Page 3 of A Match Made in Montana

Could it be she was also the main reason he’d agreed to visit Aunt Janice two weeks before Aiden and Vivian’s wedding? Or was the restlessness he’d been experiencing over the last few months the reason?

He’d always loved his job in advertising and marketing. He loved the creative aspect of it, the brainstorming, the developing of the plan, taking it to the client and seeing their faces when they saw ideas transformed into practice. It was the other side of the business, having to constantly compete, to be always one step ahead of the rest, that was getting to him. Especially after this last account they’d managed to grab from another competitor. This time he’d been made aware of the consequences for the other company. It had left him uneasy and troubled.

Under usual circumstances, he wouldn’t have dreamt of taking leave and flying to Bozeman to spend two weeks with his aunt. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to get away until he’d received his aunt’s message.

She’d sent a long message to him and Riley telling them there was so much to be done before the big day, it would be nice to have both or at least one of them around to help. And if Aunt Janice asked they helped. She’d been there for them when they’d needed her. Riley was preparing for an exhibition that opened at the end of May, after Aiden’s wedding, so much to his cousin’s amazement, he’d agreed to take leave from work and go and help their aunt.

He never took time away from work, but lately his office seemed to have shrunk, became claustrophobic, making it hard to breathe. The chance to get away for a few weeks, see his aunt, help his cousin get married, and maybe see the lovely Annie Miller as well, had seemed like good reasons to take a much-needed break.

Apart from maybe Riley, there wasn’t anyone in Portland who’d miss him. He had a strictly two-date rule and usually dated more than one woman at a time. He wasn’t interested in getting married, having kids, and settling down in the suburbs with a white picket fence—something he spelled out whenever he dated someone.

“Um… do you know if Janice is also on her way?” Annie asked.

He frowned. A strange question. “Janice said you wanted to talk to me.”

Clearly confused, she stared at him. “No, she—”

Just then her phone rang. “It’s Janice,” she said. “Just a moment. Hi, Janice, I was—” Annie darted a look toward him. “Yes, he’s just arrived, but…”

Silence. Her mouth opened a few times to say something, but Aunt Janice seemed to be on a roll.

Finally, she managed a few words. “But, Janice, I can’t impose—”

Cut short again, Annie walked toward the kitchen window while talking, giving him a chance to study her. Tall and slender, her long hair in a messy ponytail. As he watched, she pulled out the elastic holding it in place. Her hair tumbled down way past her shoulders, the brown hues altering as the strands curled and moved with the nodding of her head. Inside of him, something moved.

“Janice, I really appreciate your suggestion, but…” Another glance in his direction before she reluctantly nodded. “Okay, I’ll do that. Thank you.”

Chewing on her lower lip, she approached him.

That was something else he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about—the way she would chew on her full lower lip whenever she was worried or anxious about anything.

“I’m so sorry about this. Janice means well, I know, but… now you’ve wasted your time.”

“So, you don’t want to talk to me?”

“It’s not that I don’t want—” She rubbed her face. “Janice, bless her heart, wants to help me. I’ve been moaning about the lack of visitors to my B and B, Janice has probably heard about it and thought you could help me with marketing, which of course, is a ludicrous idea. Now you’ve wasted your time and all for nothing.”

“Why ludicrous?”

She threw up her hand. “Because you’re… you. A sexy, hotshot marketing guru from a big firm in Portland and I’m a nobody with a B and B in Marietta, a town most people probably haven’t heard of before.”

His brows shot up. “Sexy?”

Her face was flaming and she turned away, covering her cheeks with her hands. “I can’t believe that’s all you got from what I’ve just said. It’s not that I think you’re sexy… I mean, of course, you are but…”

Moving forward quickly, he tried to stop the chuckle from escaping, but he was going to lose the battle.

Chapter Two

Annie rounded onCraig. “It’s not funny!” She’d thought he was still standing on the other side of her kitchen, but he’d moved so that he was right behind her, their faces now inches apart.

Lifting a hand, he tucked a curl behind her ear, long fingers skimming her face as he dropped his arm. “I’ve never been called sexy before. And you, Annie Miller, may be many things, but a nobody isn’t one of them. You’re one of a kind.”

Had he moved closer still or was that her imagination? She had to say something, anything, but her mouth was so dry, she wouldn’t get a word out if she tried. Slipping out her tongue, she licked her lips.

His breath hitched, his eyes dropped to her mouth and, oh, my goodness, if she wasn’t mistaken, there was more beading happening. Fortunately, she’d put on another layer of clothes, hopefully he wouldn’t notice it.

Just then, his eyes dropped further, and she lost her breath. He looked up, his blue eyes darkened with an expression she’d never seen before.

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