by Zoe York
Brynn tucked her hair behind her ear as her cheeks got pink. “I wasn’t worried.”
“You know, you could still start dating a bunch. Even if it wasn’t mandated in some stupid trust,” Cori said. “There are lots of ways to meet nice guys.”
Okay, there were lots of ways to meet guys. There were a few ways to meet nice guys. But doing it in Bliss, Kansas seemed like one of those ways. Evan Stone sounded like he was a bit of a player and even he was nice.
“But the trust thing is such a great excuse, right?” Brynn asked with a grin.
Cori laughed. “Well, I guess if you need an excuse, then yeah.”
“Honestly, I’ve never needed an excuse, because I’ve never really wanted to date,” Brynn said.
“No?” Cori had always assumed that Brynn was just shy and a workaholic. Not in the same way Ava was, of course. Ava did it because she was proving herself. Brynn did it because she honestly loved what she did.
Brynn shrugged. “I guess I’ve always assumed when I met the right guy, I would just know. And he’d be it.”
“The first guy you date will be the last guy you date?” Cori asked. That was…a completely absurd idea.
But Brynn nodded. “I guess going out to dinner and the movies with someone I’m not sure of seems like a waste of time.”
Cori got more comfortable on the couch. This was fascinating. “But how do you know you’re sure, or not sure, until you spend some time together?”
“I’m just not the type to meet a guy in a bar or something and spend time getting to know him. I think I’m more likely to end up with someone I already know from work or a research team or through one of the forums I’m a part of or something. I think I’ll really know the guy before we go on a date. And then that will be it.”
Cori thought about that. Wow. That would be really nice actually.
“How’s Evan going to help Ava?” Brynn asked.
“He’s going to play my boyfriend for the next six months,” Ava said, coming into the room. Alone.
Well, that hadn’t taken very long. Why had it taken him more time to tell Cori about the plan? Oh, yeah, because there had been flirting. And making out.
“What are you talking about?” Brynn asked.
Ava reclaimed her seat, put her head back, and her feet up. “Yep. This is perfect actually.” She yawned.
“Perfect?” Cori echoed. “Really?”
Was Ava feeling an attraction to Evan too? And why did that idea make Cori’s stomach feel weird? Just because Ava wasn’t as fun or spontaneous or flirtatious as Cori and Cori really wanted that to be Evan’s type? That wasn’t fair. Ava was awesome. And there were extenuating circumstances here, for both of them. And Cori wasn’t supposed to date anyway.
But, seriously, how was she supposed to embrace the not-dating thing after a kiss like that? Sure, the idea of spending a few Saturday nights on the couch with the Hallmark Channel on was really appealing. But she was really going to miss kissing. Maybe Hallmark wouldn’t be the best choice. Too much romance. She might have to rent some thrillers. Scary stuff. Like the idea of never having Evan Stone’s mouth on hers again.
Fuck. She was in trouble.
Ava rolled her head to look at Cori. She was clearly still a little tipsy. “It’s perfect because it’s easy. And fastest. The six-month clock starts right away. This way it will be over sooner. Meeting a guy, establishing a relationship that could last six months, but not longer, would all be complicated. But Evan knows what’s going on so we can just do the minimum to meet the requirements—go out a few times, maybe have fun, do…something…date-ish.”
Ava frowned and Cori laughed, in spite of the fact that Ava was talking about doing something date-ish with Evan. “You do know how to date, right?” she asked. “I mean, you do go out with guys.”
Ava sighed. “Yeah, but I guess maybe Dad was right. I don’t date just for fun. And I pick guys based on things like their job and their future prospects. And I like to multitask. Which means that I like to go to dinner at restaurants where other CEOs, or senators, or foundation presidents will also be having dinner. And I like to talk about PR plans and investments while we run. And I love when we have mid-week drinks and he can introduce me to new contacts. And I like gallery openings, because they’re great opportunities for business conversations that don’t feel like business conversations. And I love weekend getaways skiing or at the lake where I have access to influential people for an entire forty-eight hours while they’re ‘relaxed’ and happy and a little drunk.”
Ava used air quotes around “relaxed” and Cori shook her head. “Do you ever actually spend time alone with any of these guys?”
“I said we run,” Ava replied.
“And talk business the whole time,” Cori said.
Ava shrugged.
“Do you talk about the stock market while you’re having sex too?” Cori asked.
Ava didn’t respond right away. Cori felt her eyes widen. “Don’t tell me that the words ‘market shares’ and ‘depreciation’ get you going.”
“Of course not,” Ava said. She paused. “But ‘cash flow’ and ‘acquisition’? Definitely.”
Cori threw the pillow at her. “Stop. That makes me sad. Foreplay should include words like ‘tonight I’ll be the professor and you be the grad student’ and ‘all fours then cowgirl’ and ‘naked waffles’.”
There was no response and Cori looked from Brynn to Ava. They were staring at her, their cheeks pink.
“What?” she asked. “I like to role-play.” She really did.
“Naked waffles?” Ava finally asked.
“Yeah. That’s not really role-playing but it’s fun. One of you is the waffle. Then there’s butter and syrup and—”
“Yep, got it,” Ava said. She looked at Brynn. “I don’t…”
“What?” Cori asked.
Ava shook her head. “I don’t have sex like that.”
I’ll bet Evan Stone does. Okay, that was a completely inappropriate thought. Cori shook it out of her head and focused on her sister. “Do you have sex at all?” she asked Ava.
Ava shrugged. “Of course.”
Cori was pretty sure how that went. “Let me guess. You like to be on top and you get up afterward and check your email.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “I don’t get up afterward to check email.” She paused. “I can check it on my phone from bed.”
Cori laughed. But for some reason it was really important to Cori that her sisters, both of them, have good sex more than sometimes. She swallowed hard and ignored the twist in her stomach and said, “Maybe you won’t want to check email when you’re with Evan.”
Ava sat up quickly, then groaned slightly. But she shook her head. “I’m not going to sleep with Evan Stone.”
“Why not?” Cori asked, legitimately confused. “He’s hot and funny and I think he’d go for naked waffles.” Or Nutella and bacon.
“You and your food,” Ava muttered.
Yeah, well. “I’m just saying that sex should be fun,” Cori said. “And satisfying. And something that makes you forget about your email. At least for the night.”
“Nothing can make me forget about my email.” Ava slumped back into the couch.
Evan Stone totally could. But she’d already done the bigger-person thing by saying he was hot and funny and even mentioning the idea of Ava and Evan and naked waffles in the same sentence. Now she was shutting up.
“I guess that means Dad was right,” Ava said.
Hearing about Ava’s dating life, Cori couldn’t disagree. “So, we’re going?”
Ava sighed. “It’s still crazy.”
“Maybe that’s what we need,” Brynn said. “I have to admit that there’s been a severe lack of crazy…and naked waffles…in my life.”
Cori almost laughed. But then a thought hit her. “And maybe I’ve had too many naked waffles.” Maybe the fact that her mind went from the idea of dating, straight to naked waffles and role-playing, meant
that she wasn’t doing so great at basic dating and getting to know people either. Or even really dating at all. She didn’t make business deals during fancy-schmancy wine tastings and art shows, but she didn’t go to the movies or on picnics in the park either. Maybe a step back from incorporating butter and syrup into her sex life wasn’t a horrible idea.
And wow, she’d come up with that without having to pay Karen three hundred dollars an hour.
“Okay, then,” Brynn said. “We’re going.”
“Yep, we’re going,” Cori agreed.
Ava nodded too. “Look out Bliss, Kansas. The Carmichael sisters are moving in.”
Chapter 4
“Wow.”
“No kidding.”
“Not at all what I expected.”
“Oh yeah, that’s totally what I expected.”
“Bullshit.”
“Seriously.”
“I mean wow.”
“What the hell did you put in their hash browns this morning?” Evan asked Parker as his friend topped off his coffee.
“Their hash browns?” Parker asked, leaning onto the counter across from where Evan sat in the diner.
Evan tipped his head toward the booth behind him where four of Bliss’s favorite residents sat having breakfast. Ben, Hank, Roger, and Walter had been diner regulars until Rudy had moved to town and opened the pie shop, where they could sit and gab for hours without anyone making not-so-subtle comments about how they should either keep eating—and buying—or move on. But now that the pie shop was closed, the men had been forced to relocate back to the diner if they wanted someone to make and serve them coffee. And no, their own kitchens were not an option. Apparently.
“Oh, they’re not talking about my hash browns,” Parker said.
“No?” Evan looked up to find Parker’s attention focused over Evan’s shoulder.
“Nope.” Parked pointed out the window.
Evan took a bite of toast and turned to look. And almost choked.
There was a long black limo parked across the street from the pie shop. And leaning against the side of it were three long-legged, gorgeous blonds. Who were identical other than what they were wearing.
Evan swallowed hard.
“Let me guess. Left to right—Brynn, Cori, and Ava,” Parker said.
He’d nailed it. Brynn was wearing a blue sundress and a pink sweater. She had her hair back in a ponytail, her black-rimmed glasses on her nose and she was clutching a book to her chest.
Cori was in the middle in a red-and-white striped dress, short black boots, and her red leather jacket. Her hair was loose and curly. And she was holding a champagne glass. Evan felt his body stir even from this far away. He wasn’t sure if it was the jacket or the boots, but he didn’t think he’d have her take either off in bed.
And because he was not supposed to be thinking about Cori and beds in the same thought, he tore his eyes away and looked at her sister. Ava’s hair was stick straight and she wore a black skirt, white blouse, and, sure enough, heels. And she was holding a briefcase.
Evan cleared his throat. “Good guess,” Evan said to Parker. He knew Rudy had told Parker as much about his daughters as he’d told Evan.
Parker chuckled. “We’re in trouble, huh?”
“What makes you think that?” Evan asked, knowing his eyes should be on his “girlfriend” but finding they were back on Cori. Crap. He was definitely in trouble.
“Those girls don’t know a damned thing about living in a town like Bliss.”
That was an understatement. “Could be fun.”
“Could be a pain in the ass.”
Well, he couldn’t argue with that.
“And I told you that you needed to get them into blue jeans,” Parker added.
“Yeah, well, I got them into the state of Kansas. One thing at a time,” Evan said. He stood from the stool, fished a ten out of his pocket and tossed it on the counter.
Parker swiped it up as he reached to return the coffeepot in his hand to the warmer. There was no such thing as a best friend discount in Parker’s diner and he fully expected Evan to tip.
“The scenery in town just improved. Times three,” Noah said as he slid onto the stool next to Evan’s and picked up the cup on the counter and held it up for Parker.
Parker sighed and grabbed the pot again. He was always annoyed filling coffee cups. He made crappy coffee on purpose and overcharged for it, and yet people still insisted on coming in to drink it. He filled the cup. “Don’t get all gaga over those girls,” he warned Noah. “They’re here with very specific instructions. And if they don’t do what they’re supposed to, we’re all screwed.”
Noah took a sip. “I’m just saying that this front row seat might not be all bad.”
Parker rolled his eyes.
Evan took a deep breath. “I’m going to go introduce the girls to their new business,” he said. “And get them out of sight.”
“Yeah, like that’s gonna matter,” Parker said.
Half the town had already seen them, and they’d be talking to the other half of the town—Evan glanced around and noticed a number of people on their phones—if they weren’t already.
“Damn.” This was going to be…interesting. Good thing Evan loved the unexpected.
As his hand hit the door, he heard “Hey, Evan, is that your new girl?”
He’d started the rumor about him and Ava immediately upon returning to Bliss two days ago. It had been easy enough. He’d simply told Parker while sitting on the very stool he’d just vacated. During the lunch rush. With Shelly Perkins sitting right next to him. Shelly owned the hair salon. It had only taken two hours for the news to spread. In fact, in that time the story had grown from Evan and Ava having a love-at-first-sight reaction when they’d met in New York to them having an online relationship for the past few months before actually meeting. For possibly the first time in his life, Evan appreciated the Bliss rumor mill and its absolute inability to keep any fact straight.
“Yep, that’s her,” he said.
“She’s out of your league,” Hank told him.
“No shit,” he muttered, pushing his way through the door.
But he couldn’t help but grin as he headed for the three newest residents of Bliss. They looked completely out of place, and Evan felt a stirring of anticipation. He loved his hometown, but he had to admit that things were pretty routine around here. Evan loved a good shake-up, and there was no question the Carmichael triplets would be providing that. Ava, Brynn, and Cori might not be ready for Bliss, but Bliss wasn’t ready for them either. At worst, this was going to be something new. At best, it was going to be a hell of a good time.
“Wow.”
“No kidding.”
“Not at all what I expected.”
Cori stood between her sisters, staring at the front of the pie shop that they now owned and were to operate over the next year.
Besides the fact that it was a pie shop and none of them knew a thing about running a pie shop, there were a few more details demanding their attention. Like the fact that the storefront was, well, green and pink. A not-quite-neon green. A not-exactly-lime green. It was more…
“Avocado,” Cori decided. “That color is the color of the inside of an avocado.”
Ava and Brynn nodded.
“And the pink is kind of…”
“Bubble gum,” Brynn said.
“Or Pepto Bismol,” Ava said.
Cori nodded. “Yep. Definitely.”
The siding was painted in the inside-an-avocado green, while the front door and the shutters on the windows were pink, with a green-and-pink-striped awning over the door.
Even more surprising, the colors didn’t stand out on the main street of Bliss, Kansas. All of the buildings were painted in bright colors. There was pink and yellow and a light blue and even lavender. They didn’t all have awnings, but most had huge picture windows, and a couple had benches or chairs in front. The sidewalk that ran in front of the stores was so w
hite it almost required sunglasses to look at it directly. There were lampposts with old-fashioned-looking lanterns at the top, a median in the middle of the street that held grass and flowers that were just as bright as the siding on the shops, and right in the center was a tall post that hoisted an enormous clock high above the street. Directly across the street from the storefronts was a huge park with lots of trees, beautifully kept grass, and flowers everywhere.
“And that name?” Ava asked. “Seriously?”
Cori focused on the sign above the awning in front of them. The loopy green script read Blissfully Baked.
“It sounds like a pot shop,” Ava said.
It did. “Maybe it was a marketing strategy,” Cori said. “Nothing like pie when you’ve got the munchies, right?”
Ava sighed. “I wouldn’t know.”
Yeah, well, she could take Cori’s word for it.
“Do we go in?” Brynn asked.
Considering they didn’t know where anything else was, like the house they were going to be living in, that made the most sense. The GPS had gotten them to the pie shop, but they didn’t have an address for the house. “Did you call Evan?” Cori asked Ava.
“No, why?”
“Well, someone should probably tell someone that we’re here. And we don’t know anyone else. And it should probably be you since you’re his girlfriend.” Cori grimaced slightly as she said it. That was going to take some getting used to.
Ava sighed. “Fine.”
She pulled her phone out, but just then Brynn said, “No need.”
Cori looked over to see Evan coming toward them. And she was shocked by how happy she suddenly felt.
He’s your sister’s boyfriend. Keep it in your pants, girl. But she couldn’t help her smile when she saw that his gaze was on her. Pretend boyfriend. He’s Ava’s pretend boyfriend, she couldn’t help but think.
“Don’t you just hate when the car rental company is out of practical cars and puts you in a limo instead?” he asked, coming to a stop in front of them.
“Actually, no,” Ava said.
“Let me guess,” Cori said. “The last limo to roll through Bliss was on prom night?”
