Page 39 of The Talk Around Town

“Who is it?”

Emma turned and busied herself at the sink, rinsing her breakfast plate. There was a lot to be said about avoidance.

“Just a man.”

Silence greeted her statement. She looked around, noting the sudden stillness in the room.

“Am I allowed to ask when this auspicious occasion is happening, or is that a secret too?”

Emma chuckled and turned, leaning back against the sink to face them.

“Certainly. Tomorrow night at the Spotted Cow. Seven o’clock, to be precise. Apparently I’m being treated to a full-service date. Dinner, wine. Who knows what else?” She deliberately tacked the last sentence on, just to see what reaction she would get.

Both men’s faces darkened at her words. Their expressions were so similar it was almost comical.

“Really. You know, I actually came here today to ask you outmyself. I don’t suppose I could entice you to change your mind?” Ryan’s grin didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Emma wagged a finger at him. “Now Ryan, that’s not nice. I’ve already agreed to a date with this fellow. I’m not going to do that to him, not when he at least had the courage to ask me.”

The dark look in Ryan’s eyes deepened. Arms crossed over his chest, he nodded. “I just did, didn’t I?”

The more Ryan pouted, the more Emma’s amusement grew. “Oh come on! You only asked me because someone else did. You all would’ve kept this stupid wager going until there was a ridiculous amount in that pot. I hope you didn’t lose too much money on my account.”

Gabe’s slow grin unwinding in the background made it awfully hard to keep her composure. So he thought Ryan’s reaction was funny too?

Ryan stepped forward, concern radiating from his face. Emma had to give him credit, he wasn’t just here to further his own interests.

“Is that why you’re doing this? To end the bet? Why won’t you tell us who he is? Was he on the list? Because if he was, I have to tell the others and give him his winnings.”

Ryan knew in all likelihood the man would be on that list. All single men in any available age range had put themselves down. That much she knew. With one notable exception.

“Yes, he is. I’m not telling you who he is, at his request. Unless he comes forward before Friday, you’re just going to have to wait and find out with the rest of town. I’m sorry if that doesn’t suit you.”

She placed her drink beside the sink, all pretence of drinking it gone. “If you want to believe that ending the bet is the reason I’m going out with him, that’s up to you. The real answer is simply that he asked me. That’s it. There’s nothing deeper to it. I have no need to play games. I have nointerestin playing games. I’m going out for dinner with a nice man, for some company. Read into it what you will.”

Emma moved to the fridge, past a bemused Ryan and a grinning Gabe, grabbed hold of the milk bottle Gabe had given her and held up her hands. “If there’s nothing else, I have a baby to feed.”

Chapter Sixteen

Emma brushed damppalms down the short skirt of her Chinese-style dress yet again, as waves of nerves threatened to swamp her.

“We don’t have to go in if you’d rather we didn’t.”

Pete’s gruff old voice turned Emma’s head in his direction. She reached out a hand to grasp his arm. “Thank you, but I’m fine. It’s just a little daunting, knowing that half the town is here to see who I’m going to walk through that door with. Don’t they have better things to do?”

A soft chuckle preceded Pete’s next words. “Not on a Friday night, they don’t. The boys are all beside themselves, wondering who it might be. Wonderin’ why no one’s talkin’. There are a few trucks missing from out here, so I’m guessing that some haven’t made it here yet. That should give them something to think about.” He glanced at her. “You ready for your big entrance, missy?”

Amusement flooded her, washing away the nerves. “No one’s called memissysince I was ten years old.” She nodded and took a fortifying breath. “Let’s do it.”

As Pete put his hand to The Cow’s door handle, he smiled at her. “Your young man should be here. He works the bar almost every Friday night. I wonder what he’ll think of you walking in with an old man like me?”

Emma flushed, heat rushing up her chest to the tips of her ears.

Great, now I look like a Muppet.

“Gabe’s not my anything. He wouldn’t notice if I walked in with a duck.”

Pete’s chuckle turned into full laughter. “That’s strange. I don’t recall mentioning any names.” Pete held his arm out for her as he pulled the door open. “You are right about one thing. I could be a duck and he wouldn’t see me tonight, not with that dress you’re wearing. You look lovely, girl. Just the thing to catch his attention—and keep it.”

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