“Oh, she’s not dead, honey! She just moved to Arizona. Got one of them ‘active living’ condos. She’s having the time of her life out there.” She angled her head then, like she was only now really getting a good look at us, and clucked happily. “Y’all are darling together.” Then she leaned in with her hand cupping her mouth. “I’m a little jealous of you,” she whispered very loudly. “That man looks like he’s the best kind of rough ride.” That was delivered with a saucy wink and a shiver like just thinking about playing dick rodeo with Theo brought her all kinds of thrills.

The jackass I was with obviously heard her since he was shaking behind me. His fingers fluttered on my back and I didn’t have to turn around to know he was trying not to laugh. And what the fuck was wrong with me that my insides started fluttering just from sensing he was having fun?

“Oh, we’re not together,” I told her and immediately regretted it when I felt Theo stiffen. Miss Susan’s face fell for a second, but she wasn’t going to let that detract her from her attempt to get all in our business. In response, Theo let his arm slip away from me, and I had to force myself not to grip his wrist to keep him there. He closed the trunk door and waved goodbye to Miss Susan.

“Thanks, ma’am.” He offered her a real smile and my messy-ass self felt a twinge of jealousy. “I’ll wait for you in the truck.” This was said to me in a very terse tone.

“Oh, honey, thank you for taking some of that stuff off my hands. If you think of anything else you want, come back and grab it. You can just PayPal me. I’ll be gone for the next few hours, but I’ll leave the shed open for you,” she called after him as he climbed in the truck then clicked her tongue again, this time like things were in a state of emergency. “That man looks at you like he’s just come out of the desert after forty days and forty nights and you’re the only thing he’s been craving.”

Yeah, I wasn’t going down that path.

“Thanks for everything, Miss Susan.” I was grateful to the woman for letting me go without another comment. I watched her climb into her car and drive away as her words rang in my ears. By the time I climbed in next to Theo it had started to rain. Fat raindrops started splashing against the windshield as Theo got us on the gravel road leading out of Miss Susan’s property.

“My service picked up your car. They said they’d drop it off once they switch the tires.” He sounded casual, but there was an unmistakable tightness in his voice.

“Thank you.”