Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 135522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Do I really mind?
“Alright, alright, listen up!” calls out Nadine. Everyone draws quiet. What else does one do when Mrs. Strong calls for attention? “Everyone is here, and I can’t wait a second longer. I have got a genius idea that I absolutely, one-hundred percent, without a speck of a doubt know will be the thing that puts Spruce on the Texas map once and for all.”
“Goodness, Mom, haven’t you made them wait long enough?” says Tanner. “We’re runnin’ out of ranch dip!”
Nadine swats his arm. “Shush you.” She clears her throat and places her hands on the counter. “Now it’s no secret that after the incident today, everyone’s talkin’ about our man of the hour: Cole Harding. Then Cissy asked me who he’s datin’ … and that’s when I got the idea. The iron’s hot. Now’s when we gotta strike.”
“For cryin’ out loud, Mom, the people in this room are gettin’ older by the second. Just tell ‘em what it is!”
Nadine grips the counter, leans forward, and finally lets it out: “I want to run an Eligible Bachelors of Spruce Pageant!”
Chapter 6
Cole
Tanner looks dumbstruck. Billy, too.
Paul Strong takes a silent sip of his wine.
I stare across the island at Nadine, waiting for her to say it’s a joke before telling us the real reason we’re here.
Burton lets out a small chuckle, then glances at Tamika, then Mr. Strong, then Billy and Tanner. When no one returns the laugh, he turns back to Nadine and mumbles, “Wait, really?”
“Here’s how I see it,” she goes on with a spread of her hands. “Cole Harding here will be the star of the show …”
“Star of the—?” I quickly set down my plate—though it feels more like I drop it—then lift my eyebrows. “I’m the what …?”
“… and I have at least one other single man I know who most certainly deserves a lovely lady in his life. Of course for you, Cole, we’d be on the hunt for a dashing young man.”
My hands find hold of the counter in front of me. It’s like I’m staring at my bloody arm all over again. Is the kitchen spinning or was my drink spiked? “I … uh … h-hold on …”
“Everyone looks confused! What’s there to be confused about? Don’t you see the dollar signs? Mayor Raymond in all his years did not do anything like this to raise money for our lovely town. This will be a fundraising event. Somethin’ fun to get the whole town involved. How many more articles are you gonna write ‘bout me and my bein’ mayor and whatever other borin’ snooze-fest thing I’ve done lately? No one cares that I planted another tree in the park. What they wanna hear about is if Cole here is datin’ someone or if Dean has found himself a lady since his dear wife passed. The stuff you actually hear people gossipin’ about around town. Can we all see it now? Are we on the same page? Speakin’ of pages, that’s why I brought you guys in,” she adds with a nod at the three here from the Spruce Press. “I want you guys to run stories on this. Really build this whole thing up.”
“Okay, I can see this,” murmurs Tamika to herself, inspired.
I peer at her, for a moment panicked by her enthusiasm.
“I want you to more than see it,” says Nadine. “I want you to feel it. Look at the bigger picture I’m paintin’. We may even attract attention from singles all around us.”
“You mean from neighboring towns?” asks Burton.
“Yes! Imagine if we drew in people from Brookfield, Fairview, maybe even as far as Houston or Austin or Dreamwood Isle. Who knows? Have I captured everyone yet? Y’all gotta think biiig!” Her voice squeals excitedly on the word “big” as her hands spread in the air, bangles jangling on her wrists. “Big, big, big. Like, Texas-big. Fundraisers. Auctioning off dates with the sexy men. Showin’ off what we got to show off here in Spruce. Do I sound insane yet? Could we make national news, do you think? Amelia and Joe Pane have contacts all over the country. Lance has friends in LA.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” says her husband Paul with a chuckle. “But I sure do love this idea, dear. I think it’s just what the town needs.”
“Isn’t it?” She lets out a happy sigh. “Love’s in the air this year for everyone. I can just feel it to my bones.”
“I think that’s the dollar signs you’re feelin’,” states Tanner. Billy sucks in his lips and looks away.
“So can I count on y’all to make this dream of mine happen?” Nadine asks, ignoring her son—or maybe not hearing his remark at all. “The McPhersons and the Whitmans already know and want to help out, too. Cissy even said she could host somethin’, one of the events, whatever we need. Y’all know she’s got that big ol’ pavilion we use for the Spruce Ball every summer. Are we already comin’ up on the sixth annual this year? Anyway, if I can pry dear Cassie away from Lance for one dang sec, I’m sure she’ll help, too.”