Can’t Hurry Love by Nadine Millard (little red riding hood ebook TXT) 📗

He wasn’t going to ask her out, was he? Before she’d even finished the thought, she was scoffing at herself.

Really Beth? Two rejections aren’t enough for you? You really wanna go for that hat-trick, huh?

He was probably going to ask her to bake stuff for it or something.

Why the heck wouldn’t she get his disinterest through her thick skull?

Suddenly, she couldn’t stand the idea of him thinking of her sitting at home on a Saturday night with nothing to do other than feed the men in Grayson’s poker group.

It was too humiliating. A girl had to have some pride.

“They sure are,” she interrupted. “I used to get so upset that it was boys only…” If her laugh was more maniacal than casual, he didn’t seem to notice. “…but I don’t mind so much, now that I have a date.”

His eyes snapped to attention at her words, an odd look flashing across his face. “You have a date?” he asked — demanded, really. “Who with?”

“Oh, I — he — you wouldn’t know him. He — he’s from Ouray.”

“And he’s coming here for a date?”

His questions annoyed her. For one thing, it was none of his business, and for another, she was having to think up lie after lie because of them.

She raised a brow, trying to channel Brooke’s cool sophistication when she’d dealt with Damon at the wedding last week. “You don’t think I’m worth travelling from Ouray for?” she bit out.

He scowled, but she wasn’t sure if he was annoyed with her question or with her.

“Of course that’s not what I meant. You should know how I feel about you, Beth.”

The gentle admonishment, the sadness in his voice — they just confused her and made her sad.

The shrill sound of a phone ringing interrupted their uncomfortable stand-off.

Swearing under his breath, Josh put his brownie on top of his coffee cup and reached into his pocket. He looked at the screen of his phone, his face paling.

And Beth found herself worrying, despite herself. “Is everything ok?” she asked softly.

Josh didn’t even look back up at her. “Yeah. I-I have to go.”

He turned and hurried from the shop, leaving Beth standing there alone, more confused than ever, and wondering how the heck she was going to find a man to take her out on Saturday night.

Chapter Six

“So now you need a date?”

“Yes.”

“For this Saturday?”

“Yes.”

“With an absolute stranger?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve tried online?”

Beth sighed in frustration. “Yes!” she practically shouted.

In the absence of Zoe, Beth was confiding in Jenna, Brooke, who’d called in for coffee, and Paige Sallins, who worked in the library and ran adult learning instruction and children’s story time, art classes, and about fifty other community projects out of it and had been roped into the crisis talks after she’d come to collect her order of cookies for the seniors’ chess club.

“But why did you say it?”

Paige was gorgeous inside and out. She had one of the kindest, purest souls of anyone Beth had ever known. Beth could well imagine that this level of dishonesty would baffle her. If ever a real-life human could be a Disney princess, it was Paige. The big, soft green eyes and deep golden hair only added to the effect.

“Because — because—“

“Because she wanted to make Josh Larson jealous,” Brooke answered in that no-nonsense fashion of hers.

“No, I didn’t,” Beth denied. Then, under Brooke’s sceptical glare, she sighed and admitted defeat. “Ok, maybe I did. But it’s pointless. I know that. I just — I don’t want him thinking I’m completely undateable.”

“Nobody could ever think that of you, Beth.” Jenna laughed. “In high school you were royalty! Everyone wanted you or wanted to be you. We all looked up to you.”

Beth smiled at the younger woman. Jenna had been a couple of years below her at Rocky Valley High.

“That’s really nice of you, Jenna, but high school was a long time ago. I don’t think my pom-poms are gonna cut it this time.”

“That depends on which pom-poms you’re referring to,” Brooke said dryly, earning herself a reluctant laugh from Beth and a more enthusiastic one from Jenna and Paige.

“I’ll use anything in my arsenal,” Beth conceded. “I just need to find a man to use them on.”

“What happened between you and the good doctor, anyway?” Brooke asked now. “I knew there was something going on at that wedding. The sparks flying could have set the room on fire.”

Beth felt her cheeks flame. She felt embarrassed that Josh Larson had such a profound effect on her. And it wasn’t something she particularly wanted to gab about.

“Oh, nothing much.” She feigned nonchalance, but she wasn’t sure the girls believed her. Brooke definitely wouldn’t. “You know me — always the hopeless romantic.”

“Mm-hm.” Brooke nodded, her shiny, chestnut bob swinging with the action before landing perfectly with not a hair out of place. Beth could well imagine that a hair wouldn’t dare to be out of place on Brooke’s head.

“You’re too into that fairy-tale crap for your own good,” Brooke continued. “But the Josh-thing—“

Beth couldn’t let the speculation continue. It was too painful.

“Even if there was a Josh-thing, which there isn’t, it wouldn’t be long-term. And I want long-term. I want forever.”

They looked at her with varying degrees of sympathy, and Beth hated that she was the source of pity.

“Well, let’s not worry about getting you forever just yet. Let’s worry about getting you a Saturday night!” Jenna said.

“I wish I could help.” Beth knew that Paige sincerely meant it. “I’m great at throwing events, but finding men? Not so much.”

Beth had been leaning on the counter with her chin in her hand, but as Paige’s words penetrated the fog of self-pity she straightened up.

“Wait. What did you say?”

Paige blinked at her.

“Me? Um… just that I wish I could help.”

“No, no. About an event.”

Paige and Jenna shared a look of confusion, but Brooke suddenly grinned widely, slapping the countertop.

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “It’s perfect.”

“What is?” Paige asked.

“We’re going to do exactly what you said. Have a dating event. Speed dating! It’s