“We all pushed you to let us corner the thieves at this wedding. That was downright selfish. Today should’ve been a time for family and friends and celebration, but we made it about justice.”
Sera tugged on the dress’s hem, and Abby Ruth’s head popped out the top, her hair like a citron-crested cockatiel that had made a hard flight south for the winter. Her grin was as fierce a one as Lil had ever seen. “Come here,” she said to Lil.
Oh, dear. She knew the woman had a gun on her, but still Lil stepped closer.
Abby Ruth leaned down and nudged Lil’s arm. “Here. I thought you might not want this to be taken as evidence.”
And into Lil’s palm dropped two pieces of cool metal. Her rings. “How did you—”
“Those good ol’ boys aren’t the only ones with pickpocket skills.” With a hip shake and hair fluff, Abby Ruth said, “Now, I think it’s time for this wedding to finally take place.”
“That’s if we can get the justice of the peace back on his feet,” Maggie said.
“Who knew Ritter had it in him?” Abby Ruth marveled. “Never saw that old dog move that fast before. He really did send the JOP on an extreme flight, didn’t he?”
Red took Abby Ruth’s hand as they all headed up the hill toward the lawn. “You know what this means, don’t you?” He looked right at Lil. “Ritter is a hero.”
“He’s right, Lil.” Abby Ruth gave an apologetic shrug. “We really can’t make a hero sleep outside. That wouldn’t be right.”
Lordy goodness. At least now she’d have an excuse to bring him into the house without admitting to her friends that she’d fallen in love with the dog. But something told her Abby Ruth might be on to her and Ritter.
“Fine, but if he can’t get that flatulence problem under control, I’ll expect you to administer Bean-o.” It wouldn’t do for Lil to give in too easily or Abby Ruth would suspect something for sure.
“Maybe Ritter could spend more time at my house,” Red said to Abby Ruth. “I wouldn’t mind you spending more time with me too. You know I plan to be in Summer Shoals for the long haul. Or as long as you’re here, right?”
The smile on Abby Ruth’s face made Lil’s heart soften toward the tough-as-nails woman.
“I feel like we’re getting a second chance, Red,” Abby Ruth said softly. “Maybe not another first down with our own daughter, but as grandparents to Jenny’s children.”
“I like the sound of that,” Red said. “I love you, Ru.”
“I…ditto.”
Lil had never heard Abby Ruth sound so vulnerable or look so happy, but she took a breath and pulled her shoulders back. “Enough of this mushy stuff. We have a wedding to finish today.” With a wide swing of her arm, she motioned everyone back toward the gazebo.
When they made it back to the lawn, Red and Abby Ruth split off to join Jenny. Lil, Maggie, and Sera continued on toward the gazebo, where most of the guests had taken their seats although the chatter was still loud. The justice of the peace was steady enough on his feet to announce, “If everyone will please take your seats, we can resume these nuptials.”
They turned to head back to their seats, but Teague stopped them when he said, “Ladies, I sure would love it if y’all would stand up for me.”
It wasn’t traditional for a trio of over-fifty women to act as groomsmen, but then again there wasn’t much traditional going on around Summer Haven these days. It was hard to stand on ceremony when life was so much more fun when it was full of surprises.
The prelude music began. The sound of the organ and violins filled the air, and the crowd watched Grayson walk down the aisle, Bowzer on his left and Ritter plodding along on his right, all three of them streaked with Georgia red clay and frosting. When Grayson and the dogs joined Teague, they turned toward the guests, grins on all their faces.
The “Wedding March” gave Lil that warm feeling in her chest as it always did, and the crowd came to its feet. If she’d thought Grayson’s smile was huge, it had nothing on Jenny’s expression.
Or those of her mom and dad walking on either side of her. They stopped at the end of the aisle, and the sheer love Jenny and Teague were beaming at one another would’ve lit up Summer Shoals for the next ten years. Lil’s gaze shifted to Abby Ruth, only to catch her and Red looking at each other the same way.
Maybe this wasn’t the last wedding Summer Haven would host. That filled Lil’s heart with such joy, she was all but bursting with it.
The justice of the peace asked, “Who gives this bride?”
Abby Ruth said, “Her mother—”
“And father,” Red said, in sync, with an obvious squeeze to Abby Ruth’s hand.
Jenny stepped out from between them and toward Teague. Toward the rest of her life.
He gave her a quick grin and said, “You have to admit this is perfect. I’m barefoot and you’re pregnant.”
THE END
of this adventure…
What’s Next?
Get more of Jenny & Teague’s story in ALWAYS ON MY MIND.
Authors’ Note
Dear Reader,
As any good fiction authors do, we’ve taken a few liberties here and there within this story.
If you’re a baseball aficionado, you probably already know that the Houston Astros did not win the 1984 World Series. In fact, they didn’t even play in the series! That year, the Detroit Tigers faced off against the San Diego Padres, with Detroit winning the series.
The Astros (bless their little hearts) have only played in a single World Series. In 2005, they went up against the Chicago White Sox, getting walloped when the Sox swept the series (meaning Chicago won four and Houston a big ol’ none).
Red also came by his nickname from hitting home runs. However, major league pitchers aren’t normally on the batting roster. What can we say? Red is a superstar. And we wanted him to have an illustrious career as a pro player, so we gave the Astros and him a little fictional boost, knowing our readers wouldn’t mind.
Big hugs and home runs,
Kelsey & Nancy
Books in the Series
Book 1 - IN FOR A PENNY
Book 2 - FIT TO BE TIED
Book 3 - IN HIGH COTTON
Book 4 - UNDER THE GUN
Book 5 - GIMME SOME SUGAR
Jenny & Teague Novella 1 - ALWAYS ON MY MIND
Jenny & Teague Novella 2 - COME A LITTLE CLOSER
Wonder which granny you’re the most like?
Take the free WHO’S YOUR GRANNY? Quiz at
www.GTeamSeries.com then let us know by giving us a quick shout on Facebook or via email!
You can sign up for occasional email updates about special sales, tour dates, and the next books in the series too!
Excerpt from Always on My Mind, A Jenny & Teague Novella
Chapter One
For half a second, Teague Castro took his eye off his target to glance at the woman in the firing lane on his right. Eye and ear protection snug against her face, Abby Ruth was intent on the outline of the zombie fifty-odd yards away. With a sound like a giant rubber band being popped, she emptied her Glock, hitting the walking dead in the heart with every shot.
If Teague could get his deputies to shoot half as well, he’d be a happy man. But Abby Ruth Cady was one of a kind. How many men could say their future mother-in-law could shoot a tick off a hound’s ass without disturbing a strand of fur? Very few.
Then again, she wasn’t truly his future mother-in-law. Yet. He still had to win Jenny back. Hard to do when the woman wouldn’t even answer his calls.
His grip suddenly unsteady, he released the magazine on his own 9mm and removed the remaining ammo. He sure had no business handling a firearm when he was shaking like a drunk coming off a five-day bender. Thinking about Jenny did that to him.
Abby Ruth reloaded, adjusted her long-legged stance, and proceeded to give the target a hole in the chest the size of a big man’s fist. With her trademark white shirt and slim jeans tucked into a pair of eye-blinding
turquoise boots, she was lean and fit at sixty-one. Since she’d moved to Summer Shoals, Georgia a few months ago, the older men had sniffed around. In normal Aunt Bibi style, she’d tossed back a few beers with them at Earlene’s Drinkery, but that was the extent of it.
Finally, Abby Ruth pulled out her ear plugs and shoved her protective glasses to the top of her head, making her short gray hair stand up as though she’d been shocked by a wave of electricity. “I swear to Jesus, boy. If you thought any louder over there, I’d need better ear protection.” She released her clip, double-checked for any remaining bullets before wiping down her gun. “Your brain waves are so damned powerful, I’m pretty sure they sent my last shot off target.”
“That’ll be the day.” Teague chuckled and leaned over to press the switch to bring Abby Ruth’s target forward. Sure enough, one shot was about a millionth of a centimeter outside the main hole. “Yeah, I can see you were distracted.”
“That little bit can be the difference between the upper hand and the lower rung. You know that as well as I do.” Her eyebrows hit her hairline. “Now, why don’t you buy me something to drink and tell me why you invited me out to shoot today? I have a feeling it wasn’t because you wanted to remind yourself this old gal can outshoot you when she’s drunk, blindfolded and down in the back.”
As a former journalist, she was no one’s fool, that was for damn sure. Teague slung an arm around her shoulders and led her outside to an empty picnic table. The December day was bright and cool, but they’d both worked up a sweat shooting. “Orange soda?”
“I do love a man who remembers my preferences.”
His front pockets produced enough change for two drinks. The coins jingled into the chamber of the old style drink machine. The whole shooting range might be outdated with the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-replace-it mentality, but it was still functional. The cans rumbled to the opening one by one. He carried the cold drinks back to the table, popping the top of Abby Ruth’s before handing it to her. They sat and sipped in companionable silence for several minutes.
His win-back-Jenny agenda was stalled, but enlisting Abby Ruth’s help felt reckless right now. She was smart. She was shrewd. And she had a way of taking over a situation.
And that was something he couldn’t allow. But after seeing Jenny again a few weeks ago, he knew more than ever he wanted her in his life, here in Summer Shoals. How the heck he would convince her it was a good idea was a whole other story.
Abby Ruth set down her drink with a thunk. “Spill it, kiddo.”
“She won’t return my calls.”
Abby Ruth swung her legs up on the bench to face him and sighed, proving he didn’t need to specify who she was. “I could make excuses for her behavior. She’s always had a stubborn streak.”
“No idea where she got that,” he muttered, coaxing a laugh from Abby Ruth.
“She’s not real good at admitting when she’s made a mistake.”
“You sure she wasn’t adopted?” he teased.
She pointed a finger at him pistol-style. Good thing it was just her finger because the paper lying on the table between them proved he’d be stone cold dead otherwise. “I can admit when I’m wrong. Rarely happens is all. If you think you can win over a woman by insulting her, it’s no wonder she ran off without a word.”
He winced at the memory of Jenny and her son’s visit to Summer Shoals. What had started out as a nice birthday party for Abby Ruth had turned into a belly-ripper for him when he blurted out his feelings for Jenny, then kissed her. He’d hoped for fireworks. The explosive kind that resulted in professions of undying love.
But the fireworks had been more like a backfire. Before he knew what was happening, Jenny had taken off to Boston.
And he damned well knew it wasn’t because that kiss had been lame. He hadn’t kissed Jenny in over a decade, not since he screwed up so royally and she married that over-polished bag of ties in Boston not long after. But he still remembered what she felt like, tasted like. Like a Black Cat firecracker—hot, combustible, unpredictable. And like one of those red pepper suckers sold down at the drug store—sweet, spicy, addictive.
That candy always made Teague sweat, but he couldn’t resist it.
No more than he could resist Jenny.
“Look,” he said. “She’s divorced and I want her back. I let her go once because I was careless and stupid.”
“You were a boy. Y’all all start out that way.”
“Well, I’m not a boy now.” He leaned forward on the old picnic table. “Have you talked to her since she went back to Boston?”
“Yeah,” Abby Ruth admitted. “But you know us. We’re the five minutes on-and-off types. I Skype with Grayson a couple of times a week though.”
Jenny’s eight-year-old son was a disconcerting combination of Jenny’s dark-haired vibrating energy and her ex’s slick polish. Kid could probably put himself on the ballot for Summer Shoals’ mayor and win the race.
Teague tried like hell to ignore the ache in his chest insisting that Grayson should be his son. That he and Jenny should’ve figured things out long ago and made a family together. The time they’d wasted. It would make him sick, except that was just another waste of time.
“And if you’re wondering if she’s mentioned you since my birthday party,” Abby Ruth said, “the answer is no.”
Well, that was a rusty knife to the gut.
“But she’s never been one to kiss and tell,” Abby Ruth said. “So why haven’t you hauled your sorry butt up to Boston and knocked on her door?”
“Because I’ve been giving her some cooling-off space and trying to figure out how the hell to make Summer Shoals—” and himself, “—more attractive to her.”
“Yeah, you went off halfcocked when she was here, which isn’t like you. You got a plan this time?”
“Does she still take pictures like she used to?”
“No,” Abby Ruth said. “Being a single parent keeps her busy. Most of the shots she takes these days are of Grayson. But Lord knows, that girl has an eye. When Grayson was a toddler, she had him look through a paper towel roll and took his picture. Sounds kinda creepy, but those photos of his eye and part of his chubby little face are my favorites. Who else but Jenny would’ve thought to do that?”
“Not sure if you’ve heard, but Angelina Broussard is heading up a holiday art competition starting this week.”
Abby Ruth’s mouth turned down as if she taken a slug of three-month-old milk. “Is there anything in Summer Shoals that woman doesn’t have her bony little fingers in?”
He wasn’t touching that. No need to stir the pot of animosity always simmering between Abby Ruth and Angelina. It was no secret that Angelina wanted to be Summer Shoals’ queen bee, and there was nothing Abby Ruth liked better than to take a flyswatter after someone she thought was getting above her raising. “If Jenny were to enter and win, it could be good for all of us. The winner gets several thousand dollars in prize money and a yearlong stint as artist-in-residence at the high school.”
“You don’t say.” She tapped her chin with her soda can. “So why haven’t you called her to tell her about it?”
“Because, after my…”
“Colossal screwup, you’re too chickenshit to risk it?”
He laughed and shook his head. This woman. She was stubborn and outrageous and painfully honest. But neither she nor her daughter would ever be boring. And as much as Teague enjoyed living in a town where the excitement consisted of a new blue plate special at the Atlanta Highway Diner, he damn sure didn’t want to be bored for the rest of his life. “That about sums it up. But no risk, no reward. I’m planning to call her and break the ice by encouraging her to enter the art competition.”
“You may need to do more than encourage.” In an unusual show of affection, Abby Ruth grabbed Teague’s hand and squeezed. “Takes a strong man to keep up with the Cady women. And that pansy-ass Daniel Northcutt sure couldn’t make that cut. I don’t know what knocked you and J
enny sideways years ago, but I can tell you it hurt my heart then. And not a day has passed since that I haven’t wished things could’ve been different. But as wrong as I think Jenny’s marriage to old pasty-face was, without it I wouldn’t have Grayson. And you know he’s a pistol and a half.”
“Think she’d ever take him out of Boston?” That was the kicker.
A slow, sly smile crept across Abby Ruth’s face. “Well, she hasn’t said as much. But honestly, what’s keeping her tied up north now? If Grayson were to have a positive male role model down here, there’s nothing saying he couldn’t visit his daddy a few holidays and a couple weeks in the summer instead of every other weekend.”
That made the guilt roiling in Teague’s gut simmer down a little. “Okay, then it’s time for me to stop letting her call the shots.” He wrestled his cell phone from his pocket. “Bet I can get a flight from Atlanta to Boston today. I have to talk her into this art show fast, though, because there’s only one spot left and the entry deadline is tomorrow.”
“Sounds like the faster Angelina gets Jenny’s pictures, the better.” Abby Ruth put her hand on his phone. “I have plenty of her pictures to choose from. Maybe we enter them for her. Then she can’t refuse to come.”
Teague liked the idea. And hated it. Secrets were the reason he and Jenny were no longer a couple. “I don’t know—”
“Tell you what, I’ll claim it was all my idea. The better to keep you out of Jenny’s crosshairs if she pitches a hissy fit.” She pushed off the bench and tossed her drink into a recycling bin. “You go sweet-talk Angelina, and I’ll meet you there with some of Jenny’s work.”
Teague prayed like hell this didn’t backfire.
Gimme Some Sugar Page 23