But her attitude didn’t make sense. She’d been crabby—downright rude, actually—so why was he even thinking about her? There were plenty of women who were more than willing to give him their attention, so why in the world would he think twice about the car crash victim? Maybe because she was a mystery?
There was just something about her . . .
Before he could dwell on it any further, Camden bumped into him. “What are you so dreamy about?” his brother asked with a sly smile.
“I’m not dreamy,” Spence said, feeling like an idiot for getting caught zoning out.
“I think it’s about a girl. It’s always about a girl.”
“You’re partially right. I was thinking you look like a girl,” Spence said before punching his brother in the arm and heading downstairs.
“Yeah, right back at ya,” Camden yelled, but Spence had taken the lead.
It was time to greet the guests and, of course, to mingle—his father’s favorite pastime.
The music was blaring as Sage opened her car door and stepped out. “Hold on, Grandma. Let me come around and help you and Eileen.”
“Quit your fussing,” Bethel snapped. “Someone might hear you and think we’re nothing but a couple of frail old women. You do realize I’m only sixty-five? It’s not like I have a foot in the grave already.”
A petite woman, Sage’s grandmother didn’t look a day over fifty, especially with her pink hair. It had originally been a dye job gone terribly wrong, but Bethel had loved it so much that for the past five years her hair had looked like it belonged on a Barbie doll.
Sage had grown so used to it she didn’t even blink anymore. When Eileen decided to join her best friend with her own pink-colored hair, she and Bethel had been nicknamed the Pink Ladies, a nod to one of their favorite movies, Grease.
It was fitting. The two were usually full of life and laughter and always seemed to be getting into trouble. And that worried Sage on occasion. It was probably a very good thing Sage had come home when she did. She’d have to find sneaky ways to get her grandmother to rest, especially since the woman’s health wasn’t the best right now.
But as Sage really thought about it, something just wasn’t quite adding up. Just last year, she had been horrified when the police chief had called her. He’d been left with no choice but to arrest both Eileen and Bethel and their third accomplice, Maggie Winchester, after the three of them thought it would be amusing to go skinny-dipping in the local pool after hours. The poor night guard who knew the women well had heard the commotion and called the cops, then had turned beet red when he’d discovered who was trespassing.
That certainly didn’t sound like a woman who wasn’t feeling well. The women had told the sheriff they were simply looking for a thrill.
When the pool owner had found out who had been up to the mischief, all charges had been dropped. The three women had enjoyed themselves immensely and were trying to figure out what their next big antic would be. Sage really hoped they took so long to find a new way to get their kicks that they would eventually forget about doing it.
“I didn’t think you ladies were ever going to show!”
Sage jumped at the boisterous voice of Judge Whitman as he joined them at the car.
“I would never miss one of your parties, Martin,” Eileen said. “I’m ready for your special punch.” The way Eileen fluttered her eyelashes was enough to make Sage grin.
“Well now, Eileen, you’d best only take one cup this time,” Martin replied with a laugh. “You remember your impromptu table dance last time you had a couple of glasses.”
“That would have been just fine had little Stevie Walker not had a camera,” Eileen replied. “The brat posted it on that dangfangled contraption of his where all the world could see me acting like a fool. You remember when we were young—those blankety-blank computers were only for the space people.”
Sage struggled not to laugh. “You mean NASA, Aunt Eileen?”
“Now don’t you mock me, girlie. I may be old, but I have real good hearing, thanks to Doc Lamper’s hearing aids.” Eileen tapped her ear pointedly.
“I would never think of mocking you,” Sage said, wrapping an arm around the woman. “I love you far too much.”
Martin put his arm around Bethel as the four of them made their way inside the barn.
“It’s chilly out here tonight,” Bethel said with a shiver.
“It’s plenty warm in the barn.” The wink Martin sent Eileen’s way had the woman blushing again. Sage really wanted to figure out when this flirtation had begun. She would be more than pleased for both of them if they became an item. There was no age limit on falling in love, and both Martin and Eileen deserved a second chance at forever happiness.
Sage found it amusing that Martin always chose to have his parties in the barn. His home was five times the size of a normal ranch house, with so many wings she’d gotten lost in it a few times as a child, but his man cave was in the barn, and he loved to have shindigs there.
Lights and music greeted them as Sage skimmed the room with her emerald eyes. She spotted Camden dancing with Grace, and her eyes immediately narrowed.
Grace had been in love with Camden for about as long as Sage had been in love with Spence. The problem was that something had happened after Camden had left for college that had changed Grace forever. She’d always been confident, but she was different. And though Sage strongly suspected that Grace still loved Camden, her best friend wouldn’t even say his name anymore.