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Angie Pepper’s Followers (25)
Angie Pepper
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“Tina Gardenia was as happy as a cat with a full belly.
She had kept Luca Lowell’s heart safely on her charm bracelet, and it had been wonderful.
It was Sunday morning again, and Luca was clunking around in the tiny kitchen on one bare foot and one walking cast, making coffee by the smell of it.
Tina snuggled Muffins close to her face. “You’re a handsome boy,” she cooed.
“I know you’re talking to the cat,” Luca said. “Why don’t you talk to me like that?”
“You already get more than enough compliments, Mr. Lowell.”
“How many dunks do I dunk your tea bags?”
“You don’t dunk. Just pour the water on and let it steep.”
“How’s it going to steep if you’re not dunking?”
“Fine,” she said. “Give it... seven dunks.”
“Gotcha. Seven dunks.” He started counting them out.
Tina nuzzled the ginger cat sprawled out on the couch. “You’re the prettiest boy in the world,” she said.
Luca growled, “I heard that.”
“Focus on your dunking.”
“Darn it. I lost count.”
“That’ll teach you for listening in on other people’s private conversations.”
Luca snorted and went back to dunking.
For the last two weeks, Muffins had been coming to visit at the tiny house regularly, and Luca had been pretending to be a jealous boyfriend. He and the cat were bonding on their own, though, often snuggling up on the couch together, watching their favorite shows. Luca liked true crime shows, and Muffins liked a warm lap and chin scratches.”
―
She had kept Luca Lowell’s heart safely on her charm bracelet, and it had been wonderful.
It was Sunday morning again, and Luca was clunking around in the tiny kitchen on one bare foot and one walking cast, making coffee by the smell of it.
Tina snuggled Muffins close to her face. “You’re a handsome boy,” she cooed.
“I know you’re talking to the cat,” Luca said. “Why don’t you talk to me like that?”
“You already get more than enough compliments, Mr. Lowell.”
“How many dunks do I dunk your tea bags?”
“You don’t dunk. Just pour the water on and let it steep.”
“How’s it going to steep if you’re not dunking?”
“Fine,” she said. “Give it... seven dunks.”
“Gotcha. Seven dunks.” He started counting them out.
Tina nuzzled the ginger cat sprawled out on the couch. “You’re the prettiest boy in the world,” she said.
Luca growled, “I heard that.”
“Focus on your dunking.”
“Darn it. I lost count.”
“That’ll teach you for listening in on other people’s private conversations.”
Luca snorted and went back to dunking.
For the last two weeks, Muffins had been coming to visit at the tiny house regularly, and Luca had been pretending to be a jealous boyfriend. He and the cat were bonding on their own, though, often snuggling up on the couch together, watching their favorite shows. Luca liked true crime shows, and Muffins liked a warm lap and chin scratches.”
―
“She leaned forward, eager to see what it was. She was wearing her charm bracelet that day, as she always did, so she was eager to add the new one. But what was it?
“That’s funny,” Luca said. “It looked a lot bigger in the store.” He dropped the charm into her hand. It was a teeny, tiny ring. An engagement ring.
“Luca,” she said.
The older lady giggled nervously.
“Hang on,” Luca said. “Don’t say anything yet.” He reached into his pocket again, and that time he pulled out a full-sized ring. One that would fit on her finger.
It was the second most beautiful thing Tina Gardenia had ever seen.
The most beautiful thing she’d ever seen was Luca’s blue eyes, glistening as he looked up at her and asked, “Will you marry me?”
The word came out of her mouth without even registering in her brain. “Yes.”
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his big shoulders.
The other patients, and some nurses who’d approached quietly, clapped and cheered.”
―
“That’s funny,” Luca said. “It looked a lot bigger in the store.” He dropped the charm into her hand. It was a teeny, tiny ring. An engagement ring.
“Luca,” she said.
The older lady giggled nervously.
“Hang on,” Luca said. “Don’t say anything yet.” He reached into his pocket again, and that time he pulled out a full-sized ring. One that would fit on her finger.
It was the second most beautiful thing Tina Gardenia had ever seen.
The most beautiful thing she’d ever seen was Luca’s blue eyes, glistening as he looked up at her and asked, “Will you marry me?”
The word came out of her mouth without even registering in her brain. “Yes.”
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his big shoulders.
The other patients, and some nurses who’d approached quietly, clapped and cheered.”
―
“Mr. Phone took a swim when I was dropping the kids off at the pool.”
“What?”
Megan held up a bag of rice containing her damp phone. “Mr. Phone went for a dive and a backstroke in Mr. Toilet. Don’t worry, I’d already flushed when it happened.”
“Not again,” Tina said, exasperated. “Why does that always happen to you?”
“I blame Mr. Toilet. He has a gravitational pull that cannot be explained by modern science. We should get a team of researchers into the house to conduct tests.” Megan plopped the bag of rice and phone on the counter. “What were you calling me about?”
Tina did an excited dance. “Your dentist came by looking for you.”
“You met him? You met my Drew?”
“Oh, Meenie, he’s so cute. Why didn’t you tell me he was so cute?”
“I’m not shallow like you.”
Tina said, “He’s a good one, Meenie. I think he might be the one.”
“Don’t be gross. You know I hate stuff like that. If you and Luca start saying you’re soul mates, I’m going to throw up every time.”
“Aren’t you going to ask what we talked about?”
“He’d better not be buying me flowers from my own store. It’s cute when Luca does it, but he’s Luca. That sort of behavior from a man as dignified as Dr. Drew Morgan will not stand with me.”
“Don’t worry. I told him not to ever buy you flowers or chocolates or any of that romantic stuff.”
Megan frowned. “None of it?”
“And I didn’t say anything embarrassing to him about our past.” Tina chewed her lower lip in that telltale way she did when she knew she’d done something Megan wouldn’t like.”
― Romancing the Complicated Girl
“What?”
Megan held up a bag of rice containing her damp phone. “Mr. Phone went for a dive and a backstroke in Mr. Toilet. Don’t worry, I’d already flushed when it happened.”
“Not again,” Tina said, exasperated. “Why does that always happen to you?”
“I blame Mr. Toilet. He has a gravitational pull that cannot be explained by modern science. We should get a team of researchers into the house to conduct tests.” Megan plopped the bag of rice and phone on the counter. “What were you calling me about?”
Tina did an excited dance. “Your dentist came by looking for you.”
“You met him? You met my Drew?”
“Oh, Meenie, he’s so cute. Why didn’t you tell me he was so cute?”
“I’m not shallow like you.”
Tina said, “He’s a good one, Meenie. I think he might be the one.”
“Don’t be gross. You know I hate stuff like that. If you and Luca start saying you’re soul mates, I’m going to throw up every time.”
“Aren’t you going to ask what we talked about?”
“He’d better not be buying me flowers from my own store. It’s cute when Luca does it, but he’s Luca. That sort of behavior from a man as dignified as Dr. Drew Morgan will not stand with me.”
“Don’t worry. I told him not to ever buy you flowers or chocolates or any of that romantic stuff.”
Megan frowned. “None of it?”
“And I didn’t say anything embarrassing to him about our past.” Tina chewed her lower lip in that telltale way she did when she knew she’d done something Megan wouldn’t like.”
― Romancing the Complicated Girl
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