Page 55 of The Icing on the Cake
As soon as the door closes, Neesha drops her head into her hands. “You just saved me from the entire town finding out…”
“That we had a wild morning of waffle-making?” I suggest, my lips quirking.
“You know exactly what they’d think,” she says pointedly. “Is that why you asked Mrs. Nelson to keep it quiet?”
“I knew it mattered to you,” I say. “And I happen to know the truth is much more interesting.”
She tilts her head. “The truth being, that I spent the night with a hockey player, and nothing happened?”
“The truth being,” I say, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face, “that you showed up at my door with frozenvegetables and bandages because you didn’t want to see me in pain. And then you stayed to make sure I was okay.”
She gives me a soft smile. “I should go, but thank you for the waffles.”
I try not to let my disappointment show. “But what about the date?”
She hesitates at the door, her hand on the handle. “I’m still planning to leave for Seattle,” she says quietly, like she’s reminding herself as much as me.
“I know,” I say. “But you’re still here now. And I still owe you a real date.”
“Okay, one date,” she agrees, and this time, she looks excited.
“But fair warning, Neesha Gilmore—I plan to make it count.”
CHAPTER 16
LUCIAN
The bells on the door jingle as I enter Falling for Books, greeted by the scent of new books and fresh coffee. Emmy waves from behind the counter where she’s arranging pumpkin-shaped cookies on a tray. Glancing around the shop, I see no sign of Neesha—exactly as I’d hoped. She’s been checking on me ever since I got hurt, one of the perks of looking so beat up. But tonight’s all about gathering information for our date, which means I desperately need her to stay away. The last thing I want is her walking in on me asking the town’s most notorious matchmakers and gossipers for romantic advice.
“Good timing,” Emmy says with a grin. “Neesha’s making a cupcake delivery to another town tonight. Won’t be back for at least an hour.”
“Perfect.”
“Think you can handle them?” Emmy asks, nodding toward a circle of ladies in the cafe.
“What? Small-town women are the perfect source of the information I need. They’re like a gold mine.”
“Well, Mary-Ellen’s been speculating about you and Neesha ever since she arrived this evening.”
“Let me guess. According to her, we’re already engaged?”How Mary-Ellen knows everyone’s business is a mystery worthy of its own book, but I plan to use her powers for good—namely, finding out more of Neesha’s favorite things.
Emmy laughs. “Worse. She’s planning your nuptials. I think she’s settled on an outdoor wedding next fall.”
I sigh. “Remind me why I thought this was a good idea?”
“Because you’re totally into Neesha, and desperate to prove you’re not like Nate?” Emmy suggests, handing me a mug of coffee. “Here, you’ll need this. They’ve been discussing the bachelor auction for twenty minutes already.”
“Yeah, I’m trying not to think about the bachelor auction,” I mutter, taking the mug. “Don’t get me wrong—I want to help stop that MacDonald guy so we don’t have to move the team. I just don’t want to go on a date with a random woman when the only person I want to be with is Neesha.”
“I know, but I think she’ll understand,” Emmy says. “The whole team has to participate since MacDonald’s claiming he owns your parking lot. It’s not like you have a choice.”
There’s no way Neesha could compete with Maple Falls’ wealthier residents, and we both know it. What kills me is picturing her face when she watches some other woman bid on me and win. The worst part? She’ll just let me go, because in her mind, I was never really hers to begin with, even though I’ve been hers from the moment she said “Hi-ho.”
That’s why this date has to be perfect. If I can’t convince her I’m worth taking a chance on, then the bachelor auction won’t just be awkward. It’ll be the thing that ends us before we even begin.
Emmy heads toward the back of the shop where the cafe is. “By the way, we have some new visitors today,” she says over her shoulder. “Word got out that you needed some advice, and apparently some special friends offered to help.” She grins, and I suddenly get the feeling I’ve been set up.
The chatter of voices immediately dies when I reach the cafe. Eight heads turn my way, and that’s when I realize I’vewalked into what can only be described as a dating intervention.
