Page 66 of Crazy for You

And oh, holy crap, there was an e-mail from the University of Georgia in her in-box. Her heart almost burst out of her chest before she realized it was a request for additional information. They wanted to see her portfolio. Was that unusual? Most applicants to this program were fresh out of high school and didn’t even have a portfolio yet.

Did it mean they were trying to look past her unimpressive GPA and SAT scores to let her work experience speak for itself? As she drafted a reply, attaching a link to the online portfolio she’d created when she found out Lucas and Mary were retiring, nerves swam in her belly.

She hadn’t realized until this moment how much she wanted, needed to get into this program. It was her fresh start, the chance to learn everything she needed to know to be able to open her own landscape design business someday. She gulped a deep breath and pressed Send.

Please, please, please let this be a good sign.

She glanced at the clock. It was just past eight. Time to go see Ryan. First, she went into her bedroom to change. Her tattoo had finally healed enough that she could wear jeans again, but tonight she felt like dressing up. She slipped into a green wrap dress and bronze ballet flats and freshened up her makeup.

Why not? It was Friday night, and she wanted to look nice.

The look on Ryan’s face when he caught sight of her made it all worthwhile. He turned his head and nearly dropped the glass of beer he held in his right hand. She smiled at him as she slid onto an empty barstool. “Hey.”

“Untapped amber ale?” he asked, his eyes burning like cocoa under the track lighting above the bar.

“Yes, please.” She crossed one leg over the other and watched him work.

Ryan projected a kind of laidback confidence in every area of his life, but here behind the bar, he seemed especially at home. He held a glass beneath the tap and filled her beer, then set it in front of her. He leaned in, his mouth brushing her ear. “Please tell me you’re still not wearing any panties.”

She winked. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

He straightened, a new glint in his eyes. “I’ll get it out of you by the end of the night.”

“You’re welcome to try.” The truth was, she was wearing panties. Not even newly adventurous Emma was reckless enough to leave the house commando in a knee-length dress.

“I like a good challenge,” he said, turning to wipe a water ring off the bar to her left. “Be right back.” He headed over to check on some of the other customers. The bar was fairly busy tonight. In fact, Emma didn’t see an empty stool in the place.

As she scanned the bar, her gaze settled on a familiar figure standing just inside the door. Jessica Flynn owned the Haven Spa, just up the road from Off-the-Grid Adventures. She’d been a year ahead of Emma in high school, but they’d had a few classes together and remained casual friends over the years. Emma waved, and Jessica headed her way.

“Hey, Jess. You here by yourself?” Emma asked.

Jessica shook her head, running a hand over her dark hair. “Actually, I’m meeting someone.” She scrunched her nose slightly. “A blind date…or whatever you call it when you meet someone from one of those online dating sites.”

“Oh, cool,” Emma said with a smile. “I tried that a few weeks ago, too. Either there are a lot more cute, single guys in Haven than I knew about or some of them are using jazzed-up profile pictures.”

“I hope for option A but fear option B,” Jessica said. “So have you been on many dates?”

“Actually, no…” She slid a glance over at Ryan, who was busy mixing drinks for a group of middle-aged women at the end of the bar.

Jessica’s eyebrows went up. “You and Ryan?”

“Yep.”

“Wow, I would not have pictured you two together.” Jessica looked from Emma to Ryan and back. “But I think I like it. He’s a good guy, you know. I knew him pretty well back in high school.”

“Well, it’s just casual,” Emma said with a shrug, “but we’re definitely having fun. So who’s your date?”

“His name’s Ruben Callihan. We’ve been e-mailing for a week or so. He seems nice. We’ll see.”

“Want me to be your safety? You know, you text me an SOS, and I’ll come break up your date?”

Jessica blew out a breath. “Actually, after some of the online dating horror stories I’ve heard, that sounds like a brilliant idea.”

“Awesome. You’ve got my number, right?”

Jessica thumbed through the contacts in her phone. “Yep, you’re in here.” She glanced over at the door. A tall, thin man had just entered The Drunken Bear, looking around nervously. “I think this is him. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” Emma said. “Send me an SOS if you need me.”

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