Leaning back in his chair to more fully eye them, he asked, “Maybe you’d like to sit at our table?”

All three women nodded their approval. As they began peeling off green layers, Bodie stood and helped them with their coats, putting the hideous combinations on the chair backs.

When they’d finished unloading their outerwear and had headed to the counter to order, Sarah sighed.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a problem.” He’d been interrogated by worse.

“See if you’re still saying that by the time they’re through with us. They don’t understand the concept of subtle.”

No. That much was obvious.

“What exactly is it they’re doing?”

She shrugged. “Spying. Matchmaking. Who knows what all they’re up to?”

The spying, Bodie was fully aware of. The blue-haired one had even pretended to be out running one morning, complete in a purple velour jogging suit. He’d managed to evade having to say more than a quick hello to her by keeping his head down and his headphones cranked up.

He understood why they’d want to know more about a man who was spending so much time at Sarah’s home alone with her. The matchmaking, though… that one had him puzzled. Why would the women who obviously cared for Sarah try to match her with a stranger who wouldn’t be in town long?

“Why are they matchmaking?”

“Because I’m twenty-five and single, and they believe it their duty to marry me off to the first willing man in Pine Hill.” Realizing how he might take her words, Sarah’s cheeks flushed as brightly red as Mrs. Harvey’s apron.

Bodie tried to think of something to say that might ease her embarrassment, but what? Her friends were wasting their time if him settling down with Sarah was their hope. Bodie wasn’t the sticking-around-in-one-place type, much less the marrying kind.

For that matter, he wasn’t marriage material. Certainly not for Sarah, who deserved so much better.

“That’s not what I meant,” she attempted to clarify, her face growing more flushed. “I, you, I mean—”

“It’s okay.” He knew what she had meant and he would have said more but the blue-haired butterfly rejoined them.

Rosie leaned over to give Sarah a hug before sitting down in the chair next to Bodie. “Did you get that gorgeous tree you were looking at?”

Fortunately for Sarah, the Butterflies joining her and Bodie was the perfect distraction from her blunder. She and Bodie both knew he wasn’t looking for a relationship. Neither was she. They’d only met a couple weeks ago.

Not to mention that Bodie planned to leave Pine Hill as soon as he finished her job. She held no false hopes that he might want to stay. Boring Richard hadn’t wanted to stay. Why would someone as travel-seasoned as Bodie want to stick around?

“Mr. Lewis,” Maybelle greeted as she returned to the table with her order, her blue eyes studying him as she sat down.