Page 19 of The Hot New Bachelor in Town

“Your shift,” he says. “When do you get off?”

“Oh, uh... one-thirty? I think. Then, I need to do some grocery shopping and then I was going to, uh... well, go home and take a nap.”

He nods, his eyes touched with concern. “Please do that.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, I hoped that you would have dinner with me tonight.”

I say nothing. I couldn’t even if I tried.

Carter holds up a hand. “I want to apologize,” he says. “For last night.”

“Oh, you don’t have to,” I say, shaking my head.

“I assumed too much in the moment and?—”

“I understand. It’s totally okay. It happens all the time.”

“It does?”

“No, I don’t know why I said that.”

Carter smiles. I lock my knees to prevent them from bucking. “Let me make it up to you. And I saw the inn has a restaurant with a full-service kitchen, so I thought we could have dinner there.”

“Oh.” I wince. “Well, yeah. Usually, we do. But not right now.”

“Not right now?”

“Our stove broke a while ago,” I explain. “And we can’t afford to fix it or buy a new one at the moment. And then, the cook quit because they couldn’t cook, and we… also couldn’t... pay them anymore. So...”

Carter nods. “All right.”

“But I could make something!” I offer. “I think. As long as it’s not too complicated and is... sandwich-shaped.”

His smile shuts me up.

“That sounds lovely,” he says. “In the meantime, I think I’ll take another walk around town. See what Small Town has to offer in broad daylight.”

“That sounds nice. Just be sure to stick to?—”

“Brightly lit areas,” he says. “I remember.”

I nod and take a slow step back toward the kitchen. “Okay. Well, have fun. I’ll go put your order in and then I’ll see you again tonight at the inn around… seven?”

“Seven is good. But I’ll also see you… here.”

“Right. Here. Because I’m serving your breakfast. And then tonight, I’m making you dinner.” I pause. “I feel like I’ve been duped somehow.”

He laughs, his smile wide and bright.

“I’ll see you in a minute,” I blurt as I spin on my toes and bolt toward the kitchen.

“Ow!”

I hop back, then slowly push the door open on Lottie and Tish gently massaging their foreheads.

“Sorry, guys,” I say.

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