Barbecue and Bad News Read Online Free

rules.”
    “But . . .”
    But he’d already turned away.
    She called Evelyn.
    Evelyn didn’t even bother to say hello. “Are you already back home?”
    “Heavens, no.”
    “Just where are you that they rent offices with furnished apartments for just four hundred and fifty dollars? That’s got to be weekly, right?”
    Savannah was more than happy to have the chance to unload on Evelyn about her crazy day, and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet. “No. That’s four-fifty a month. I’m in a little town called Adams Grove off of I-95 near the North Carolina border.”
    “I’ve heard of that place. Why have I heard of it?”
    Savannah could picture Evelyn pondering. They’d been friends long enough that she could even see that wrinkle between Evelyn’s eyes when she furrowed her brow at times like this.
    “I have no idea why you’d know of this place,” Savannah said. “Unless maybe you got a ticket here. I almost got a speeding ticket for going seven miles over the speed limit. They take that stuff serious around here. Not only that, but now I’m stuck here until their little parade is over.”
    “Parade? It’s not a holiday weekend. Why are they having a parade?”
    “Who knows? All I know is that I’m being held hostage for an hour in this one-horse town.”
    “Lucky you.”
    “Bad luck,” she said with a snicker.
    “I don’t know why you’re complaining, Savannah. You just got the perfect excuse to not go to that wedding handed to you on a silver platter. Text them a picture of that small-town parade and plead innocent . . . then buy a corn dog and enjoy the day.”
    “A corn dog. You sure know how to hit a girl when she’s down.” She didn’t bother explaining that she’d already used up today and tomorrow’s calories on the best bear claw she’d ever tasted. “I wish it was that easy. They’ll talk smack about me if I don’t show up.”
    “Who cares? That’s really not reason enough to put yourself through this. Everything happens for a reason.”
    “That’s what you always say,” Savannah said.
    “And you know that I’m right. So let’s talk about something that matters. Tell me about the cop. Handsome?”
    “Very.”
    “Makes it less painful.”
    “I’m not so sure I agree with you on that, but he looked so familiar. I even asked him if we’d met previously.”
    Evelyn laughed out loud. “Like he hadn’t heard that one before.”
    “Maybe, but as soon as I laid eyed on him it was like I recognized him.” Then it struck her where she’d seen him. Well, not him, but why he looked so familiar. “Oh, my gosh. He looks just like Matthew McConaughey. Well, his hair is a little bit darker, and he’s taller. Maybe not like him at all, but he reminded me of him. Not like in that last movie where he was all skinny either, but more like the really hot one in that movie with—”
    “Pacino. Say no more. I know exactly which movie you’re talking about. Tell me again why you’re hightailing it out of that town? If you need more reason than that handsome cop and a parade to skip that wedding, you need more than just a day off!”
    “You’re probably right. I haven’t taken a vacation in how long?” Her mood lightened. “He was cute.”
    “You’re right. You do need a vacation. In fact, you deserve one.”
    “I know that tone in your voice.” Savannah had heard Evelyn use that soft, singsong way of getting what she wanted a hundred times over the years they’d worked together.
    “I have an offer for you.”
    “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”
    “Oh, stop it, Savannah. You’re going to love this idea. Write me a small-town piece about that cute cop that didn’t give you a ticket for seven miles over. You haven’t written a fun piece like that for GINN in . . .”
    “Since you made me take on the Advice from Van column full-time.” GINN, better known as GetItNowNews, had become a soaring success under the keen command of Evelyn Biggens. When her