Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“Let me introduce you to the others,” Father Jude said.
“I’ll do that,” Sibby offered, placing a hand on his arm and beaming at him. “You do so much. Go sit and rest. I’ll bring you a sweet tea.”
He appeared to be buying her bullshit. I could see it in his expression as he nodded. He was pleased.
“That’s kind of you, Sibby. I’m sure Saylor would enjoy getting to know some ladies close to her age before we get started.”
No, actually, I was not interested at all.
Sibby might fall to her knees and lick his feet at any moment. Good Lord, was there not someone other than her he could pawn me off on? Not that I needed pawning. I could handle this myself. I did a quick scan of the others and found an attractive man with dark brown hair, a trimmed beard, and a tattoo visible on his neck. He turned his head in my direction, and his brown eyes crinkled at the corners as a slow smile touched his face. There was a friend. I was better with males.
An older lady with gray streaks and a skirt that went to her ankles called Father Jude over to show him something she had in a Crock-Pot.
These folks really were into food.
“I’ll leave you ladies to make the rounds,” he said, barely glancing at me before escaping Sibby’s clutches.
“Isn’t he a fine man of God? Always there for everyone. Trying to save the lost souls,” she said as she tore her gaze off him to level it on me.
When I realized she wanted me to respond, I shrugged. “I just met him.”
She gave me a bless your heart smile. “Of course. Another lost soul,” she said, then waved a hand out at the room. “This is all his work. Those hurting from loss. I didn’t notice you in the sanctuary earlier. Did you not attend Mass?”
“I’m not Catholic.”
Her eyes rounded as if I had just confessed that I was a convict on probation.
“I see,” she said in an exaggerated whisper.
Yeah, I was starting to think that whoever Sibby had lost must have run off a cliff to get away from her. I could be at home, watching Netflix right now. Eating my Takis.
“Sibby! Why don’t you bring those pigs in a blanket over here and set them on the table?” a woman called.
She nodded her head with entirely too much enthusiasm than necessary. “I’ll be right there, Lora Gail,” she replied then glanced back at me. “You can mingle on your own for a moment, can’t you, while I go help prepare the food table?”
Seemed she wanted to ditch me as badly as I wanted to ditch her.
“Of course,” I replied and headed toward the table with the tattooed brown-eyed man before she could say anything else I had to listen to.
He watched me walk toward him, not even masking the appreciative glint in his eyes. At least someone liked the effort I’d put into getting ready for tonight. Which I was realizing was a waste. The hot priest was too…good for my general liking. I wasn’t even sure I could summon naughty thoughts with him in it.
I pulled out the chair beside Brown Eyes. “Hello,” I said, sitting down. “Saylor,” I told him with a grin that I knew made my dimples pop.
“Nice to meet you, Saylor. Crow,” he replied, his eyes dipping down below my neck and not even trying to hide it.
Odd that I was now annoyed. I’d wanted attention, hadn’t I? Yes. But this was just the wrong male I’d wanted it from.
Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my legs and sighed. “You come here often?” I asked him.
“Weekly,” he replied. “For the past six months.”
I tucked some hair behind my ear as I glanced out at the others before looking back at him. “Does it help?”
He gave a small shrug. “I think. It’s either that or time. But here I am, coming back.”
I dropped my eyes to his neck. “What’s the tattoo?” I asked, only being able to see what I thought were black feathers.
“It’s a crow. That’s part of its left wing,” he replied.
It must take up most of his back. I didn’t ask to see it though.
“You from around here?” he asked me.
“Yep,” I replied. “Family goes back a hundred years.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Really? You know your family tree then.”
I wanted to laugh. He had no idea how well I knew my family tree.
I nodded. “And you?”
“Moved here almost a year ago.”
I did a quick check of his ring finger, and there was no mark or a tan line to show where a ring had been.
“What brought you to Madison?”
He shrugged. “A girl.”
The sadness in his eyes as he said it made me think she might be the reason he was here. His loss.