“Why do you need dating advice, Laura? I heard you and Connor were already dating. Never mind,” the woman said as she readjusted her glasses, “that news pales in comparison with this.”
“Okay, Miss Doris,” Sydney said, her voice strong and clear as she crossed her arms, “what do you want to keep this quiet?”
Doris slowly turned to Sydney and appeared to give the matter some thought. Hope clenched Laura’s chest as she realized there might be a way to avoid their book club causing another scandal.
“I want to join your book club,” Miss Doris said.
“What?” Isabel’s voice cracked like a whip.
“The reading circle’s selections are the worst.” Doris groaned and shook her head. “If I have to read one more book about death and trauma, I will lose my mind.”
Isabel stared at her in horror. “Join...our book club.”
“You see, Miss Doris...” Sydney fumbled for words.
“And I want to pick the next book to read.” The older woman pushed her eyeglasses to the bridge of her nose. “That is not negotiable.”
“The group is very selective,” Sydney explained. “It’s a whole process.”
Doris pursed her lips, the lines around her mouth deepening with displeasure. “You allowed Sean Hawkins.”
“He only lasted one meeting,” Sydney pointed out.
Miss Doris’s eyes twinkled. “I think my sensibilities can handle your meetings.”
“But can ours?” Isabel muttered.
Laura raised her hands in surrender. “Fine, Miss Doris. You win.”
“Laura!” Isabel whirled around. “This is something we should vote on. In private.”
“We are way past that point,” Laura explained. “She can use this information against us.”
Isabel gestured to the older woman. “She can also use our book club discussions against us. Which do you think is worse?”
Laura’s gut instinct told her that Doris Brown was not looking for dirt. Not this time. She was looking for a chance to be with different people. To read different stories. Hear different points of view.
“She can join us after a trial run,” Laura suggested.
“You may pick the book,” Sydney said, “but it has to have been blacklisted from Seedling. We only read books that have been banned in this town.”
“Not a problem. There are a lot of books to choose from.” Miss Doris rubbed her hands with glee. “There’s a paranormal romance that I know you’re going to love. Let’s just say that the man’s anatomy is magically enhanced.”
“I think I read that one,” Sydney said as Isabel groaned in defeat before she rested her forehead on a bookshelf.
“But first, you have to give me advice on what I should do about Connor Adams,” Laura said. “You have to. It’s part of the book club’s tradition.”
“Oh, that’s easy.” Doris Brown flicked her wrist as she considered Laura’s problem. “You need to do an experiment.”
“That’s what landed me into trouble the first time, Miss Doris.”
The older woman gave a snort of disbelief. “Nonsense. Trouble always follows you, Laura Dawson.”
Laura gave a nod. She really couldn’t argue with that.
“Go on your date with Connor but do the unexpected,” Miss Doris said. “Act very traditional and watch how he responds. He’s expecting a fun and sexy time. Do the opposite. And—this is very important—don’t wear anything suggestive. You should also find the least romantic location for your date.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard to find in Seedling,” Sydney said.
Miss Doris gave her a sidelong glance and Sydney pressed her lips together.
“Well...” Laura tried to rack her brain for the least romantic spot in Seedling. There were far too many options. “I do have to watch my nephew play baseball tonight.”
“Perfect,” Miss Doris announced.
Laura grabbed her phone from her pocket. “I’m going to text Connor right now and invite him to the ball game.”
“Do you hear yourselves?” Isabel asked to no one in particular. “You’re advising her to become the one thing she is not. This is going to be a disaster.”
Doris reached up and patted Isabel’s shoulder. “You can tell me all about your theories while you order four copies of that paranormal romance through the interlibrary loan system,” she said as she guided Sydney away. “You would not believe why this book has been banned in Seedling. There is one love scene where...”
* * *
A SENSE OF ANTICIPATION washed over Connor as he knocked on Laura’s front door. But he was also trying to ignore the uncertainty that was slithering down his spine. It had come to life the moment she had hesitated to go on a date with him. Laura was not one to hesitate. She never hesitated. Laura acted first and thought of the consequences later.