Wild Iris Ridge (Hope's Crossing) (27 page)

During these past few weeks since the two of them had come
together, it was transparent to all they were crazy about each other. Alex gave
every appearance of a woman deeply in love.

“I’m glad to help,” Charlotte said now, pushing down that spurt
of envy. “What can I do?”

“You don’t even know what it is, and you’re already agreeing to
help. That’s one of the things I love most about you, Char.”

She cherished all her friends who had supported her on her
recent journey toward reinvention, in no small part because they had loved her
just as generously eighty pounds ago. “You know I’ll help in any way I can.
Unless you need me to rob a bank or taste test one of your new fattening dessert
recipes.”

Alex grinned. “Nope. This one is easy. A friend of Sam’s has
been in town helping him with all the work coming his way. He’s thinking about
making his temporary stay in our fair little hamlet a permanent thing. He’s a
single guy, really sweet but a little lonely, I think.”

Charlotte braced herself, guessing what was coming next. Her
friends seemed to feel a compelling need to set her up on dates with eligible
men lately. First Claire McKnight just happened to know a new police officer in
her husband Riley’s department she thought would be perfect for Charlotte, then
Evie Thorne had wanted her to go out with a business associate of her husband,
Brodie.

She was beginning to wonder if she had subconsciously started
sending out some secret bat signal that she was single and desperate. Which so
didn’t describe her at all. Okay, she was single. But she hadn’t yet descended
into desperation.

“I don’t know.” She stalled for time.

“Come on. It will be fun. Sam was thinking we could take him
out to dinner to celebrate his move here. Maybe go up to Le Passe Montagne.”

“Not Brazen?” Charlotte asked, surprised.

“Well, obviously that’s the best restaurant in town but Sam
knows how hard it is to get a reservation there.”

“Even when a guy is sleeping with the chef?”

Alex grinned, looking completely pleased with the world. “Even
then. If you want the truth, I did suggest we just meet there but Sam seems to
think I don’t relax when I’m eating in my own restaurant. Imagine that.”

Charlotte laughed, despite the lingering disquiet over Spence’s
reappearance. It was hard not to laugh around Alex, who deserved every bit of
the success her new restaurant was enjoying.

“I think I can picture it. He knows you well, doesn’t he?”

Her friend made a face. “So we were thinking next week
sometime, maybe Saturday. I’m giving you plenty of advance notice. Will that
work?”

“I’m not really crazy about blind dates,” she said, which was a
rather monumental understatement.

“Don’t think of it as a blind date. Just a few friends getting
together.”

“Two of whom happen to be seeing each other.”

“Well, yes. Come on, Char. He’s really a nice guy and we want
to make sure he feels like he has a few connections in town besides us.”

She swallowed a sigh, imagining how awkward it would be to go
on a double date with Alex and Sam Delgado, considering her prior interest in
Sam.

She opened her mouth to politely decline but clamped it shut
again. Just the night before while she had been eating her Healthy Choice dinner
for one, she had promised herself she would try to get out more. She had no real
reason to say no, other than a little embarrassment at unrealized dreams. And
heaven knows, she had enough of those lying around to fill a darn
auditorium.

An image of Spence Gregory, lean and dark and muscled, filled
her head but she shoved it aside.

“Sure,” she said quickly before she could talk herself out of
it. “Dinner would be lovely. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Perfect. We can talk next week but let’s tentatively plan on a
week from Saturday, about seven. Does that work?”

“Yes.”

“You’re going to love Garrett, I promise.”

“I’m sure I will,” she lied as Alex gave a cheery wave and left
the store.

Customers came in right behind her and Charlotte was grateful
for the distraction they provided. She didn’t need to think about blind dates or
old hurts or how, after only a few minutes with Spencer Gregory, she once more
felt fifteen years old—fat, awkward, shy—and desperately in love with a boy who
barely knew she was alive.

Copyright © 2014 by RaeAnne Thayne

ISBN-13: 9781460334621

WILD IRIS RIDGE

Copyright © 2014 by RaeAnne Thayne

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