Page 6 of Making a Mountain Man (Summer in the Pines #16)

Wesley

I was on a high from my unexpected visitor. I wouldn’t say I’d thought of Jill as the one that got away, but I had wondered if life would have been different if I hadn’t moved. Would we have dated? Gotten married? Had two point five kids and a white picket fence?

We’d never know. What I did know was that the two of us might just have a second chance at…

something. I hadn’t been able to resist kissing her goodbye.

I’d needed her to know that friendship wasn’t the only thing on my mind.

I hadn’t wanted her to think I was some creep though.

The selfie-gate incident had me hyper aware of how I was perceived, especially by someone I was interested in.

Had I wanted to take it further?

God, yes.

Did I think she wanted me to take it further?

I was pretty sure she had. But, hell what did I know about women?

We weren’t kids anymore, but we did have a connection. Eventually, I would have to tell her what brought me back to Springwood. For now, I was content to get to know her again.

“So, what is it this time?” I asked the room at large as I walked into the seniors center a few days after my visit with Jill.

Agnes stepped forward to speak for the group as usual. “There was a mouse, maybe even a rat in the furnace room. I saw it and–”

Henry cut her off. “Did you have your glasses? And not the kind that holds wine.”

She harrumphed. “I know what I saw.”

“And I know it took you ten tries to park your car in the lot this morning and you still hit the curb.”

“I don’t see what one has to do with–”

“Never mind. I’ll check it out,” I said. These fights were known to last all day and I apparently had a mouse, real or imaginary, to catch.

Franny appeared while Agnes and Henry continued to bicker. “What has you smiling like a fool, Wesley?”

I sighed. Half my billable hours at this place were just getting grilled by the Fab Four.

“Can’t I just be happy to see such a lovely lady?”

Agnes stopped fighting with Henry and turned back to me. “I’d have expected your pants to catch right on fire with a whopper of a lie like that.”

“Unless your eyesight is as bad as hers,” Henry said, pointing towards Agnes with his chin.

“How dare you–” Agnes started.

“I had a date.”

Four sets of eyes pivoted to me, and I sensed my mistake .

Agnes rubbed her hands together and sat at the table, her fight with Henry forgotten for now. “Sit, sit, sit. Tell us everything.”

Town gossip was like a soap opera to this group.

I rubbed at the space between my eyebrows but dropped into a chair as I was told. Sometimes my friendship with these four felt more like a hostage situation. “Don’t get too excited. I was just catching up with an old friend.”

Agnes and Franny exchanged a look. “A lady friend? How exciting!” Franny clasped her hands in front of her chest. A large emerald ring I knew her late husband had given her sparkled on her hand.

As much as all the people at the seniors center, but especially these four, drove me crazy, I could appreciate that they had life experiences that I didn’t have.

“Yes, a lady friend. I made her dinner. Right now, there is nothing else to tell. But I will be sure to let you know when there is.”

“Dinner? That’s it. What about flowers, chocolates, a trip to the movies? A lady expects to be wined and dined son.” Bill had been married to the same woman his entire life until she’d passed a few years ago. He was a true romantic, even now.

“Pfft,” Henry said dismissively. “Wesley and I are lifelong bachelors. We love ‘em and we leave ‘em. You can’t tie men like us down.” He put an arm around my shoulders and met Agnes’s glare.

“I’m not talking about tying down. I’m talking about reining in. You, Henry, need supervision. Our Wesley needs love. He isn’t cranky like you, so there’s still time.” Agnes smiled at me fondly.

My heart warmed a little at her words. I liked the idea that forty-two wasn’t too late for love.

“But don’t scare this one away either. The days are long, but the years are short, and this town is woefully lacking in single women.”

“Gee thanks Agnes.”

Her face softened. “You know we just want to see you happy. Many people are happy alone but I don’t think you are.”

Her words hit home and my chest tightened.

I didn’t want to get into a heart to heart right now.

I was lonely. I did want someone in my life.

What I didn’t want was to put pressure on my relationship with Jill when it was only twenty-four hours old after a twenty-five year hiatus.

I was also once bitten, twice shy about putting myself out there.

“On that note, I am going to go mouse hunting.”