“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 Jenny 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.
A half-hour later, Abby Ruth met him in front of Angelina’s cotton-candy painted house, with a big envelope under her arm. “Well, what did she say?”
“She wants to see the pictures before she’ll agree to take the entry form I filled out for Jenny.”
Abby Ruth snatched the paperwork out of his hand and marched up to Angelina’s door. “I’ll take it from here. The less this whole thing has your fingerprints on it, the better.”
The fifteen minutes he stood in Angelina’s yard felt like the retreat of an Ice Age. Finally, Abby Ruth sauntered outside. He watched her face for a sign she’d been successful, but there was no tell. That woman had one hell of a poker face. He waited, his gut like a daiquiri in a blender.
“We’re in,” Abby Ruth hiked one boot up onto his front bumper. “I knew these pictures would win her over. She was like putty in my hands.”
He sincerely doubted that, but his relief was so huge that he wasn’t about to call Abby Ruth on it.
She pulled out her phone and handed it to him. “She’s more likely to answer the phone if she sees it’s me calling. Let’s see if we can’t convince her to do this art show.”
* * *
PURCHASE CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND A CONFESSION
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.
As of this writing, 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.
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Big hugs and home runs,
Kelsey & Nancy
Books in the Series
IN FOR A PENNY
COLLARD GREENS AND CATFISHING
DEVILED EGGS AND DECEPTION
FRIED PICKLES AND A FUNERAL
WEDDING MINTS AND WITNESSES
Jenny & Teague Novellas
CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND A CONFESSION
SWEET TEA AND SECOND CHANCES
Also by Kelsey Bro
wning
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Come join the Sass Kickers!
If you love books and fun come join Kelsey Browning’s Sass Kickers on Facebook! There’s always lots of book talk, giveaways, and good times.
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PROPHECY OF LOVE SERIES
Sexy contemporary romance
Stay With Me
Hard to Love
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TEXAS NIGHTS SERIES
Sexy contemporary romance
Personal Assets
Running the Red Light
Problems in Paradise
Designed for Love
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SEASONED SOUTHERN SLEUTHS
MYSTERY SERIES w/NANCY NAIGLE
Southern cozy mysteries
In For a Penny
Collard Greens and Catfishing
Deviled Eggs and Deception
Fried Pickles and a Funeral
Wedding Mints and Witnesses
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JENNY & TEAGUE NOVELLAS
Contemporary romance with a dab of mystery
Christmas Cookies and a Confession
Sweet Tea and Second Chances
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STEELE RIDGE SERIES
Romantic suspense collaboration with Tracey Devlyn & Adrienne Giordano
The BEGINNING
Going HARD
Living FAST
Loving DEEP
Breaking FREE
Roaming WILD
Stripping BARE
Enduring LOVE
Vowing LOVE
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STEELE RIDGE: THE KINGSTONS
Romantic suspense collaboration with Tracey Devlyn & Adrienne Giordano
Craving HEAT
Tasting FIRE
Searing NEED
Striking EDGE
Burning ACHE
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NOVELLAS
Sexy contemporary romance
Amazed by You
Love So Sweet
Also by Nancy Naigle
The Adams Grove Series
Book 1:: Sweet Tea and Secrets
Book 2:: Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes
Book 3:: Out of Focus
Book 4:: Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies
Book 5:: Mint Juleps and Justice
Book 6:: Barbecue and Bad News
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Boot Creek Series
Book 1:: Life After Perfect
Book 2:: Every Yesterday
Book 3:: Until Tomorrow
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Single Titles
Sand Dollar Cove
Christmas Joy
Hope at Christmas
Christmas in Evergreen
Dear Santa
The Secret Ingredient
Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa
Recipe For Romance
Christmas Angels
inkBLOT – co-written with Phyllis Johnson
About Kelsey Browning
USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Browning writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and cozy mystery. Her Georgia-set, co-authored Seasoned Southern Sleuths mystery series is described by readers as “The Golden Girls meet Dirty Harry.” Her single title romances garner reviews that call her writing funny, sassy, and full of sizzling chemistry. Originally from a Texas town smaller than the ones she writes about, Kelsey has also lived in the Middle East and Los Angeles, proving she’s either adventurous or downright nuts. These days, she makes her home in northeast Georgia with her tech-savvy husband, her smart-talking son, and a (fingers crossed) future therapy pup. Find Kelsey online at KelseyBrowning.com.
For info on her upcoming releases, subscribe to her Sass Kickin’ News.
About Nancy Naigle
USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. She began her popular contemporary romance series, Adams Grove, while juggling a successful career in finance and life on a seventy-six-acre farm. Two of Nancy’s novels, Christmas Joy and Hope at Christmas, premiered on Hallmark Countdown to Christmas in 2018. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she currently calls North Carolina home. Join Nancy on Facebook and sign up for her newsletter at www.NancyNaigle.com.
Acknowledgments
Once again, we want to thank the amazing folks who help us bring these fun mysteries to you.
HUGE thanks to our bang-up editing team: Deb Nemeth and Tom Justice. Without you, the grannies would never shine so brightly.
A special thanks to Heather Machel, who keeps Kelsey in line on a daily basis and also does some of the best research in the countryside. If she can’t find the answer, it doesn’t exist.
To Kelsey’s Sass Kicker fan group: thank you for celebrating and supporting every book release!
And to those who help us daily behind the scenes: Miss Bettie, Andrew, Tech Guy, and Smarty Boy - we couldn’t give our fans the books they love without your love and support. Thanks for understanding when dinner duty is on you because we’re in Grannyland!
AND TO ALL OF YOU READING THIS ~ THANK YOU!
WEDDING MINTS AND WITNESSES
Copyright © 2017, Gwendolyn Brown Lucas and Nancy Naigle
ISBN: 978-1-944898-23-6
Print ISBN: 978-1-944898-34-2
Large Print ISBN: 978-1-944898-35-9
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Cover Art Design by Elizabeth McKay
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Digital release, May 2017
Trade Paperback release, May 2017
Second Edition release, March 2020
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Kicksass Creations
P.O. Box 49662
Athens, GA 30604
Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work, in whole or part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, is illegal and forbidden, without the written permission of the author.
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This is a work of fiction. Characters, settings, names, and occurrences are a product of the author's imagination and bear no resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, places or settings, and/or occurrences. Any incidences of resemblance are purely coincidental.
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