Holly’s cheeks burned as all eyes swung to her. She swatted his arm and hoped it hurt. Adopting her best schoolmarm tone, she said, “That was not the point of that exercise and you know it.”
Though she couldn’t totally deny what he’d said. She’d tried to teach him that people-watching could be fun…especially after a bottle of wine. They’d played her sisters’ favorite game of guessing the back stories of the people sitting around them, and yes, they might have gotten a little carried away.
Hunter let her off the hook. “Hey, whatever works. You got him to get out of that creepy apartment, which is more than the rest of us can say.”
“Hey—” Spencer started.
“He’s not including emergency situations,” Jenna added.
His protest died. “Oh. Well then, yeah. Holly has succeeded where you have not.”
Holly beamed at him. “And just look at you now. At a party.”
He nodded and the look he gave her was so sweet, so tender, she just about melted on the spot. “I am, in fact, in public. And I’m not totally hating it.”
Andie smacked him upside the head. “Hey, you’re not in public. You’re with family.”
Spencer gave a grudging “mmm” sound that didn’t sound entirely convinced. He looked around the room as if just now seeing who was there. Holly had recognized some from the disastrous Christmas Eve party, but most she’d met tonight. Aside from the host and hostess and the group surrounding them, there was Kate and her boyfriend—an honest to goodness prince, a fact she was still giddy over. Then there were a handful of Mackenzie and Jacob’s friends from the office.
But there, in the corner talking to Jacob—there was the only person in the crowd who might not have made Spencer uncomfortable, but who Holly tried to avoid at all costs.
Eddie, the detective from the hospital, was there. He was off duty, but that didn’t change the fact that he knew more about Holly than she liked. Add to that his odd interest in her sister and he made her incredibly uncomfortable.
He looked in their direction. He’d probably felt her stare and now…oh no, now he was headed in their direction. The others around her were still talking, chatting, laughing at little inside jokes.
Spencer seemed to be the only one who picked up on her tension and his grip tightened on her hand as the detective drew near. “Relax, sweetheart, he’s not out to get you.”
She gave him a forced smile and nodded. He might not have been out to get her, but Eve was another story. Sure enough, when he reached them and gave the requisite greetings, he turned to her. “Good to see you again, Holly. How are your sisters?”
She knew he meant Eve but he’d made it sound benign by asking about them both. “Good,” she said woodenly. “They’re good.”
“Where is she tonight?” he asked. She knew which sister he meant but she played dumb. “Lexy’s out with some friends. I’ll tell her you said hello.”
One side of his mouth pulled up in a grin. “And Eve?”
“She’s home sleeping,” she said. That was the truth.
“Still recovering from her injuries?” he asked.
She nodded.
He studied her. “But she’d doing all right? She’s doing better?”
She nodded quickly. “Oh yes. She’s doing great. Fine…she’s doing okay.”
Ugh, real smooth. Spencer squeezed her hand again and she knew he’d heard the lie. Heck, half the room probably heard the lie. But what was she supposed to say? The truth? Healthwise she’s fine, but she’s frighteningly obsessed with getting revenge.
Somehow that little tidbit didn’t seem fitting for chit-chat at a cocktail party. And it certainly wasn’t something she should be telling the detective who had her in his sights.
Eddie looked like he had more questions but he kept quiet. With a nod and a smile he headed off toward another group, leaving her to fall back in her seat in relief that the awkward conversation was over.
Spencer leaned over so his lips were close to her ear. “Holly?”
“Yes?”
“You do know that you’re a terrible liar, don’t you?”
She turned to scowl at him.
He looked highly entertained by her frown. “Have I ever told you that you have a tell when you lie?”
She shook her head. It wasn’t that she doubted it, it was just a tad embarrassing to know that this man—her boyfriend—would know without a doubt anytime she told a little white lie.
“It’s true, you do,” Spencer said.
“I don’t suppose you’d tell me my tell?”
He laughed. “Nice try.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
His grin widened. Oh yeah, he was amused. “Test me. Tell me something and I’ll tell you if you’re lying or not.”
“You’re on.” She looked up at the ceiling, smothering a smile as a ridiculously giddy happiness swept over her. She loved her boyfriend. Love. The word made her heart rate quicken and the smile on her lips spread so wide her cheek muscles hurt. She loved him. She loved Spencer. Her boyfriend.
“I’m waiting,” he prompted.
She turned to face him. “I hate your brownies.”
“Lie.”
“I don’t want to go home early.”
“Lie.”
“I love you.” She held her breath as she waited for his response.
His expression softened, his gaze infinitely tender. “Ah, now see? Now I know you’re telling the truth.”
Thank you for reading Enchanting the Beast! If you enjoyed it, reviews are greatly appreciated.
Missed Mackenzie, Jenna, or Andie’s story? You can find them here:
Dating Prince Charming
Winning Snow White
Saving Rose Red
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For more sweet romance, check out Maggie Dallen’s other works:
Sweet Contemporary Romance:
Homecoming Promise
Promise to Return
Promise Me Forever (Releasing Summer 2019)
Sweet Young Adult Romance:
Geeks Gone Wild
Love at First Fight
My Virtual Prince Charming
Once Upon a Comic-Con
Kissing the Enemy
The Perfect Catch
The Perfect Match
The Perfect Score
Briarwood High
Out of His League
A Whole New League
The Perfect League
The Holiday Kiss
The Prom Kiss
The Candy Cane Kiss
Summer of Love
Senior Week Fling
Senior Week Crush
Senior Week Kiss
Homecoming Promise
He looked like trouble.
Claire eyed the biker who sat in one of the bar’s booths with his back to her. She hadn’t seen him come in and she didn’t recognize him by the too-long dark brown hair, but the leather jacket gave him away.
A bad boy.
Every town had them, even Lulu. And, according to Claire’s mom, she was destined to fall for one. She slammed the cash register shut with enough force to make the whole machine shudder.
Yeah, that was so not part of the plan.
But then, moving back to her tiny hometown in Montana hadn’t been part of the plan, either.
Her family’s bar wasn’t crowded at four in the afternoon, but it would pick up soon. The regular crowd would be here as soon as work let out and since it was a Friday, the crowd would no doubt fill the bar to max capacity by the time nine rolled around.
By which time she’d be nice and cozy in bed. She sighed quietly just thinking about it as she moved out f
rom behind the bar and crossed over to the booth. Trouble wasn’t alone. A woman sat across from him.
Now she looked familiar. She didn’t recognize the pretty blonde who sat in the booth facing her as she approached. Lulu was a small town and unless this woman moved here yesterday, Claire would have seen her on Main Street or heard about her from one of the gossips. But she still looked familiar. With her perfect highlights and her manicured nails, she screamed ski bunny.
Lulu sat in a valley between the closest regional airport and the ski towns that hosted world-renowned, exclusive gated ski communities. It wasn’t uncommon to see tourists rolling through town.
Her gaze shifted back to the dark-haired man whose back was to her. It wasn’t even all that unusual for a biker to make his way through. But typically the two kept their distance.
Ski bunnies didn’t typically keep company with the bad boys, not unless they were looking to slum it.
As she drew closer she saw the way the perfectly groomed woman was leaning over, allowing her buttoned-down shirt to gape as she batted her eyelashes at the man sitting across from her. Well, that explained it. Clearly this woman was looking to have a good time with one of the locals.
Except this guy couldn’t be a local. She didn’t recognize him. And yes, Lulu was that small that she would recognize a local by the back of his head.
She bit back another sigh. Man, she missed the big city.
Pasting a friendly smile on her face, she stopped beside the booth and pulled a notepad and pen from her apron pocket. It was just for show, really. Customers seemed to feel better if they thought she was writing down their every request word for word, and staring at the pad gave her an excuse to avoid eye contact at times like this when she would rather have been anywhere else.
The pen she’d pulled out had run out of ink an hour ago, but it didn’t matter. She could remember orders for a fully packed restaurant without even trying, a gift she’d picked up from too many years spent waiting tables and tending bar.
She’d grown up waitressing at this dive and she’d waited tables in Manhattan while studying ballet at the academy. The last ten years when she’d been a professional ballerina were already starting to feel like a dream. Like maybe she’d never left Lulu in the first place.
“What can I get for you?” she asked, her voice polite but bored. One more hour and then the night shift would arrive and she could get out of this place.
“I’ll have a gin and tonic,” the blonde with the perfect highlights said, her voice just as breathy as Claire would have imagined.
“Anything to eat?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“No, just drinks.”
Of course. One didn’t get that perfect Barbie figure by snacking between meals.
She didn’t lift her gaze as she pretended to jot it down. Gin and tonic, she pretended to write.
“And for you?” she asked the other patron.
His silence lasted so long she finally lifted her gaze from the pad.
And then she froze.
Those eyes. Clear, crystal blue and rimmed by the most ridiculously long black lashes. Lashes she’d envied her entire life.
“Claire.” He looked just as incredulous as she felt. Even with that shaggy dark hair hanging in his face, she could see his eyes widen, his eyebrows shoot up.
“Hi Cole.” Even to her own ears, she sounded less than thrilled to see him. It wasn’t like she had anything against this guy—they’d grown up together, were in the same grade at the same small school. Everyone knew Cole Deckland and his family, ranchers who owned a huge expanse of land on the outskirts of town.
How long had he been staring at her like that? From the moment she’d stopped next to their table, no doubt. He was clearly in shock, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why.
He gave his head a little shake, and flashed her a small grin she remembered well. “I didn’t know you’d come back to Lulu.”
This. This right here was why she’d been unable to summon up even a polite level of friendliness at seeing her old classmate. She’d known this question would be coming. Oh, he might not have spoken it aloud, but the question was there. What are you doing back in Lulu? It was a common theme around here. She’d had to answer it a million times when she’d first moved back six months ago. She’d thought she was done having to explain herself but now here was one more figment from her past come to taunt her with her failure.
She was about to launch into her tried and true response—a beautiful blend of self-deprecating humor with a dose of truth. I just couldn’t stay away. It was the pat answer she gave when she didn’t have the time or the emotional wherewithal to give a real response. But even her real response wasn’t the whole truth. An injury, she told people. She’d come home to heal.
That was true enough, but every time she left out one little detail. The injury to her ankle might heal, but she’d never recover well enough to continue on as a professional ballerina.
But the ski bunny saved her from having to give any response at all. Not bothering to glance in Claire’s direction, she leaned across the table even further, placing a well-manicured hand on Cole’s leather jacket. “Aren’t you going to order, sugar?”
Ugh. Sugar. The woman had a hint of a southern accent and was wearing enough perfume to temporarily block out the smell of stale beer that permeated the walls of this sordid establishment. Even in the dim lighting Claire could see that her makeup was flawless.
For a moment, her jealousy was so intense it nearly knocked her over. Not because of the perfect hair or the perfect nails—something she’d never experience again as long as she was working at The Flaming Hog.
No, the acrid taste in her mouth had more to do with the woman’s overall attitude. She had the entitled air of a woman who was used to having her way.
An unexpected wave of emotions had Claire struggling to breathe normally. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. She’d only ever wanted one thing in her life and had worked her butt off to get it. And life had taken it from her.
Meanwhile this woman looked like she’d never worked a day in her life and she’d probably never heard the word no. She probably got everything she ever wanted.
She watched as the woman’s fingers clutched greedily at Cole’s leather jacket. Despite her raging jealousy and momentary wallow in self-pity, she felt a genuine smile tugging at her lips.
This woman got everything she wanted and right now, this woman clearly wanted Cole.
Join the club.
Before Claire had left Lulu behind for good when she was seventeen, she’d listened to her girl friends gossip for hours on end about Cole Deckland. He’d been the heartthrob of Lulu High and it seemed that even after a decade, some things hadn’t changed.
She shouldn’t have been surprised. Sometimes it seemed like nothing at all had changed around here.
Claire turned her attention from the ski bunny to her “sugar,” who was still staring up at her as though he’d seen a ghost. His gaze was fixed on her and those deep brown eyes were just as intense as she remembered.
She shifted uncomfortably under his watchful stare. He’d always had this effect on her, making her feel awkward and clumsy in her own skin. Which was ridiculous back then, when she’d been a ballerina in training, and even more ridiculous now. She might not be a dancer anymore, but now she was an adult. One who’d experienced the world and men, and one who should not be made to feel like a gawky teenager just because a cute boy was staring at her.
Still, try telling that to the butterflies in her belly.
She was dimly aware of the ski bunny sighing with obvious irritation at being excluded from this oddly silent exchange.
That was another thing she remembered about Cole. He’d never minded silence. Where most people would rush to fill the air with some sort of mindless chatter, he’d been content to sit back and watch the people around him squirm.
Irritation blew past jealousy and self-pity. Why was he starin
g at her like that? So she was a failure. So she’d made it out of Lulu only to come back twelve years later with her tail between her legs. So all of her best laid plans had fallen to pieces.
That was no excuse to gawk at her like she was an animal at the zoo, and he certainly had no right to make her feel all frazzled and uncertain like she was still some kid.
She lifted the pad and raised her brows meaningfully. “Your drink order?”
He blinked at her and his gaze sharpened as if she’d startled him out of some daydream. He shook his head again and looked up with that ridiculously sexy grin that she was starting to hate. “Sorry,” he said. “I’m just surprised to see you, is all. What are you doing back in Lulu?”
She pinched her lips together to bit back a snippy retort. Hadn’t he heard? Hadn’t everyone heard? She’d heard her name whispered so often those first few months she’d returned, it was almost comical.
How had Cole missed the memo? His brother Dax was one of the first people she’d seen when she’d returned. And she ran into his sister, Alice, all the time in town.
He was waiting for an answer, but what could she say? The truth? She cast a quick glance at Miss Perfect Highlights and dismissed the idea. There was no way she was airing her dirty laundry in front of this woman.
So she ignored the question. “I’ve been back for a while now,” she said, toying with the pad. “You must have been out of the loop with the gossip back at the ranch.”
He winced. It was small but she caught it. What was that about? Was it possible that she’d struck a nerve with the cool, unflappable bad boy?
He reached up and scratched the back of his neck in an aw-shucks gesture she remembered well. “I haven’t been home in a while,” he said. “I’m actually on my way back to the ranch right now.”
In a while. She thought about that phrase. How long? She wanted to ask, but didn’t. If she was going to get all prickly and self-righteous at some old acquaintance asking personal questions, she couldn’t exactly turn around and do the same. But she was curious. Because it just occurred to her that this was the first time she’d seen him as well. Living over the bar which was smack in the middle of Main Street, she was sure she’d run into everyone by now. But she hadn’t seen Cole, which meant “a while” was at least six months.
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