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

She knew that because her brothers used to take great pleasure in pointing it out when they were kids.

“But you never know… maybe spending time with him will reveal that he’s just a big teddy bear.”

Beth eyed Paige sceptically but before she could answer, the doorbell rang, echoing throughout the cavernous house.

“Oh no, he’s here already?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Paige said in that calming way of hers. “I’m sure Grayson, Zach, or Seth can answer.”

“No, they’re already gone on their stupid boys’ night. Can you get it? I haven’t even picked out shoes!”

“Sure.” Paige reluctantly got up. “And wear the strappy ones.”

She turned and left, leaving Beth alone and trying to force herself to feel enthusiastic about the evening.

Fifteen minutes seemed a reasonable amount of time to leave a date waiting, so Beth made her way down the giant staircase that dominated the foyer of the house.

Now that her parents were gone, the house sometimes felt more like a hotel than a home, the huge space and elaborate décor feeling a little stiff. But they were all loath to change the things their mother had picked, and when Dad had been alive, he wouldn’t have let them change it anyway.

Beth knew that the boys had been contemplating maybe turning the place into a dude ranch at some point. A couple of places around had done it to varying degrees of success. Jenna Wakefield already ran a riding school out of the Wakefield place, with summer treks and pony camps. A couple of them were overnight and weekend camping trips. But they hadn’t fully converted, and she wasn’t sure that they would.

Asher didn’t seem the type to enjoy having to play nice with visitors. And Damon would probably play too nice. If they did decide to do that, Beth would need a lot of help in the kitchen. But it would probably come to nothing anyway.

A lot of land around here had been sold off since the last recession, but thanks in large part to Grayson, the Big Sky Ranch was still thriving as a cattle operation. They didn’t need it to do anything else. Not for now anyway.

Beth knew she was letting her mind wander a bit out of nervousness.

She took a deep breath, metaphorically pulled on her big girl pants, and strutted as confidently as possible in three-inch heels toward the lounge.

As she’d expected, Paige had brought Mason in here to wait. What she hadn’t anticipated was the tableau before her.

Her books always talked about sparks flying between two people, but Beth had never really seen it before. Now she knew exactly what it meant.

Mason and Paige were facing each other across the large room like combatants on a battlefield. But even though there was a lot of tension swirling around them, it did seem like the kind of tension that happened around Chapter Ten —as in, the kind where clothing started getting removed.

Which was all well and good — except that Mason was her date.

Beth didn’t know what to do. They hadn’t noticed her entrance. And she was afraid to step closer in case she got a shock from the electricity swirling around the two of them.

She was contemplating just walking backward out of the room when Paige’s eyes suddenly snapped to her and widened, looking like pools of sparkling green.

Strangely enough, even though Paige was in a simple sweater and jeans, with her golden hair pulled into a messy bun, Beth didn’t think her friend had ever looked more beautiful.

“I’ll let you get on with your date,” Paige snapped surprising Beth.

In all their years of acquaintance, she’d never seen Paige angry. But she was angry now. Furious even.

“Goodnight, Mr. Decker.” She walked toward the door, her chin jutting out. “And Beth — good luck.”

The silence she left in her wake was more than a little awkward.

“Is she always like that?” Mason asked, seeming more amused than offended.

Beth eyed him curiously. “Actually, she’s never like that,” she answered.

“Ah. Lucky me, I guess. You hungry?”

She wasn’t particularly, not anymore. But she wanted to get to the bottom of whatever the heck she’d just walked into. And she definitely didn’t want to be spending a Saturday night thinking about Josh Larson.

“Sure am!” She smiled brightly then led the way out the door.

Chapter Nine

He was out more money than he could ever remember, but he couldn’t concentrate. Watching the clock wasn’t doing him any good.

Interrogating her brothers or Damon would be too obvious. Frustration clawed at him, and as he lost yet another hand, Josh knew he should just go home and give up. He wasn’t doing himself or his wallet any good sitting here brooding.

“I’m leaving before you wipe out my trust fund.” He stood and grinned with a joviality he didn’t feel.

Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was getting on for ten thirty. If the date was going well, they’d probably still be in the restaurant. Or worse, if it was going too well, they could be somewhere a lot more intimate than the restaurant.

What if Decker kissed her? Josh knew what it was to kiss Beth, so he knew if a man who wasn’t as screwed up as he was got the opportunity, then he’d probably never want to stop. The thought made him feel a bit queasy.

He said his goodbyes and made his way out of Joe’s Bar & Grill, waving at greetings called out left and right.

He would have had to be blind not to notice the open invitation in Steph Gruber’s eyes. The waitress had had a thing with Jack Beckford last year before Zoe’s return to Rocky Valley. Josh had been there the night Beck had seen Zoe. The exact moment that Beck became blind to every other woman on the planet.

The frightening thing was that Josh was beginning to think he knew exactly how Beck felt.

He smiled politely but briefly at the waitress, making sure there wasn’t a hint of his own invitation in his expression.

Before