Barbecue and Bad News by Nancy Naigle Page B

everything. Doesn’t it make you crazy? Everyone knows the stuff you want to forget.”
    “It’s not that bad,” Jill said.
    “It can be,” Carolanne admitted. “I moved away because of that very reason.”
    That caught Savannah’s interest. “But you came back.”
    “Yeah. Surprised the heck out of me too,” Carolanne said.
    “Made my day,” Connor said.
    Carolanne caressed his arm. “Turned out that the town was way more forgiving about the past than I was. I’d assumed everyone was hanging on to all the bad stuff. Turned out everyone else had moved on and it was just me living with those old woes.”
    Savannah wasn’t sure she knew what Carolanne was trying to say, but somehow the sadness in the redhead’s eyes kept her from pushing further, even though she had a feeling that there was definitely a story there.
    “It’s no secret, so you may as well know.” Carolanne stepped closer to Savannah. “My dad, he was the town drunk. Not always, but after my mother died . . . losing her just tore him right out of the frame. My childhood here was a mess. If it hadn’t been for Jill and her grandmother, I just don’t even want to think about how bad it could have been.”
    Jill jumped in. “I loved you being at our house all the time.”
    “I know. I did too, and it doesn’t matter now. It’s in the past, but back then I couldn’t get out of Adams Grove fast enough. Thank goodness for college scholarships. After college I moved to New York City to practice law. I honestly thought I’d never come back here.”
    “You practiced law in New York City?” Savannah spun toward Connor. “And you in Chicago? And y’all are both back here?”
    “And not one single regret.” Carolanne looked to Connor, who smiled in agreement. “You can’t let the past drive your future.”
    That message hit home for Savannah, but then her situation was different.
    Connor clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “This is supposed to be fun, and y’all are getting all serious. Let’s eat. What’s everyone want?”
    “Just bring back a little of everything. We’ll commandeer a table in the shade,” Carolanne said.
    Across the way someone had fired up a karaoke machine, and now that church was out, the grounds were filling up fast.
    The guys came back with two cardboard box lids stacked high with food. Connor placed a paper plate filled with deviled eggs in the center of the table. “No one can pass those up,” he said to Savannah.
    Savannah lunged for one. “Oh, my gosh. It’s been forever since I’ve had deviled eggs. My granny used to make the best.”
    “Well, be prepared to be wowed,” Connor said. “I don’t know where you’re from, but here in Adams Grove, we think these are the best.”
    Savannah grabbed one and sank her teeth into it. She hadn’t felt that close to her granny in years. “It’s perfect. I swear it has to be the same recipe as my granny’s. No relish. Just a mix of fresh herbs and spices and her secret weapon—a dash of parmesan.”
    Jill’s eyes went wide. “Don’t let Miss Daphne hear you. If your granny’s secret ingredient is the same as hers, she’ll kill you for giving away the secret. Folks around here have been begging for it for years!”
    “Oopsy. Don’t rat me out,” Savannah teased. “I don’t want to be run out of town before I even get unpacked.”
    “We’ve got your back,” Connor said, then turned to Carolanne. “Hey, babe, I’ll get you another glass of wine. Savannah, you sure you don’t want a glass of wine with your lunch?”
    “No, thank you. I wouldn’t want to drink and drive in this town. No telling what would happen if I got caught seven sips over the limit.”
    Everyone laughed, and Connor raised his beer in the air. “To new friends. Hope you’ll stick around a while, Savannah.”
    Savannah raised her cup of sweet tea. “I’ll drink to that.”
    An older woman in a bright-yellow top and a green apron, who looked like a team