.”
Oh, Baby! (The Townsends Book 2) Page 25