Spring River Valley: The Spring Collection (Boxed Set) (12 page)

Wait a second. Bailey had to have known—

“I can feel you watching me.” He spoke without turning around.

“
I suppose you’re in on this too?” She didn’t move either and kept her gaze fixed on the floor. Her heart pounded. How many times had she imagined meeting up with Tanner? When he rose and turned around, her breath hitched.

“Not at first. It was Bailey’s idea. She bid on me and she won
, and then she set this up.”

“So she’s not really sick.” It wasn’t a question.

“No. She’s also not a good liar, that’s why she texted you instead of calling.”

Evie’s palms were sweaty now
, and her heart was in her throat. She jammed her hands in the pockets of her jeans and tried a nonchalant pose. “I’m not a good liar either, you know.”

“I know.” He bowed his head.

“How do you know?” She crossed her arms over her chest, challenging him. She wanted to be angry, but she was still so sorry for what she’d done.

“Because you said you didn’t do it.”

“That wasn’t enough before. What changed?”

He looked so good with his crisp white shirt opened at the neck, the dark jacket a sophisticated contrast. The tremor in her limbs increased.
“I realized I was being an idiot. Your word is enough for me. It should have been enough all along.”

“I’m still with the paper. I’m still a reporter.”

“I know. I read every article you write. And I know you won’t betray my trust. I know you didn’t mean to do that.”

“
Can you really be sure of that? Technically we’ve only known each other a week.”

Tanner stepped closer. His breath warmed her cheek, yet the effect made her shiver. “Then how come I feel like I’ve known you forever? How come I know I’m in love with you?”

She looked up, met his pleading gaze. “Are you out of your mind?”

He nodded. “Definitely. Give me a chance to make this up to you?”

Evie’s heart had found its way back to the middle of her chest, where it now pounded unevenly against her rib cage. “I don’t know…”

“I’m all yours. All seven hundred and fifty dollars
’ worth.” He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll work off every dollar to get you back into my life.”

She fought not to grin. “Well, I suppose if you’re really willing to work at it…”

“I’ll do anything.”

“Good. You can start by giving me an exclusive.”

His hopeful smiled faded for a split second, but Evie knew she had him. “By that I mean, you and me, exclusively…no flirting with anyone else, not even the ladies in your class, and I promise nothing that goes on between us will ever make it into the paper.”

Tanner slid his arms around her and lowered his lips to hers. The perfection of his kiss made her heart ache, but the comfort of finding herself back in his arms eased the pain.
“It’s a deal, Ms. Prentice, and you can print that on the front page.”

THE END

“You did it for Audrey, I want you to do it for me too,” Bailey whispered as she helped Cassandra Hall set up a spread of cupcakes and pastries in the
Herald’s
cafeteria. Maybe now wasn’t the best time to beg the caterer for matchmaking services, but she was desperate. Audrey Desmond and Cassie’s cousin Max Shannon had just celebrated their three-month anniversary thanks to Cassie’s matchmaking efforts, and with the one-year anniversary of the date she’d kicked her lying, cheating boyfriend Dan to the curb looming, she’d decided it was time to meet someone who could make her as happy as Audrey and Max made each other.

Cassie finished lining up a gorgeous array of red velvet cupcakes decorated with little sugar flowers in honor of the newspaper’s spring company picnic. She wiped her hands on her flowered apron and turned a serious gaze on Bailey. “I’m trying to cut down.”

Bailey eyed the cupcakes, cookies, and mini-cheesecakes that would fuel an afternoon of fun and games in the newspaper’s sprawling parking lot. “On what?”

“Matchmaking. I need to stop meddling in other people’s love lives.”

“Oh, no. You definitely shouldn’t stop. I mean, look at Audrey and Max. They’re so happy.”

Cassie rolled her eyes and nudged a couple of cupcakes in an already perfectly neat row.

“What was that? Are Max and Audrey not happy?”

“No, they’re great…really perfect for each other, and that’s the problem. I didn’t actually match them up. Everyone just thinks I did.”

“But Audrey told me…”

“It’s a long story. Let’s just say, my mojo isn’t what it used to be. Max and Audrey got where they are all on their own.”

Bailey sighed. This was just not fair. After nearly a year of strictly enforced avoidance of dating, she needed to try out her new attitude, her new hairdo, and her new lingerie. She’d clawed her way out of the shell of depression Dan’s infidelity had sent her into, made peace with the fact that she’d deliberately remained oblivious to so many of the signs that he was cheating on her, and made the decision that her next relationship was going to mark a new era in her life.

The moment she’d found out Cassie would be catering the desserts for the newspaper picnic, she’d volunteered as one of the kitchen helpers so she could nonchalantly hit the girl up for some of her famous love magic since none of the other attempts she’d made at wading back into the dating pool had produced any results.

“Please? This could be your swan song. I just need…a little help.”

Cassie gave Bailey an appraising once-over. “Honey, you’re gorgeous. What kind of help could you need?”

Coming from the pretty blonde with perfect bone structure, the compliment was worth something. Bailey grinned. “Thanks, but this is all new…I just had a makeover, and I’m not really comfortable…flirting or anything. I’ve been off the market for a while, and I don’t want to look like a fool, throwing myself at some guy I know nothing about.”

“So throw yourself at a guy you
do
know something about. This place is crawling with attractive men.”

“I don’t know any guys I want to throw myself at. I—” Bailey waved a hand in front of her. “I don’t want to throw myself at anyone. I just want to meet a nice guy I can talk to, who’s honest and trustworthy. A ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of guy.” She thought of Dan whose polished good looks hid the heart of a snake. Any guy with super white teeth and slicked back hair and a spray-on tan was out, out, out.

The expression on Cassie’s face told Bailey the woman was battling with herself. Finally, she pulled Bailey aside, toward the corner of the cafeteria and away from the other volunteers. “All right. One last time, and only because I know a guy who might be just what you’re looking for.”

Relief washed over Bailey. She resisted the urge to hug Cassie. “Thank you! I really appreciate it. I just…need to get back out there…”

“Let me give him a call and see what I can work out. Give me your number, and I’ll call you before the weekend.”

Bailey slipped Cassie one of her business cards. “I owe you, big time! What can I do for you?”

“You don’t owe me yet. If everything works out for you, let me cater the wedding.” Cassie winked.

“Deal. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I’ll call you.” Cassie slipped Bailey’s card into her apron pocket and began collecting the empty cupcake trays. One of the other volunteers helped her carry them out to her van, and Bailey drifted over to where her friend Evie Prentice was helping stack plastic cups and paper plates.

“It’s done,” she whispered in a conspiratorial tone to the reporter.

Evie grinned. “She’s going to get you a guy?”

“She said she knows someone. I’m so nervous already.”

“Don’t be. You’ll be fine. I’m still sorry things didn’t work out between you and Taylor.” Bailey knew Evie still felt bad that there hadn’t been any sparks between Bailey and Taylor Croft. She’d set Bailey up with her boyfriend Tanner’s identical twin brother last month, but while the veterinarian was handsome and considerate and very sweet, there just hadn’t been any fire between them. She liked Taylor a lot, and they’d even taken in a movie on their own without Evie and Tanner, but all they’d managed to do was forge a nice friendship, nothing more serious. Evie thought the whole situation had damaged Bailey’s confidence, but that wasn’t the case at all. All Bailey wanted at the moment was someone to test the waters with, and Taylor was looking for a serious, no-holds-barred, lifelong commitment. Bailey was sure he’d find it eventually, but she just wasn’t the girl he was looking for.

“It’s fine. Taylor’s great, but he’s not the guy for me. I’m okay with that.”

“Who did Cassie fix you up with?”

“She said she’d call me by the end of the week. The suspense may kill me by then.”

Evie laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve got an EMT on my speed dial.”

* * * *

True to her word, Cassie called Bailey on Thursday with a litany of questions, all of which Bailey answered as honestly as she could. Cassie was easy to talk to, and Bailey found herself confessing the mess she’d gone through with Dan. Apparently she’d said all the right things, because Cassie told her the guy she had in mind would be waiting for her at Colette’s Pub at seven on Saturday night.

“His name is Riley Thayer. He’s a law student, and he works as a paralegal for Esterhause, Brady and Danziger. He doesn’t get out much—all work and no play—so he’s looking for someone fun and easygoing who understands his schedule is crunched a lot of the time. He’s got dark blond hair, nice blue eyes, and he’s really cute,” Cassie had said.

Bailey spent a good three hours before the date throwing clothes around her bedroom and redoing her makeup. Finally, at six thirty, when she didn’t have time to change for the tenth time, she raced out of the house, having settled for neutral-toned makeup and light pink lip gloss, a black shell top under a tan crocheted shrug, and a mid-length skirt that was flirty without being too suggestive. Since it was May and finally warming up in Spring River Valley after a brutal winter, she went with low-slung beige sandals and bare legs. The new golden highlights in her reddish brown hair framed her face in flattering waves. She checked her eyes one last time in the rearview mirror of her car. Slightly smoky brown shadow set off the natural hazel green, and a light coat of mascara made her look awake and attentive. She needed this night. She needed to finally put the Dan disaster behind her and trust herself. No guy would ever treat her the way he had. She wouldn’t allow it to happen, and that would make her next relationship, whether it turned out to be with Riley Thayer or not, so much better than the last.

She pulled into Colette’s parking lot and eased into a space facing the river. After giving herself a five-minute pep talk, she got out of the car and headed for the pub. The mouthwatering smell of sizzling steaks flavored the evening air, and the gentle breeze lifted her spirits even higher. It was going to be a good night. She could feel it.

The hostess showed her to a table and assured her she’d bring Riley over as soon as he arrived. To give herself something to do, Bailey ordered a club soda with a twist of lime and tried not to appear too anxious as she watched the clock above the bar slowly tick by the minutes between seven and seven-fifteen.

“Excuse me, miss, is your name Bailey?” A pair of intense blue eyes met Bailey’s, and the man who’d just appeared at her table gave her a thousand-watt smile that had her heart thumping. Cassandra did good work.

“Yes, I am. You must be Riley, Cassandra’s friend.”

“No, sorry. I’m Matt. I’ll be your waiter this evening. I’m normally at the bar, but we’re seriously short-handed tonight.”

“Oh.” Bailey glanced around the somewhat crowded pub. Most of the customers had been served drinks so far, but very little food had come out of the kitchen since she’d sat down. It was seven-twenty now, and her date was still a no-show. “Umm…how did you know my name?”

“There was a call for you at the bar. You’re supposed to be meeting someone here, right? And he didn’t have your number, I guess, so he called to say he was running late, and he’ll be here soon.” Matt set another sparkling soda in front of her and scooped up the one she’d already finished. “He asked me to offer you a drink and apologized for being late.”

She slouched a bit, not sure whether to be impressed Riley had cared enough to call ahead or resigned to the fact that the date already had one strike against it. Colette’s was overcrowded, even for a typically busy Saturday night. The warm, clear evening had brought everyone out in droves, mostly couples. She’d already spent nearly half an hour feeling overly conspicuous sitting at a table by herself while diners waited at the front door to be seated by the hostess who was also doubling as a waitress.

“Thank you. How did you pick me out when there are so many single women sitting at the bar?”

He hit her with that heart-stopping grin again. “He told me you were a hot redhead with pretty green eyes. So I looked for the hottest redhead in the room.”