Page 9 of Curve Balls and Second Chances (Pickwick Pirate Queens #1)

CHAPTER NINE

T he parking lot of The Mimosa Tree Diner was packed when Rose pulled in and circled for the third time, her old Ford grumbling like it had better places to be.

It was eight o’clock on the dot, and every single space looked like it had been claimed since sunrise.

She sighed and found a narrow spot between a pickup truck with two muddy fishing poles hanging out the bed and a compact car covered in bumper stickers from Dollywood and SEC football.

“Uh oh,” she muttered under her breath. “ How heavy has the rumor mill been churning this morning?”

She glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror—hair frizzing just slightly from the June humidity, eyes a little wary.

She didn’t think she looked like someone who’d caused a town-wide stir, but that was the thing about Pickwick Bend —you never had to actually do much to become the center of attention.

Still, The Mimosa Tree was always packed at breakfast, even this late in the morning. Maybe this was just the regular morning crowd—retirees holding court by the window booths, moms in yoga pants, and the usual mess of old men in John Deere hats arguing over who had the better tomatoes this year.

Maybe it wasn’t about her.

Maybe it was just in her head. Maybe her own mixed-up, tangled-up feelings were making her sensitive.

But the minute she stepped through the door and the bell overhead jingled, a hush fell over the diner like someone had hit the pause button on a jukebox.

Every single eye in the place turned toward her— Miss Myrna with her bright pink lipstick holding a church bulletin she’d been about to pin on the bulletin board, Junior Harlan with his suspenders and his suspicious glare, even little Maylee Parsons , who stopped coloring her placemat and whispered something to her mama.

Okay. Maybe it was about her this time.

The girls were already gathered at their usual table in the back corner—heads together like conspirators, mugs full of steaming coffee, and matching smirks that had trouble written all over ‘em. It made Rose wish she’d just stayed at her own coffee shop and nursed a mug of drip brew in peace.

Maybe she should start offering something more substantial than cookies and muffins over there.

“Well, well, well ,” Maggie drawled, tilting her mug in a mock salute. “ If it ain’t our very own belle of the ball.”

Rose sighed and slid into the empty seat beside Dani , her shoulder brushing against the familiar vinyl booth. “ I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Tasha said, eyes twinkling. “ You brought this on yourself when you went to The Silver Catfish wearin’ your hair-down blouse.”

“My what ?”

“You know the one,” Tasha said, gesturing vaguely. “ That navy button-up. The one that makes your hair look all glossy and movie-star perfect. That auburn against navy? Mercy , it’s downright criminal .”

Rose blinked. “ Y’all are exhausting.”

“By six this morning, half of Pickwick Bend had already heard about your little dinner date,” Dani added with a giggle. “ By seven, the other half had an opinion about it.”

Rose gave her a withering look just as Allie came bustling over with a bunch of menus in hand. Her apron was slightly askew, and she had a pencil tucked behind each ear like she meant business.

“Well good mornin’, Rose ,” Allie said with a grin. “ Tell me about the new man in your life.”

That earned a chorus of laughter from the table and more than a few amused glances from neighboring booths. Mrs . Edna Harper in the corner even leaned in, not bothering to hide her interest.

Allie winked. “ Guess you’re gettin’ the third degree this morning, huh?”

Rose took a menu and nodded grimly. “ An FBI interrogation would be a step up, honestly.”

“Come on now,” Tasha said. “ You couldn’t have really thought you’d go on a date in Pickwick Bend and nobody’d find out. Especially not at The Silver Catfish . That place has more windows than the Baptist church.”

Rose sighed and handed her menu back. “ I don’t even know why you bring menus to us, Allie . We order the same thing every time.”

Allie collected them with a chuckle as everyone else held theirs up like white flags. “ Habit , I guess. You never know when somebody might surprise me.”

“You’re tone’s saying you’re not talking about breakfast orders,” Rose muttered.

“You look happy,” Ginny added, her voice softer than the others. “ Word is Declan opened the truck door for you.”

“That’s… not scandalous.”

“It is around here,” Maggie said with a smirk. “ Last man who opened a car door was my cousin’s boyfriend—and he was trying to beg forgiveness for being a jerk.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “ He was just being polite. It was just dinner.”

“Dinner that included hand brushing, parking lot lingering, and a confirmed second date,” Dani said, reading off her phone like it was the morning news. “ Straight from April Sue , who was working the hostess stand.”

Rose’s mouth dropped. “ She posted that?”

“Group text,” Dani corrected. “ But you know how that spreads.”

Rose groaned and buried her face in her hands. “ Lord , just kill me.”

“Too late,” Tasha teased, patting her hand. “ You’re already in love.”

“I am not .”

“But you like him,” Ginny said, eyes searching her face. “ Don’t you?”

Rose hesitated, fingers still pressed to her cheeks. “ I like that he’s… easy. No baggage. No ghosts.”

But even as she said it, her heart gave a little stutter. One that had nothing to do with coffee.

And everything to do with possibility.

Pushing away the feelings, she swirled her hands in the air. “ Enough , y’all. Can we just eat breakfast in peace? And talk about fishing or boating or anything else that someone can think of?”

“You can change the subject all you want,” Tasha said. “ But it won’t change what everyone’s thinking about.”

Rose sighed because truer words were never spoken.