Читать книгу Small-Town Cinderella - Stacy Connelly, Stacy Connelly - Страница 9

Chapter Three

Debbie took one look at the bold black letters on the whiteboard in front of The High Tide restaurant and immediately wanted to turn around and make the forty-minute drive back home from Redfield.

Singles’ Night—Meet and Greet!

Nerves somersaulted through her stomach, whirling fast enough to make her feel sick. This was what she got for opening her big mouth in front of her friends. Ever since making that silly claim about wanting someone to sweep her off her feet, Sophia and Kara had been bombarding her—in person and via phone calls and emails—with ways to meet Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome.

She’d escaped a three-way tag team only because Darcy was in Paris on her honeymoon with Nick. Though if her friend did come across any possibilities, Debbie wouldn’t be surprised to receive a message touting Monsieur Tall, Dark and Handsome.

Sophia had been the one to send her the info on the singles’ night. Debbie wondered what her friend would think of the sign—one she was sure normally listed the catch of the day. As if she could just order up the perfect guy to go.

Not that she was looking for the perfect guy. But she’d told Sophia she’d give it a try. She had nothing to lose, right?

Memories of the moonlit balcony swarmed her senses—the brush of Drew’s lips, the subtle hint of champagne, the murmur of her name spoken against her skin. Okay, maybe she’d caught him off guard, kissing him the way she had, but he’d done a heck of a job kissing her back. It had been enough to make Debbie think that maybe he was right. Maybe she didn’t know him as well as she’d always thought. Then he’d deepened the kiss, and she’d stopped thinking at all....

Debbie slammed that mental door shut. As far as she was concerned, those were all reasons to go to the singles’ night. Drew had gotten caught up in the moment only to immediately regret it. She knew it by the what-the-hell-am-I-doing-kissing-her look in his dark gaze and the apology that had followed. And in his total absence over the past week. Not that they normally saw each other every day, but it was a small town. You couldn’t avoid running into someone unless you were avoiding running into someone.

Not that she expected him to seek her out, but that he hadn’t... Well, it only showed that she was right. Temporary insanity brought on by wedding fever and nothing more.

So, fine. She wasn’t interested in Drew anyway. She wanted adventure, excitement. She wanted to meet someone new, and she was going to check out the daily specials on offer tonight at The High Tide.

Breathing in a deep, hopeful breath, Debbie climbed from the car and headed toward the restaurant. Redfield also catered to the tourist crowd, and the restaurant had a quaint bait-and-tackle-shop vibe—weathered wood exterior, netting and fishing rods hanging below the sign.

The scent of fried seafood was enough to make her stomach grumble even as she mentally calculated the number of calories. And while she wasn’t positive her willpower would persevere, it was a sure bet that her fashion sense would win hands down.

The waistband on her floral skirt didn’t have nearly enough give for her to even think about fish and chips. She’d be lucky to squeeze in a salad, but the fitted skirt was the perfect match for her favorite pale pink cashmere sweater. The purchase had been a splurge even on sale, but the savvy saleswoman had told her she looked like a cross between Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield in the figure-hugging, sinfully soft top, and Debbie had been sold.

You can do this. Sophia’s voice echoed in her mind. Just think, tonight you might meet your own Prince Charming!

Debbie hadn’t tried to explain, again, that she wasn’t interested in some love of a lifetime. A relationship would only be another commitment when most days she already felt stretched too thin. Another responsibility when she already longed for more freedom. Another potential for loss when fate had already stolen so much....

But she couldn’t expect Sophia, still basking in the glow of her own happily ever after, to understand that. So she’d agreed that yes, tonight might be the night.

As she stepped inside the restaurant, Debbie wondered if she hadn’t underestimated the possibilities. She’d feared everyone who would go to such lengths to meet someone—herself included—would reek of desperation. But the good-looking guy standing at the bottom of the steps leading up to the reserved section of the bar met her gaze with a friendly and confident smile. He shifted the clipboard he was casually holding and held out his right hand.

“Welcome to The High Tide. Are you here for the meet and greet?” His green eyes sparkled beneath shaggy blond hair, and deep dimples bracketed his smile.

Definitely cute, and while the touch of his hand against hers didn’t set off any fireworks, his grip was strong and warm. Maybe tonight could be the beginning of something after all.

“I am,” she agreed, hoping she didn’t sound too eager.

After taking her name and email to keep her up to date with future events, he said, “Here’s a badge. We’d like you to write your name and an interesting or fun fact about yourself on it.”

Debbie reached out but her gaze locked on his hand. His left hand and the shiny gold band on the fourth finger. “You’re married?” she blurted out, the words escaping before she had time to call them back.

He glanced down at his wedding ring and flushed slightly. “Oh, yeah. I’m, um, not part of the singles’ group,” he explained. “I manage the restaurant and like to be here to make sure everything runs smoothly when we have events like this. Sorry if I—”

She waved his words aside. “No need to apologize.” After all, it wasn’t like he’d kissed her or anything. Withholding a sigh, she asked, “I don’t suppose you and your wife met at one of these events, did you?”

His eyes lit in memory. “No, we met while backpacking along the California coastline. We were supposed to travel all the way up to Canada and at the end of the trip go our separate ways. But we realized we’d fallen in love and decided to stay together. Just goes to show that you can find love anywhere along the way. Good luck tonight.”

Backpacking across the country. Now, that was a fun and interesting fact, Debbie thought as she filled out her name badge. She got the first part done okay, but then came to a complete halt. The whole point of going to an event like this was to break out of a rut. She’d lived in the same town, in the same apartment, worked the same job and had known the same people her whole life. If her world was filled with fun and interesting facts, she doubted she’d be at a singles’ event. No, she’d be backpacking along the coast or jetting off to Paris....

Sighing, she glanced over to the other side of the bar. She’d be sitting across the table from a good-looking guy who looked a lot like— Who looked exactly like— Oh, good grief, it was Drew Pirelli!

Sitting in a secluded booth, Drew and a beautiful brunette were engaged in an intense conversation, their heads bent so close together the table between them almost disappeared. As she watched, he reached over and stroked the woman’s arm, and a layer of goose bumps rose along her own skin....

Abruptly turning away, Debbie nearly crumpled the name tag in her hand. She had to leave now before he saw her and— And what exactly? Who cared if he saw her out tonight?

She wasn’t going to sit at home, waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. She was taking charge and going after what she wanted. She wanted to go out, to escape the pressure of duty and responsibility for once in her life. She wanted some fun and interesting facts to write down on her stupid name badge!

Picking up the pen, she printed a few words beneath her name, capping them off with an exclamation point before slapping the sticky tag to the front of her sweater. Now, time to actually meet a single guy at this singles’ event.

Within minutes, she’d done just that. Gary Tronston was in his early thirties by her guess. He had blond hair and wore wire-framed glasses. He was a dentist, and while Debbie wasn’t sure how interesting that fact was, he had added on his name tag that he was a dentist with a sweet tooth, which at least showed an attempt at a sense of humor.

But talking to him, Debbie couldn’t help feeling he’d somehow slipped her a shot of Novocain.

“I like helping people. Seeing them smile,” he added with a smile of his own. “It’s not saving the world, but I like to think I’ve made a difference.”

“That’s great, Gary. Really.”

Debbie might not have always been the best judge of men, but he seemed like a nice guy. If only she felt even the slightest spark...

She didn’t, though, and it was all Drew’s fault. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep from glancing over poor Gary’s shoulder at Drew on the other side of the bar.

His dark hair gleamed even in the bar’s muted lighting, and the red T-shirt he wore, the long sleeves pushed back to reveal his tanned, muscular arms, was the perfect contrast. His eyebrows were pulled together in a frown, and though she was too far away, she knew just how rich and warm his eyes were. After a moment, his features relaxed, the lines around his eyes crinkling slightly as he flashed his perfect white teeth in a smile at his date. Debbie tore her gaze away, but it was too late. He looked so vibrant, so virile, that Gary with his blond hair and somewhat pasty skin seemed ready to simply fade away.

Not that Gary was to blame. When she and Drew had kissed, the whole world had faded away. How was the poor guy supposed to compete with that?

“Would you like a drink?” he asked before waving their waitress over and requesting a wine list as if they were at a five-star establishment instead of a casual, family-friendly restaurant. She tried to ignore that it made him seem more than a little pretentious. But once she spotted that chink in his armor, she couldn’t help noticing a few more less than attractive details. Like when he mentioned for the third time that he drove a Mercedes. And that he’d graduated with honors. And that he was working with a group of investors to build an exclusive resort in the area.

Debbie supposed it would have been hard to fit all that on a name tag.

Suppressing a sigh, she smiled as the waitress returned with their drinks and took a sip of the white wine Gary had ordered for both of them. She fought to keep her attention on the man in front of her instead of on the one across the bar. But that focus only brought more details to light. Like...wasn’t Gary’s blond hair combed a little too neatly? His clothes too perfectly pressed? And she’d bet the bakery that the shine on his nails came from a manicure.

Good hygiene was one thing, but that was just...weird, she decided, reaching for her wineglass again. Drew would never—

Debbie tried to stop the hopeless comparison, but suddenly the floodgates were open. There was nothing overstated about Drew, nothing that said he was trying too hard or that he was too hung up on his own good looks. Just a quiet confidence and yes, he was gorgeous enough for Debbie to be hung up on his looks. Of course, he was more than a pretty face and a drool-worthy bod.

He was...Drew.

The boy who’d stood up for her when some of the other kids in school had teased her about her weight and the outrageous desserts her mother always packed in her lunch. Of course, he’d been thirteen at the time and helped her in typical boy fashion—by stealing huge bites out of her cupcake or éclair or torte when Debbie wasn’t watching and then flashing her a cocky grin. In typical girl fashion, Debbie had protested, calling him names and probably sticking her tongue out a time or two, even as warmth bloomed inside her.

At nine years old, she’d known he was saving her from pigging out in front of the rest of the class or from hurting Bonnie’s feelings by refusing to take those desserts to school or, heaven forbid, throwing out the food her talented mother made with such love.

And then there was the day of her mother’s funeral. Just about everyone in town had stopped by to tell her how much her mother would be missed and how they would be there for Debbie if she needed anything.

She’d smiled through it all, reminiscing about her mother, talking about how much she loved to bake and to share her gift of sweets with the town. Only later did Debbie break down in the back of the bakery, crying over a batch of éclairs that she had never, ever been able to make as well as Bonnie, as it hit her that she would never taste her mother’s baking again. It was then, after everyone else was gone and she was alone, that Drew knocked on the bakery’s back door. He hadn’t said much, simply holding her as she cried and then helped her to clean up the mess she’d made of the kitchen.

He’d told her everything would be okay, and though countless others had offered that same platitude, wrapped in Drew’s arms, breathing in the familiar scent of his aftershave and listening to the quiet confidence in his deep voice, she’d believed him. And she’d held on to that belief deep in her heart, pulling it out when life got rough and she’d had her doubts about running the business on her own or during the holidays when at times she felt so alone. And somehow she knew everything would be all right. Because Drew had told her so, and he would never go back on his word.

This time, she couldn’t keep her glance from straying over toward his booth. Her heart slammed against her rib cage when his dark-eyed gaze snared hers. His date had disappeared, and he was looking back at her without a hint of surprise. A wash of heat crept up her face. How long had he been watching her while she’d been trying so hard not to watch him? And was he really going to sit there the rest of the night, studying her as she pretended to have a good time? Because, yes, by now she was past the point of convincing herself she actually was having a good time.

She reached for her glass, surprised to find it almost empty, but thankfully the waitress quickly stopped by with reinforcements. She started when Gary reached out and grabbed her hand. “I’m so glad you came to this event. It’s hard to meet the right person, isn’t it?”

The right person? Oh, good Lord, she really hoped he wasn’t talking about her! “Um, yeah. Look, Gary—”

“I knew as soon as I saw you that you were the one.”

Debbie swallowed. “Gary, that’s so...sweet of you to say. But the thing is...” Oh, jeez. She hated doing this. She’d been on the other side of the “it’s not you, it’s me” speech too many times not to feel badly about delivering it. “I’m not really looking for anything serious. I just want to meet some new people, to go out and have a good time.”

His sincere expression quickly morphed into one that was far more interested. “Well, in that case, why don’t we get out of here? I’ve booked a room in a hotel just down the street where we can really have some fun.”

“Whoa, there, Gar! I think you still have the wrong idea about me. But, you know, good luck with all that!”

Grabbing her glass, Debbie downed half the wine in a single gulp as she made her escape.

Speaking of which... Yep, Drew was still in the corner booth. Still watching...which meant as much as tonight was starting to look like a bust, she couldn’t go home yet. She didn’t want to give Drew the satisfaction of thinking that he’d run her off or worse, that he was right and that she should be spending her nights at home alone like a good girl.

She was going to have fun tonight, she thought grimly, even if it killed her.

* * *

She was killing him.

Drew’s hand tightened around the soda he’d been downing all night. He hadn’t come to the bar to drink, though that was the invitation he’d issued to Cassidy Carter. It had been strictly business, and he didn’t drink on the job. Of course, Cass had left over an hour ago, and he still hadn’t switched to anything harder than pure sugar and caffeine. He was a little afraid of what he might do if even so much as a beer went to his head. Hell, the rate the night was going, he should probably switch to diet and caffeine-free.

Every time Debbie laughed, every time she touched another guy—even if it was just to shake hands—every time she leaned closer to hear what one of them said, every damn time the guy’s gaze dropped to the rounded curves on display beneath a sweater that looked like it was made out of cotton candy, Drew had to fight to keep his butt in the booth.

He’d always considered himself a patient man, but he was quickly running out. Still, he kept waiting. Waiting for Debbie to realize none of these losers were good enough for her. He could see it at first glance. What was taking her so damn long?

He’d thought overhearing Debbie at Darcy’s bachelorette party was bad. But that had only been words, and he’d done his best to convince himself it was just talk. That she wasn’t serious about wanting some stranger to sweep her off her feet. Clearly, he was wrong. Not only had Debbie meant every word, she was backing them up with actions.

And it was killing him.

Drew didn’t want to look too closely at the reasons why. Debbie was an old family friend, and he was worried about her. That was reason enough, right? He didn’t want to think that he was jealous or that he wanted to be one of the men standing close enough to her to know if that sweater could possibly feel as soft as it looked. He certainly didn’t want to think about any of those men kissing her the way he had on the balcony last weekend because he shouldn’t have been the one kissing her, either. Tonight only drove that home more than ever. How could he be the one to protect her if he had to worry about protecting her from himself?

But when the waitress brought Debbie yet another glass of wine and when the introduction handshakes turned into nice-to-meet-you hugs, he couldn’t stand by any longer.

He was saving her from herself. When she came to her senses and forgot all about this whole adventure and excitement streak she was on, she’d realize that, too. She’d probably even thank him for it.

A burst of mocking laughter that sounded just like his brothers’ echoed in his head.

Yeah, sure she would.

* * *

Debbie wasn’t sure how long she’d been talking to the brown-haired guy standing in front of her before she realized she no longer held his full attention. His gaze kept flicking toward a point over her shoulder. She might have feared she was too boring to hold his interest, but boredom didn’t put a look of fear in a guy’s eyes.

“I think I should, um...” He was already backing away before he blurted out, “Nice meeting you, Debbie.”

She didn’t have to turn around to around to know Drew was behind her. “What are you doing, Drew?” she asked as she drained the last of her wine and motioned to the waitress for another glass.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“I am here for singles’ night.” She turned to face him, feeling herself wobble slightly in her new shoes. She should have gone with the boots instead of the heels, but the pumps had the cutest bow on the toe.... “And you should be with your date.”

A frown pulled his dark brows together. “I’m not on a date.”

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t imagine the brunette you were with earlier.”

“That wasn’t a date. She’s a coworker on a custom house I’m building in the area.”

“You always hold hands with your coworkers? I bet your subcontractors love that.”

“We weren’t holding hands. Cassidy was upset and I was trying to reassure her. The client we’re working for is a real nightmare, and Cass is ready to quit. None of which explains what you’re doing here.”

“I told you. It’s singles’ night, and I’m single,” she said, crossing her arms and meeting his scowl with a smirk.

He mimicked her actions, minus the smirk, folding his muscular arms over his broad chest, as he replied, “Well, so am I.”

“You’re not signed up for this event,” she protested.

Glancing over at a nearby high-top table, he spotted the clipboard and a few leftover name tags. Within seconds, he’d scrawled his name across the sign-in sheet and slapped a tag to his broad chest. His name in bold, block letters with the word contractor written beneath. “It’s not supposed to be a business card, Drew,” she said as she reached out and poked him right in the name tag.

He caught her hand and held it for a moment as his gaze dropped to her chest. Or at least to the name badge on her sweater. “Obviously.”

Debbie blinked, for a second having forgotten what she’d written on her own tag. “Oh, yeah. That.”

Hungry for the taste of adventure....

It had sounded like something fun to write down at the time, so why did she suddenly feel embarrassed, like a teenager caught by her mother making out with a boy on the front porch? She didn’t know. She couldn’t even be sure how a moment like that would have felt. She’d never dated as a teenager. She’d never had the opportunity to do so many things.

And that was why she was willing to take a chance on this singles’ group. Okay, so tonight had been a bit of a disappointment. There were other events planned. This night was only the beginning. She smiled her thanks and handed the waitress some cash in exchange for another glass of wine.

Lifting her chin, she met Drew’s gaze head on. “You’re not my big brother, Drew. I don’t need you to rescue me.”

A flash of guilt flickered across his expression, and Debbie realized she’d nailed it. He really did think of her like a little sister, someone to look out for, someone to protect. She took a swallow of wine to wash away the ache in her throat. So much for thinking he might have been jealous. So much for the foolish hope that he’d approached her because he wanted to be the guy she was talking to instead of the half a dozen or so men whose names she’d already forgotten.

Catching her by the wrist, he took the wineglass from her hand and set it aside. “I think you’ve had enough.”

“You’ve got that right,” she muttered. She’d certainly had enough of him!

Pushing past him, she headed for the exit. The cool, quiet night air brushed her heated cheeks, a welcome relief from the noisy, crowded restaurant. Her heels crunched unevenly across the asphalt, but she didn’t get far before he caught up with her again.

“You shouldn’t be driving.”

“I didn’t have that much to drink.”

“You had four glasses of wine.”

“You were counting?” Debbie snorted, only to realize maybe that was a good thing since she seemed to have stopped keeping track after two. No wonder the asphalt was rocking beneath her feet, and the stars were shooting like a pretty kaleidoscope overhead....

“Let me take you home.”

Oh, why did Drew’s murmured words have to sound so much better than any of the invitations she’d heard from potential dates that evening? Not that he meant anything by it. Just like he hadn’t meant anything by the kiss they’d shared. “You can’t fool me.”

He was playing the role of the white knight—offering rides home and apologizing for kisses when he should have been kissing her again.

“What?”

“What, what?” She hadn’t said anything. Oh, crap, what had she said?

Frowning, Drew asked, “How is asking to give you a ride home trying to fool you?”

Relieved she hadn’t spilled anything too embarrassing, yet still annoyed, she snapped, “You didn’t offer to drive me home. You asked to take me home. As in, ‘Let’s go back to your place.’ You think I don’t know a come-on when I hear one, Drew Pirelli?”

Just like she knew very well when she hadn’t heard one, but she found herself entirely unwilling to let him off the hook so easily.

“That’s not— I didn’t—” A pained expression crossed his face, and he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Blowing out a breath, he started again, “Debbie, I—”

Feeling another apology coming on, she threw up a dismissing hand and started walking. Not that she would risk driving home, but she had a coat in her car and if she had to wait who knew how long for a cab, she’d rather not have to stand around shivering.

But she only made it a few steps before the ground slipped out from beneath her feet. And not because she’d fallen. Her startled gasp ended in a mousy squeak as Drew swept her up into his arms. The stars spun wildly overhead, and without thought she clung to his shoulders. Their gazes collided for a heat-filled second before his mouth crashed down on hers in a stunning kiss.

If that night on the balcony had been wedding fever, this was a different level of heat altogether. The kiss tasted of frustration and passion, a fight-fire-with-fire kind of burn that promised so much more—

The earth may well have moved, but Debbie didn’t realize Drew had until he plopped her into the passenger seat of his car. His breathing still ragged from the kiss, he repeated, “You’re not driving home.”

Despite the way the world was still tilting around her, every ounce of independent woman roared inside her. Realizing her hands were still fisted in his shirt, she pushed him away. “I cannot believe you just did that!”

Drew’s jaw tightened as he leaned closer, until she could catch a hint of his aftershave mixed with the woodsy night air. “Believe it.”

The vehicle’s dome light wasn’t very bright, but in its faint glow, she saw something in his hardened expression. Something that made her pulse pound even harder. Something that made her wonder if she was seeing Drew in a different light...or if something had changed in the way he was seeing her.

And she had the feeling that as surprised as she was by his actions, he’d surprised himself even more.