Page 8 of Finding Her Leading Man

“Amazing!” Addie stepped forward and held out her hand. “I know we’ve been introduced in passing, but after my odd conversation with Trevor a few minutes ago, I feel like I need to introduce myself a little better and apologize for him being a bit of a weirdo. I’m Addie.”

She remembered her from the couple times she’d come into the diner. “Sorry. I didn’t want to agree to it in the first place, but your brother can be a little overwhelming when he wants something.” And she tried not to enjoy the feeling of someonewantingto be with her. Jasper had tossed her in the trash. Trevor seemed like he wouldn’t give up. It was hard not to think it was an act, an angle to get her as a client.

Addie pulled out a chair and motioned to the other one for Samantha. “Sit for a sec.”

Samantha hesitated. “I probably shouldn’t since I’m on the clock.”

Becky passed by and patted her on the shoulder. “The place is empty. Just sit and relax for a few minutes.” She pointed at Addie. “But this does not constitute taking her out somewhere. I don’t care if a man is forcing you to be social, Samantha, we need some fresh meat to talk about something other than the wedding.” She smiled at Addie. “No offense.”

Addie laughed. “None taken. I’m tired talking about it. I promised Cameron I’d try to cook something tonight. How about tomorrow night?”

“I’m in,” Becky said. She aimed her blue eyes at Samantha. “Don’t be a chicken. Come out with us.”

“I’ll go. I can’t promise that I’ll go out with Trevor, but I did tell him that I’d go out with Addie.”

Addie pulled the length of her long blond hair over her shoulder. “Becky was honest when she said she looked you up on the internet. We did. We saw all the gossip, too. I think it will be good for you to hang out with us. My brother is a good man, but even if you end up declining his offer, I hope you’ll have fun with us.” Her brown eyes held the same touch of curiosity that she’d seen in Trevor’s. “I saw you perform once, a few years ago. I went to New York with my boyfriend at the time. He left me to fend for myself, so I bought a last-minute ticket at those discount booths. You were great.”

The overwhelming acceptance by the women knocked her back. Every instinct said not to trust them. Last time she made a few close friends, they all stabbed her in the back with Jasper. Maybe it was her mind’s way of tricking her, but for now, she wanted to believe them. Suspicion wasn’t a typical personality trait for her, and it took too much effort.

For a little bit, she needed to feel normal again.

“So,” Samantha said, jumping feet first into life in the small town. “What do people do for fun in Statem?”

4

“We have a girls’ night planned with Samantha.” Addie shifted an oversized purse onto her shoulder. Since she’d come to Statem, his little sister had slowly transformed back into the girl he remembered. She pulled her dark blond hair up into a high ponytail and slipped off her reading glasses. How was she old enough to get married? He’d have sworn last week she sat beside him in high school, and even though she was three years younger, tutoring him in math.

Kicking his ass at running.

Trevor crossed his arms, leaning against his rented Audi. They stood outside the house Addie shared with Cameron, waiting on Becky to go overmorewedding plans. The small house was a third of the size of their childhood home. He already knew Addie and Cameron filled it with more love. It sat down a long, gravel road surrounded by tall pine trees, giving it the feeling of isolation. Addie adored it. Although she probably wished for a better internet signal.

“Thank you for doing this. Even if Samantha still refuses to go out with me, I think she needs some of your female support or whatever you do during a break-up. I hate thinking she’s all alone.” He’d read every article possible on the drama with Jasper Henderson, not believing anything that painted Samantha as the reason for the break-up. There wasn’t any damn excuse for any engaged man to sleep around. He’d actually read one article that was so false, printed by a major publication, that made him consider offering her legal representation to sue them for defamation.

Addie crossed her arms, surveying the yard. “It’s a mystery to me how you’re so caring when it comes to me and perfect strangers like Samantha, and yet you refuse to try and date a girl to settle down.”

Trevor winced. “Don’t kill me, but damn, you sound like Mom.”

“No! Anything but that.” Addie laughed a second. “Okay. I’ll leave your commitment issues alone for now. I think we’re hanging out at my place since the only other place to go is Rhonda’s Roadhouse. It’s too loud to talk in there like we need to.”

“Is that the same place that Cameron decided to hold the rehearsal dinner? Where Grayson took me the other night?”

“Yup.” She glanced over her shoulder, lowering her voice as she said, “I’m a little worried about Mom and Dad. It’s a biker bar run by the sweetest lady, and I love it, but you know how they are.”

“Yes, I do.” They’d looked down their nose at his career choice for the past ten years or more. Not at his degree. They’d tell everyone that he graduated from Stanford with a law degree, just his chosen occupation as Grayson’s agent. Too bad. He saw the fallout of the endless pursuit of money. The obsession. He didn’t want it.

Trevor set a hand on Addie’s shoulder, giving her a light squeeze. “It’ll be fine. The food is great, and both Mom and Dad like Cameron. They won’t care about the rehearsal dinner.”

“They think Cam’s hardworking. A public servant.” She sighed, her eyebrows furrowing together. “I want it all to go smoothly. I hate to point this out, but the two highest-paid people at my wedding are both at the bottom of our parents’ list of having a ‘real’ career. You and Grayson. I don’t want Dad to start a conversation about it.”

“He won’t.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Or a fight. They embarrass me with how arrogant they can get. And with the lie you told; it will just get worse. I’m telling you, backing out of having a date for the wedding will put Mom into meltdown mode. She’s ecstatic about you dating someone she’ll meet. Don’t you have anyone that will fly in for it? I know you’ve dated women.Lotsof women. Is there not one that’s willing to help you?”

“I’m not going to ruin my chance with Samantha. And I have datedlotsof women. As in, I takeonewoman ononedate. And then I move on.” Flying off to be on set location in either Australia or England usually made the second dates easy to avoid.

“And that’s what you want from Samantha?” Addie tilted her head to the side, studying him, her brown eyes narrowing slightly. “You’ve never had me talk to a woman before. I don’t know why you don’t simply accept the rejection and move on.”

Because Samantha’s rejection stung. Not that she didn’t find him worthy of a date. Plenty of other women had shot him down before. But she wouldn’t date him because of that Jasper creep. She’d close herself off from the world because of what one guy did to her.

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