Harlequin Special Edition September 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Maverick for HireA Match Made by BabyOnce Upon a Bride

by Leanne Banks

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  She gave a heavy sigh. “I don’t want to be used, but...”

  “But what?” he asked. He hated it when Cecelia was unhappy.

  “At the same time, I still would like for a man to look at me as, well—” She broke off and shook her head. “Forget it.”

  “No way,” he said, touching her arm. “Finish what you were saying.”

  She shrugged. “I want a man to look at me as sexually desirable.”

  Nick blinked, at a temporary loss for words. “Oh.”

  Her eyes darkened with sadness. “So, it’s that impossible without a skirt or red lipstick,” she said.

  “No,” he said. “But you have to remember guys are—” He cleared his throat. “Most guys can be a little slow. That’s why I told you to wear lipstick.”

  “But what if no one wants me without lipstick?” she asked, and her expression nearly broke his heart.

  “It won’t happen that way,” he said. “The lipstick is the lure. It’s like bait for a fish.”

  “So I’m going to end up with a dead fish?” she asked. “That’s what I’m going to get for wearing lipstick and a skirt?”

  Nick cringed and swore under his breath. This was turning out to be a lot harder than he’d expected. He searched for a diversionary topic, but his brain was filled with sugar from the cookies at the dance. “Hey,” he said. “Hey.”

  She looked at him in confusion. “Hey, what?”

  He nodded. “I think there may be something brewing between Beth Crowder and Will Duncan,” he managed.

  “What?” she said in shock. “But...but she’s so much younger.” She broke off and lowered her voice. “He’s a grandfather.”

  “But he’s a really good guy. She said that to me. I told her he was looking for paid help and she said she wouldn’t feel right about it.”

  “That doesn’t mean she has special feelings for him,” Cecelia said. “Although...”

  “Although what?” he prompted.

  “I asked her about her visit to the Duncan family and she was a bit evasive.” She paused and met his gaze. “Do you really think this is possible? It would be so great, but I’m afraid to hope for it.”

  “Maybe we should push it along,” he said, even though he was against marriage for himself.

  “How?” she asked.

  “We can put them together,” he said.

  “How?” she repeated.

  “I don’t know. There’s got to be a way,” he said. “Sleep on it,” he said as he got out of the truck.

  “Hmm,” she said, joining him as they walked up the steps to the porch. “I’ll think about it.”

  Good, he thought. Think about that instead of the dead fish.

  * * *

  The next morning, Cecelia rose early. She’d had a hard time going to sleep as she thought about Nick and his memories of dancing. She tried to refocus and plotted and schemed about getting Beth Crowder and Will Duncan together. She wondered if she should be doing all this scheming and decided it shouldn’t hurt anyone if it didn’t work out. Hopefully.

  After taking a shower, getting dressed and carefully applying her lipstick, she went to Nick’s room and knocked on the door. No answer. She knocked again and the door whipped open.

  Nick stood, a towel wrapped around his lower body and water droplets dotting his shoulders and chest. “What?”

  She cleared her throat and tried not to focus on his bare chest and shoulders. “I have an idea for Beth Crowder and Will Duncan, but you need to help. I need you to get down to breakfast ASAP.”

  “What’s the idea?” he asked.

  The sight of those water droplets made her feel suddenly thirsty. “Just come downstairs and follow my lead,” she said and turned away. “Hurry.”

  She heard Nick grumble then close the door. Cecelia slumped in relief. She never wanted to see him half-naked again. Never. Ever.

  Cecelia cooled her heels a few moments until Nick appeared from his room. She was so grateful he was dressed although he looked more than a bit cranky. “This better be good,” he said to her.

  “It will be fabulous,” she said even though she was still formulating her plan.

  “What put this bee in your behind?”

  “You did,” she said. “You mentioned it last night.”

  He raked his hand through his hair. “I guess I did. So what’s the plan?”

  “Follow along,” she said and led the way down the stairs.

  “I’m not a good follower,” he muttered.

  “Work on it,” she said over her shoulder and continued toward the kitchen. “Oh, hi, Beth, how are you today?”

  “Good,” the middle-aged woman said. “And you?”

  “Great,” Cecelia said and fixed her own plate of eggs and toast. She skipped the apple pie because she rarely wanted to eat whatever she cooked. It was a curse. “Listen, I’m a little concerned about Will Duncan.”

  Beth’s eyes widened. “Has something happened?”

  “Not that I know of, but Will wouldn’t ask for help until he was in the hospital. Right?” she asked, nudging Nick, who was just behind her.

  “Right,” he said. “He’s all about suffering in silence.”

  “I wondered if he might be more responsive to you,” Cecelia said.

  “Me?” Beth echoed. “Why me?”

  “Well, for one thing, you’re neutral. And you’re so kind. You make everyone feel at ease,” Cecelia said.

  Beth dipped her head. “That’s nice of you to say.”

  “So what do you think? Do you mind checking on the Duncans during the next couple of weeks? I don’t mean to add to your busy schedule, but—”

  “No, no,” Beth said. “I’m happy to check on them. Will is such an outstanding man. It’s the least I can do.”

  “But don’t do it out of pity,” Nick said.

  Both Cecelia and Beth stared at him.

  “He’s a man. He wouldn’t want your pity,” Nick said.

  Beth gave a slow nod. “Of course,” she said. “I never thought of pitying him. He’s such a strong man.”

  Cecelia exchanged a quick glance with Nick. She saw a glint of understanding. “Of course you didn’t, Beth. Now,” she said, “can I help you serve breakfast?”

  “Oh, no,” Beth said dismissively. “I’m ahead of the game this morning. Quiche, bacon, sausage, potatoes and your fabulous apple pie, which is almost gone.”

  “Gotta get that,” Nick said, rushing toward the counter.

  “You’ve already had two pieces,” Cecelia said.

  “That was yesterday,” he retorted and began to fill his plate.

  “I have a friend,” Cecelia said. “She says men are pigs.”

  “There are times when I would have agreed with you,” Beth said. “But I think that expression is extreme. Men can be primitive.”

  “True,” Cecelia said. “Very true.”

  “But your Nick has a good heart,” Beth said.

  “He’s not my Nick,” Cecelia said.

  “So you say,” Beth said with a grin. “Excuse me. I need to refill the hash brown potatoes.”

  Cecelia frowned as she filled her plate. My Nick? she thought. That wasn’t good. Why would anyone think that? It wasn’t as if she and Nick spent that much time together. Except when they went to the bar. Or got a doughnut. Or ice cream.

  She bit her lip then took a seat at the table and dug into her breakfast.

  “We hooked her,” Nick said in a low voice. “Why aren’t you happy?”

  “I am,” she said and took a bite of quiche.

  “If that’s happy, I’d hate to see sad or mad,” he said.

  “Just eat,” she said. “
You got your apple pie. You’ve got your different girl-a-week,” she said and stuffed another bite in her mouth.

  “Different girl-a-week?” he repeated.

  So conflicted she couldn’t stand it one moment longer, Cecelia stood. “Just stuff it.”

  * * *

  Just as Cecelia stepped out of the general store, she spotted her longtime friend Jazzy Cates parking her car across the street.

  “Hey there,” Cecelia called.

  Jazzy glanced up and smiled. “Hey to you! I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

  “What are you doing in town?” Cecelia asked as she walked toward Jazzy.

  “Dropping off a few packages. You want to grab a cup of coffee?”

  “Sure,” Cecelia said and they walked toward Daisy’s Donut Shop. Once inside, they ordered their coffee.

  “It’s so nice out. Do you mind if we walk instead of sit? I want to enjoy every bit of good weather before winter hits,” Jazzy said after they’d made their purchases.

  “And since it’s Montana, winter could hit next week,” Cecelia said as she and Jazzy stepped from the small shop into the sunshine.

  “How have you been doing?” Cecelia asked.

  “Crazy busy,” Jazzy said. Then she smiled. “But very happy with Brooks.”

  Cecelia felt a rush of happiness for her friend. At the same time, she couldn’t help feeling a slice of envy. “Who would have known you could end up happily married after your fake marriage?”

  Jazzy smiled again. “We’re both pinching ourselves that things turned out so well. I do love him,” she confessed.

  “I’m happy for you,” Cecelia said. “I really am. I just don’t know what’s in my future.”

  “What do you mean?” Jazzy asked.

  “You have to swear you won’t tell anyone,” Cecelia said.

  “Of course I won’t,” Jazzy said, and took a sip of coffee.

  “I’m starting to have feelings for Nick,” Cecelia confessed.

  Jazzy gaped at her. “Oh, no. Tell me that’s not true.”

  Cecelia winced. She had half hoped that Jazzy would think she might stand a chance with Nick. “I don’t know when it happened, because heaven knows I’ve been able to keep a wall up against him in the past. Ever since he’s been trying to help me find a man, I’ve been struggling with my attraction to him.”

  Jazzy shook her head. “You poor thing.” She paused. “But maybe he has feelings for you,” she said. “Why else would he be so determined to keep you in Rust Creek Falls?”

  “He says I’m his best pal. He can trust me because he knows I don’t have romantic feelings for him and because I don’t need anything from him except friendship,” she said glumly.

  Jazzy gave her arm a squeeze. “I think you should focus more on the men you’ve been dating. Surely one of them is attractive. Plus, there’s no reason you can’t keep looking. Love can happen when you least expect it. I speak from experience.”

  Cecelia smiled but shook her head. “Your experience is definitely different from mine.”

  Jazzy gave her a quick hug. “Just tell me you won’t give up quite yet. The right man could literally be right around the corner. I’ll talk to Brooks and see if he knows some good single men.”

  “You’re a good friend,” Cecelia said as they got closer to Jazzy’s car. “It was good seeing you today.”

  “For me, too,” Jazzy said. “We’ll get together soon. In the meantime, have some fun.”

  Jazzy climbed into her car, and Cecelia waved as her friend left. Have some fun. How could she have fun when she couldn’t stop thinking about Nick?

  Chapter Six

  On Friday night, Cecelia dressed for her evening out with Tim Gordon. She felt guilty because she was looking forward to a good meal. At the same time, she had no romantic feelings for Tim. She hoped that would change.

  Tim waited for her at the bottom of the stairs of the rooming house. Melba was also there. “Don’t you look gorgeous,” Melba said.

  Cecelia felt a flush of embarrassment. “Thanks, Melba,” she said and kissed her landlord on the cheek.

  “She’s right,” Tim said and tipped his hat. “You look great.”

  Cecelia couldn’t help thinking of the hook and the fish, but she pushed the thought aside. “Thank you. I’ve been looking forward to tonight.”

  Tim escorted her to his truck and immediately turned the heat on high. “It’s chilly tonight. I thought you could use some extra warmth.”

  Cecelia felt herself soften. “That was thoughtful.”

  “I aim to please,” he said with a grin and headed out of Rust Creek Falls toward a new restaurant that had just opened halfway to Kalispell. “So, how was your week?” he asked.

  Cecelia launched into a brief discussion about her work then turned the question around. “How was yours?”

  Thankfully, Tim monopolized the rest of their travel time and dinner with a discussion of his difficulties with his cattle and home.

  Cecelia ordered a steak and baked potato and decided to savor her meal. Suddenly Tim stopped talking and she felt she needed to fill the silence. “Did you know we have a guy from Australia in Rust Creek Falls?”

  “Australia?” Tim said. “Why would he be here?”

  “His mom lives here and he’s trying to fix up her house,” she said.

  Tim shook his head. “It’s crazy, but I understand. My mom and dad are in the house they’ve lived in for the past thirty years with no intention of leaving. At least I don’t have to commute across the planet,” he said.

  “True,” she said. “So what do you have on tap for next week?”

  Apparently, that was the right question. Tim went on and on about calling his veterinarian and replacing drywall in his home.

  Finally, he paid the check and escorted her to his truck. The ride back was silent except for the country music radio station. Thank goodness for country music. She hummed along with Miranda Lambert.

  Soon enough, Tim pulled in front of the rooming house. She bit her lip, praying he wouldn’t kiss her. She wasn’t ready for it. She didn’t want that from him. But she wanted to want to kiss him.

  Mentally swearing, she met his gaze. “Thank you so much for the wonderful dinner,” she said and patted his arm. She thought that would be better than shaking his hand.

  “Uh, okay.”

  “It was just great,” she said. “I had a nice time.”

  “Yeah,” he said, looking awkward. “I’ll call you.”

  “Good night,” she said and scooted out her door. She raced upstairs to her room, thankful that Tim hadn’t tried to kiss her.

  Oh, no, that wasn’t good. How was she going to get romantically involved with a man from Rust Creek Falls if she didn’t feel at all romantically inclined toward him?

  * * *

  The next day, Cecelia made the rounds to pick up donations for the food drive. It was a miserable, drizzly day, but the local church had offered to repackage the food on Sunday night and distribute it to those in need. Stopping at one market outside town, she collected a few bags of donations and returned to her truck. Just as she was leaving the parking lot, she noticed Beth Crowder standing next to her ancient blue Ford with the hood propped open.

  Cecelia pulled up beside her. “Hey, Beth, can I help you out?”

  “Oh, Cecelia,” the woman said, exasperation wrinkling her face. “I have no idea what’s wrong with my car. It just makes this terrible noise when I try to start it.”

  “Could be the starter or the alternator,” Cecelia said, glancing at the engine.

  “My problem is I have a load of groceries for the Duncans and no way of delivering them,” she said, clearly frustrated.

  “I can take you,” Cecelia offered. “Do
you have a travel service for towing?”

  Beth winced. “I hadn’t gotten around to it.”

  “We’ll figure something out,” Cecelia said. “Let’s get you over to the Duncans first.”

  Cecelia helped load the groceries into her truck and the two of them headed out of the parking lot. “I know I should get a more dependable car, but I’m doing the best I can to make ends meet since I left my husband two years ago,” she said then shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t complain. I’m lucky to have a roof over my and my son’s heads and we’re both healthy and safe. That’s what’s important.”

  “Excellent attitude, but you’re allowed to complain when your car breaks down. Especially when you’re trying to do something to help someone else.”

  “Oh, the Duncans,” Beth said, her voice softening. “The children are adorable and Will is the best.”

  Cecelia cast a quick glance at Beth. The woman wore a dreamy smile on her face. “I’m sure Will has appreciated getting to know you, too,” Cecelia said.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Beth said. “He’s been very gracious, but I know he’s got his hands full with his grandchildren.”

  “It’s funny how things happen. I’m only in my twenties and I feel like a romantic misfit. Will is retired and has a disability, and Nick told me Will feels like his romantic chances are nil.”

  “Well, Will’s disability doesn’t keep him from being a man. In fact, I think he’s the most manly man I’ve ever met,” Beth said.

  Cecelia bit her lip to keep from showing her amusement. “I think you’re right. I was just saying that it doesn’t matter what your age or circumstances, love should always be a possibility. Don’t you think?”

  “I hadn’t really thought of it that way. Heaven knows, romance has been the last thing on my mind during the past two years.” She paused for a moment. “But maybe you’re right. Maybe we should still believe in the possibility of love. And you, you’re much too young to give up on it yet.”

  “I’m working on it,” Cecelia admitted. “Nick has been trying to play matchmaker for me.”

  “Hmm,” Beth said. “I always thought the two of you would be a good match.”

  Cecelia sputtered with laughter. “He’s made it very clear he’s a committed bachelor. Committed to not being committed. Besides, he has his pick of the ladies.”