Page 20 of All Dressed Up

CHAPTER FIVE

“So, let me get this straight. You had a wonderful evening with Amber, but Rachel ended up in your bedroom?” Zoe asked in between spoonfuls. She’d stopped by the Belle Bridal Boutique with two frozen yogurt cups, demanding that Will try her new fried butter frozen yogurt she’d been working on for the town’s annual fair later this summer.

They’d decided to take a short break and enjoy the frozen yogurt in the park.

And it hit the spot. “Dang, this is good,” he said, giving her a thumbs-up.

“Thank you. I’m hoping everyone feels the same way.”

“You serve this, and you’ll have a line a mile long.”

“That would be amazing. So back to my question.”

“Nothing happened.” It’d been a weird—and entirely unexpected—end to an otherwise fun night. “Truth is, I’m not sure what Rachel was doing there. She mumbled something about retrieving a sweater she’d left at my place.”

“Did you invite her over?”

“No. I didn’t even know she was at my cottage.”

And even after two days, he still didn’t know the real reason for her breaking and entering. He wasn’t buying her retrieving her pink sweater excuse. He swiped a finger over his brow. Who needs a warm, winter sweater in this record heat?

“So how was your date with Amber?” Zoe asked.

“Good. Thanks for setting up the introduction. She’s really funny. I had a nice time.”

“Will there be a second?”

He’d really planned on that answer being yes, but the unexpected “Rachel in his bedroom” plot twist threw him off. She could pretend that she’d come for the stupid sweater, but that encounter stirred up in him the palpable desire for her that he was trying very hard to push out of his system.

In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and bring her to his bed, but he wasn’t going to be the first to makethatmove.

If she wanted to be there, she should have told him.

And she didn’t.

“I’m going to text Amber this afternoon,” he said, more for his benefit than Zoe’s.

“You don’t seem excited about it.”

“I am.” He set the frozen yogurt cup to the side and cracked his knuckles. “She was cool. It’s just...” His words trailed as he stole a glance in the direction of Buttermilk Blooms.

“She’s not Rachel.”

“I know it’s stupid. I’m a glutton for punishment.” He paused, adding, “Pathetic, huh...”

“No.” Zoe touched his shoulder. “My mother used to say the heart wants what it wants.”

He smirked. “I’m not sure I have one.”

“What? A heart?”

“Yeah, I mean, I know I have a ticker, or I wouldn’t be here. I’m just not sure it does anything but beat.”

“For Rachel,” she teased.

“Maybe.” He really needed to stop obsessing over her. Here he’d met an attractive woman who was interested enough to give him her number. What was he waiting for? The old Will would have moved in, showed her a great second date, and made her breakfast by now.

“You know what? Let’s do this.” He whipped out his phone and sent Amber a text asking if she wanted to meet him for a drink at the Buttermilk Tavern after work. He turned to Zoe, holding his phone in the air. “Done.”

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