“A friend,” Evan said. Then he sighed. “I guess it’s not against the will for you to pick the guys, tell them what to do and say and what not to do and say, but, I really think you getting more involved in this is a recipe for disaster.”
“It’s the only way to be sure it all goes according to plan.”
“You can’t control every minute of this.”
“The fuck if I can’t,” he said stubbornly. On the drive home last night, not only had he replayed every second of the kiss-that-hadn’t-even-been-a-real-kiss, but he’d started feeling better and better about the plan as a whole.
He did need a win in the Good Guy department. He’d been racking up points by sewing pillows and unclogging drains and letting Brynn hang out at the garage. Now he was in the final quarter with time running out. He needed to make sure every bit of Brynn’s dating life in Bliss went exactly according to plan from here on out. And now he was in control.
That had been what had bugged him before. He’d wanted to be in control, to insure it all went well, but he hadn’t really had a plan. Now he did. Set up the dates, lay down some ground rules—like a curfew—and then end the date the way a guy who was crazy about her would. Brynn needed to practice the getting-to-know-you part of dating. Noah couldn’t help her with that. They were past that. She needed to practice so many things about meeting and getting to know someone new. They couldn’t do any of that. And he liked that. He liked that she was already fully comfortable with him. But he couldn’t send her back to New York nervous and inexperienced. He just couldn’t.
So the plan was flawless.
Because he got to keep kissing Brynn Carmichael.
And then some.
She hadn’t said that she wanted to experience more than kissing, but he could read it in her face. And yeah, no one but him was going to be showing her any of that.
“And what happens if one of the dates still goes bad?”
“I’ll make it better.”
“How?”
“By showing her how a guy apologizes appropriately after screwing up.”
“You mean by making the guy apologize in a way that you think is appropriate.”
“Exactly.”
Evan shook his head. “Yeah, nothing could go wrong with this.”
“It’s Brynn,” Noah said simply. He didn’t have a choice.
“So, have you picked the guys?”
“Yep.” Of course he had. He wasn’t fucking around with this.
“Okay, who’s on the A list?”
“That A-list?” Noah repeated. “I’ve only got one list.”
“What if they say no?”
Noah gave him a look. “They’re not going to say no.”
Evan laughed. “Okay, okay. Let’s hear it.”
Noah pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket. He, of course, had the list memorized. But he might want to take notes. Evan knew these guys as well as Noah did and he had to be sure they were right. “Caleb Holten.”
Evan nodded. “Okay, I can see that.”
Caleb was a farmer. Born and raised in Bliss. Nice guy. Never married. Would listen to Noah. “I figure he can take her to the football game on Saturday.”
“Brynn likes football?”
“Does it matter? It’s public so they won’t be totally alone. There will be the game to watch so they won’t have to really talk that much.”
“And you’ll be able to keep an eye on them.”
Noah didn’t deny it. “That will make her feel more comfortable.”
“And Caleb feel more uncomfortable.”
“I don’t care how Caleb feels.”
“And it will be over by nine,” Evan pointed out.
Noah shifted. Yeah, it would be. “So?”
“So then you get her right after. Nine is better than midnight.” Evan lifted his coffee cup and sipped in the really annoying, know-it-all way he had.
Noah shifted again. You get her right after. That sounded very possessive. And he really fucking liked that. “Then I was thinking Gage could take her to the barbecue.”
“What barbecue?”
“The barbecue I’m having at my house.”
“You’re having a barbecue?”
“Yeah. You and Cori are invited.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Noah sighed. “What?”
“You don’t have parties and barbecues at your house.”
“I do now.”
“And you are aware that I’m aware that you’re having a barbecue so that you can set Brynn up on a date, so that you can keep an eye on her, and then keep her after Gage leaves.”
Keep her. Yep, that also sounded possessive and he didn’t feel even a little bad about it. “It’s a big group thing—”
“So they’re not alone and so they don’t have to talk much,” Evan filled in.
“Right.” If Evan thought he was going to make Noah feel like he was overreacting to all of this, it wasn’t going to work. He was very aware he was overreacting. And he didn’t care. The end result was the only thing that mattered—that the stipulations of the will were all met and Brynn was happy.
Evan sighed. “What else?”
“I think then it might be time for her to ask someone out. Practice that too.”
“Uh, huh. And who is it and what is she asking him to do?”
Noah got the impression that Evan wasn’t fully in support of this plan. He narrowed his eyes, but said, “Sam Kent. And she can ask him over to game night.”
Evan’s eyebrows rose. “You’re going to have her ask someone to come hang out with all of us?”
“Yes. Still a group, but smaller.”
“And you’ll be there, I assume?”
“Of course, I always come to game night.”
“Yes, yes you do.” Evan took another long draw of his coffee.
“And then, I think it will be time for a double date. Out to dinner and a movie. The whole thing.”
“And the double date will Brynn and…”
“Someone.” Noah wasn’t sure yet.
“And will be with you and…”
Noah shrugged. “Someone.”
Evan just looked at him.
“See what I’m doing? Going from bigger groups to smaller. Different guys. Different kinds of dates. Covering all the bases.”
“Oh, I absolutely see what you’re doing.”
“Do you?”
Evan set his coffee cup down, folded his hands on the top of the counter, and said, “Noah.”
“Yes?”
“What you’re doing is dating Brynn.”
“I’m going to be around while Brynn is dating.”
“Noah.”
“Evan,” he said, mimicking Evan’s tone.
“Listen, I get it. I get that you feel responsible for making sure this is all wonderful and perfect and happy. But, dude, you gotta give her a little space.”
Noah folded the paper and tucked it back into his pocket. “No.”
“No?”
“No.” He knew he was being stubborn, but… this was Brynn. “I don’t have to give her space. This is the perfect way to not give her space and still take care of everything.”
“Noah,” Evan said.
“The will says absolutely nothing about me not being there on these dates.”
“Noah.”
“And she wants me there.” She did. He knew that much. She needed these dates to go well, and if he was there she’d be far more comfortable and herself. And the guys would really see how amazing and adorable she was, and the whole thing would be perfect.
“Noah.”
“And the guys won’t mind. They’ll know that nothing’s really going on.” It wasn’t totally crazy. It was a little crazy, but not totally.
“Noah.”
“What?”
“Incoming.”
Noah felt her the moment before he saw her. He turned to his right as Brynn slid up onto the stool next to him. “Hi.” She gave him a
big smile.
And he promptly forgot all about Evan.
“Hi.” God, he wanted to kiss her again. He’d known this would happen. He’d wanted to kiss her, a lot, before last night, and he’d figured if he ever actually did it, he’d be addicted. But he had been unprepared for how strong his craving was. And he hadn’t even gotten to her lips.
“How are you?” She sat sideways, propping her arm on the counter next to her.
“I’m great. How are you?” You look amazing. You smell amazing. I want to lick you from head to toe.
And then it got worse. Because her gaze dropped to his mouth as she said, “I’m a little sleep-deprived actually.”
He cleared his throat. “Sleep-deprived?”
She met his eyes. “I tossed and turned before I could fall asleep last night.”
Yeah. He knew the feeling. He wasn’t sure she’d handled it the same way he had. But the thought that she might have, had his body heating and hardening. He cleared his throat. “What are you doing Saturday?” he asked.
“I’m going to Great Bend, actually.”
He frowned. She couldn’t go to Great Bend. The football game was Saturday. “What’s in Great Bend?”
“Practice.”
“For?”
“Dating.”
He leaned in. “What are you talking about?”
She slapped a flyer down on the countertop between them. “I’m going to this.”
He looked down. It was a speed dating event. They still did speed dating? He started shaking his head before he even looked back up at her. “No.”
She put her hand on top of the flyer. “Yes. Cori brought it to me and it’s perfect.”
It wasn’t perfect at all. It wasn’t here. It wasn’t…okay, it was kind of public, but she’d definitely have to talk. And he wouldn’t be there. “Brynn, I told you I’d handle this.”
She nodded. “I know. And I’ll let you. But this can be a warm-up.”
He arched a brow. He’d give her a warm-up. “What the hell do you need a warm-up for?”
“This is in public, so I won’t be alone with anyone, and the chatting is timed, so I won’t have to talk much.”
Noah couldn’t help but shoot Evan a quick I-told-you-so look over his shoulder. Evan snorted. Noah turned back to Brynn, but before he could say anything, she rushed ahead.
“This way I will talk to fifteen guys and it’s only four minutes each.”
“That’s a lot of guys.” A lot of guys. Fuck, he hated everything about that.
“But it’s only four minutes each,” she repeated. “Even I can do that.”
Noah felt his expression soften. “You’re not that bad at this.”
“You actually have no idea.” She tipped her head, a tiny wrinkle between her eyebrows. “I’ve never been awkward around you.”
He shouldn’t feel quite so triumphant about that. But he did. “You’ll be okay. I’ve got this all worked out. The guys will be really nice, I promise.”
Now she arched a brow. “I believe you. Because you’ll tell them to be nice. And that’s sweet. But I do really need to learn to talk to people I don’t know. Male people I don’t know. And this will force me to talk. But only for a few minutes each. And—” She leaned around and looked at Evan. “This can count as a date, right?”
“I suppose. The guys there will probably be enough like the guys in Bliss to count. But just one. No matter how many guys you talk to,” Evan said.
She sat back and smiled up at Noah. And all he could think was but will I still get to kiss you at the end of the night?
“You’re not going alone,” he told her.
She tipped her head, still smiling. “I know.” She laid two tickets on top of the flyer. One for a female and one for a male.
For some reason, that made his chest tight. She’d already known that he would go along with her. And this could count as a date, so she wouldn’t need to go out with Caleb to the football game. That would work. Or he could set her up with Caleb for something else. And that would be six dates. And when Mitch came calling, she could tell him no.
“Okay, Saturday.”
“It’s a date.” She gave him a conspiratorial grin and slipped off the stool.
He watched her go. Not correcting her about the date thing. Not trying to hide that he was watching her. Not sure that he had any idea what he was really getting into.
“Man, you are in so much trouble,” Evan said.
Noah nodded. “Yep.”
5
“Hi, MJ.”
“It’s so busy today.” The older woman looked around the pie shop with a frown.
She was right. Every table in the pie shop was filled today. And Brynn was dying to get out of here.
Brynn made herself smile at the woman who came in about four times a week and sat at the corner table near the window and read a book. She didn’t talk much, to Brynn or anyone else in the shop, and she always came in alone, but she was friendly enough and tipped well.
“It’s busier than usual,” she agreed. “But I was hoping you’d come in. I have a stool up at the counter for you.” She led the way to the seat she’d saved for MJ.
They’d taken out the glass display case on this side of the shop and replaced it with a tall counter with more counter space and some cupboards behind it for the huge espresso machine and supplies Cori used to make her coffee creations. Actually, Noah had taken out the display case and replaced it with counters and cupboards. Evan had brought the two tall bar stools in so that he had a place to prop himself while he watched Cori work. He’d even begun having client meetings at the “coffee bar” when the topics were things the client didn’t mind discussing in public.
MJ didn’t look thrilled with her new seat, but she climbed up without complaint and pulled her book from her bag.
“Your usual?” Brynn asked, moving behind the counter.
“Please.”
MJ never changed her order, but Brynn asked every time. She set a cup down and filled it with coffee and caramel syrup. MJ thanked her quietly and opened her book. And that was that.
Brynn envied her. She looked around the shop. She wasn’t sure when she was going to be able to escape over to Noah’s garage today. Even if everyone cleared out soon to go back to work, she’d have a lot more dishes to help with than usual.
The pie shop had a few regulars. The older guys who always camped out in the shop—Hank, Walter, Ben and Roger—were there early so they already had their table. Evan’s mom and her best friend had also slipped in just before the other tables had filled. But Brynn hadn’t expected the surge of business right after the lunch rush at Parker’s diner so she hadn’t saved any seats for MJ or for Kayla, the young woman who’d been occupying a corner table near the window and scribbling in a notebook for an hour or so every day for the past two weeks and talking Brynn’s ear off whenever she got close. Kayla was the new, very young stepmom to a five-year-old girl little who supposedly hated her. But Kayla was trying everything she could to win the girl over, including bringing her into town for gymnastics and dance class twice a week. Her stepdaughter didn’t want Kayla to stay at the studio, and they lived a half an hour away, so Kayla came to the pie shop to kill time. She wasn’t here yet, but Brynn expected her in the next ten minutes. If she didn’t take one look at the packed shop and turn around.
The shop only had six small tables. There were four chairs at each, but they were most comfortable with only two people at a time. The tables and chairs were a mishmash of styles, collected from yard sales around town by Rudy. But the girls had painted them all white and put cushions in a variety of colors on the chairs. The centerpieces were small tartlet pans that held wax beads that smelled like various baked goods—apple pie, sugar cookies, gingerbread, and so on.
And the six men dressed in everything from jeans and T-shirts to suits who now each occupied the rest of the tables looked ridiculous sitting at them.
Parker’s diner was now connected t
o the pie shop, and the men had drifted over to the shop after finishing their burgers and sandwiches for coffee and dessert today. And to talk to Brynn. Apparently. She’d been making small talk for the past forty minutes and she was about to scream. The speed dating thing was actually looking better and better. There a timer would go off and the guy she was talking to would have to move on.
Here, they could linger over pie and coffee refills indefinitely.
She assumed they all had jobs to get back to, but none of them seemed in a hurry. In fact, they seemed flirtatious. And competitive. She’d heard one asking another what he was doing here. One had mentioned a new restaurant in Great Bend while another bragged about some tickets to something he’d gotten, while still another scoffed and said “she” wouldn’t be impressed by monster trucks. He had then mentioned tickets to a symphony.
If they were talking about her, they needed to know a couple of things—one, she had no idea what a monster truck was. Two, she didn’t really like the symphony. And three, no way was she going to a restaurant one-on-one with anyone. That was her biggest phobia and she was going to avoid that like the plague.
But maybe they weren’t here to ask her out. Maybe they were here for the pie.
Still, just in case, she was trying her best not to give any of them a real opportunity to have a conversation that would lead in that direction. She should probably just say yes to the first five and call her stipulation met. But, she didn’t want to. She wanted to go speed dating. Mostly because Noah would be going with her. That insured that at least one of her four-minute “dates” would be with him. It also insured that she’d be with him the second her evening ended. So they could get on with the kissing. And stuff.
The same company that hosted the speed dating also did other singles events. She could take Noah along to one of those. Then she was thinking that she and her sisters could maybe host a barbecue at their house. She could invite someone over as her date for the afternoon, but they wouldn’t have to be alone, which would make the talking easier, and Noah could be there. And he would stick around afterward and help clean up. And then they could do more kissing. And stuff.
She’d be up to date four by then. That all seemed easy enough. Surely there was a simple way to have two final dates that didn’t involve one-on-one time with anyone either. Other than Noah of course.
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