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

he was obviously a selfish bastard because he had to fight to hide a grin. “He’s really nice and good-looking, and actually interested in a relationship…” she said dully, wiping the smile well and truly from his face and replacing the smugness with guilt and regret. “…with someone who’s not me. There was no spark. No — zing.”

“Spark and zing?” he repeated teasingly. He remembered how she’d talked about her romance novels and rom coms. He found her romantic stuff hilarious but endearing. And honestly, he would have found the whole thing ridiculous if he hadn’t felt sparks and zings and a whole lot more from the first time he’d kissed her.

Once again, he found himself wanting to just throw caution to the wind. Take this thing where they both wanted it to go.

But he couldn’t do it to her.

They’d be electric together, he knew it, and he suspected Beth did, too. But she wanted serious, and serious was the one thing he couldn’t give her.

So why couldn’t he just stay the hell away?

Her sudden scowl was all the warning he needed that she didn’t find his teasing funny.

“Yeah, Josh. Spark and zing. Some of us still believe in that. Still want that.”

He didn’t know why, but her words stung.

“And some of us are mature enough to know not to believe in fairy tales,” he snapped like a jackass.

The second the words were out he wanted to take them back.

Her eyes flashed with blue fire, and he knew he’d gotten to her.

But the saccharine smile threw him.

“Thankfully, there are plenty of people just as immature as me left in the world. And I intend to find my perfect match at the matchmaking festival.”

“At the what?”

“The matchmaking festival. Speed dating, social events, the works! A gathering of people who actually want to find love, Josh. Something you clearly know nothing about.”

He could tell her that actually he knew a lot about love. About how it could destroy a person. About how it faded and became something dark and ruinous.

Instead, he laughed. “Beth, you can’t just speed date your way to a happily ever after. It doesn’t work that way. You can’t hurry love.”

She smirked at him, and he felt like a damned idiot.

“Thanks for the warning, Diana Ross, but when I need advice on the heart from someone, I won’t be calling you.”

He scowled at her sarcastic remark.

“I’m staying in here tonight, and I’m tired, so if you’re done?”

It wasn’t really a question, more a command. And he was tempted to just sit there and annoy her further.

Actually, he was tempted to take her in his arms and kiss any and all thoughts of other men clean out of her.

And that’s why he knew he should leave.

“Goodnight, Beth,” he murmured for want of anything better to say.

“Night,” she bit out.

When he turned at the door, she already had her back to him.

He walked home, hands in pockets, somehow feeling worse than he had imagining her on a date.

Chapter Ten

“I can’t believe you’ve pulled this together in only a couple of weeks, Paige. It’s incredible.” Beth turned in a full circle taking in her surroundings.

The community hall, usually used for town council meetings and the occasional fundraiser, even weddings at times, had been transformed in the last couple of weeks. Hundreds of fairy lights had been wrapped around the old wooden beams on the ceiling, and tables had been covered in white cloth with candelabras set in the middle. It was gorgeous; romantic and intimate. Just like a movie set.

“We all helped,” Paige answered modestly.

It was true, Beth supposed. She had worked every spare second helping to pull this thing off. But Paige had been the mastermind. She had a talent for organising. For pulling people together.

“I’m so nervous about tonight,” Beth said as she straightened cocktail menus that were already perfectly straight.

Joe’s Bar & Grill were providing the bar service, and catering was being handled by Bella’s with desserts and sweet treats from Beth herself. She’d run herself into the ground baking for it this week, but it had paid well, and if she found love out of it, it would be worth it!

Tonight was officially kicking off their weeklong matchmaking festival. A fun idea that Brooke had come up with. Everyone interested in meeting someone had filled in an anonymous profile and been given a number. Then they had to find their corresponding numbers based on similar interests. Tomorrow, there would be a group hike to one of the lakes and then a speed dating event at the library. Weeknights were reserved for private dates, something the participants were left to their own devices for. And then next weekend everything was wrapping up with a formal night back here in the community centre.

Brooke had said it would add a sense of occasion to make it formalwear. And they all agreed that any chance to dress up was a bonus.

All day, Beth had mulled next weekend in her head.

Would she strike gold this week? She could just picture it, walking into the centre next week in something long and elegant on the arm of a gorgeous man who’d fallen desperately in love with her.

If the only face she could picture when she thought of this was Josh Larson’s… well, that was an inconvenience, but something that she could hopefully ignore after meeting her perfect match this evening.

“Zoe and Beck said they’ll get here early to start checking tickets and cover charges for people who haven’t pre-registered,” she told Paige who was scanning her emails.

“Do you think we’ll get many? We’re not that far off capacity. I can’t believe how many people signed up!” Paige sounded worried.

“It’s your own fault for putting together such a fabulous festival.” Beth grinned. “Don’t worry, Paige. I doubt the fire chief will shut us down. Especially since he’s registered, so he’ll be busy.”

Paige laughed and set down her phone.

“And Brooke won’t let her big brother ruin our event anyway. I really hope he likes his