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straightened and smoothed a hand down her blue polyester pants. She pasted a wide smile on her pale face, which deepened the grooves in her forehead and cheeks. “I wanted to bring over some of my peaches.” Patty held up the two jars, which had sliced peaches floating in syrup.
    Ruth accepted the gift from her neighbor. “Aren’t you sweet, Patty? Thank you.” She gestured next to her, toward Annabelle. “You remember my daughter Annabelle, don’t you?”
    Patty’s grin deepened. “Of course I do, and you’re even more beautiful than the last time I saw you.”
    Annabelle was about to thank the woman for her kind compliment, when she continued. “No wonder the new coach was all flustered this morning.” Patty actually winked, and Annabelle had the feeling she was trying to be coy, or something equally horrifying. All Annabelle could feel was the heat flaming into her cheeks as the two women stared at her, as though she was supposed to respond with something. But what?
    Thank you?
    Yes, you figured out my evil plan?
    Or how about, mind your own business?
    Annabelle shook her head, but Patty shoved past her as she linked arms with Ruth. “Lois’s daughter was at practice this morning because, you know, her oldest son is a junior on the team.” Patty tossed Annabelle a half grin over her shoulder, as though sharing some inside secret about that piece of information. “And Lois’s daughter told her that Mr. Carpenter didn’t seem too happy to have Annabelle there today.”
    Ruth jammed her hands onto her bony hips. “Now why would that man have an issue with my daughter?”
    Patty leaned toward Ruth and whispered, “Because clearly he’s threatened by a beautiful woman.”
    Oh good Lord.
    Ruth slowly nodded as though the truth had just been revealed to her. “Oh, he’s one of those,” she whispered back. “A man who can’t handle when a woman is in a position of authority.” She stepped toward Annabelle and wrapped her thin fingers around Annabelle’s shoulders. “Honey, you don’t back down from him, you hear me?”
    Annabelle smiled, because if she didn’t, she might scream at the ridiculous conversation Patty had started. Reason number one she didn’t want her mother doing cardio in the park with the Beehive Mafia. Also, she didn’t want to come over one day and see Ruth’s hair styled in a five-foot twist on her head.
    “Mom,” Annabelle started as she peeled her mother’s fingers off her shoulders. “I think Lois’s daughter is mistaken. I’m sure Blake isn’t threatened by me.”
    “Honey, a man as good-looking and dominant as he is would never take kindly to a female, especially one who looks like you, invading his territory,” Patty commented. “Virginia confirmed it, you know,” she said to Ruth.
    “Virginia was at practice too?” Annabelle asked.
    Patty waved a hand in the air. “No, honey. She saw Mr. Carpenter the other day when he was at his cousin Brandon’s house. Said he’s a hot piece of ass.” Patty held her arthritic hands up, jingling the beaded bracelets on her wrist. “Her words, not mine.”
    Annabelle almost gagged. “You know what? I just remembered I have a root canal I’m late for.”
    Patty forged on. “We were hoping to catch a glimpse of him this morning when we were doing our cardio, but Brandon was jogging by himself.” Patty nudged Annabelle in the ribs. “You know that’s why we started cardio in the park, right? It’s the best way to catch all those young studs without their shirts on. Lois managed to snap a picture of Brandon and added him to our Tumblr page. It’s under the Queen Bees.”
    Gag me. Though Annabelle wouldn’t mind seeing Blake without a shirt on…
    Okay, no. That would be bad. She didn’t need any more reasons to be fantasizing about the man.
    Patty glanced at her jeweled watch. “I have to get home and catch me some Judge Judy .” The old woman shot Annabelle and Ruth a smile. “I love how she doesn’t take crap