Romance Me (Boxed Set) (10 page)

I wouldn’t know the answer to his question until he revealed the mystery behind the dark circles under his eyes all week. “Is this why you were so tired in class? Because you were preparing for this show?”

He paused way too long. “Yes. I’d spent all night painting and well . . . it was important to me. That particular painting, I mean.”

What was he holding back? “Are you and the owner of the art gallery . . . dating?”

His gray eyes widened. “You mean Jennifer and me?

“Yes.” My cheeks heated as I braced myself for his answer.

“No.” He shook his head and his forehead wrinkled. “Why would you think that?”

Oh, this was awkward. “She seems really into you.”

“Well, I don’t know about that, but there is no way she thinks
I’m
interested in
her
.”

Now we were getting down to business. “Why not?”

He waited, his gaze intent on mine. “She just wouldn’t think that. Trust me.”

“How come you avoid answering my questions? Like when you showed up to All Things Furry looking exhausted and mentioned you’d been talking to Abby Wilson after class. When I asked what you’d been doing the night before, I couldn’t get a straight answer out of you. So, I assumed . . . ”

His brows came together as he put two and two together, then his eyes bulged. “You thought Abby and I . . . ?”

I pictured Abby and her hot date. Yeah, I’d been off the mark on that one. Still . . . “Well, how should I know? You were obviously hiding something.”

His face sobered. “I was. But not what you think.”

Wow. I couldn’t believe he’d finally admitted it! “Well? Aren’t you going to tell me what you’d really been doing?”

“No.” His face turned serious. “I’m going to show you.”

He slipped his hand in mine, causing tingles to wander up my arm as he led me to the opposite corner of the room. We squeezed by various people—some who were talking and others who were gazing appreciatively at the art around them—and I couldn’t stop wondering what he’d been doing to cause those deep circles under his eyes.

In the very back of the room, we stopped in front of a painting . . . of me! It was entitled “Love at First Glance” and my breath caught. He’d captured my expression perfectly—it was the same first look I’d gone over a million times in my own mind, only from his viewpoint.

The painting focused on the woman’s green eyes with brown flecks,
my
eyes, and the appreciative look I’d given Henry when he’d offered to rescue my friend’s dog.

Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the painting. All this time I’d wondered what had caused those dark circles under his eyes. It had been the hours he’d spent picturing me in his mind,
painting
me. And all that time, I’d been thinking of him, too.

“Well?” He nudged my shoulder a little while still holding my hand. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

My mouth opened, then quickly closed. What was that yellow card above the title? My head whipped around and I frowned up at him, accusingly. “The card above the title says
SOLD
.”

He reached out to smooth my hair back from my face. “That’s what Jennifer had to talk to me about earlier. It wasn’t for sale and a woman insisted that she be allowed to buy it. Since she was someone I need to win over, I couldn’t say no.”

My mouth dropped open. First Abby, then Jennifer, and now another mystery woman? “Who would you sell my painting to in order to win her over?” But inside, I already knew.

He looked as if he were trying to hold in a laugh. “Your mother.”

My lips twitched at the confirmation I’d been right. Even though we had our issues, I sure did love my mom. “She can be a little overbearing at times.”

“Good to know.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, brushed his lips past my cheek, then whispered. “She promised to let us come over any time to visit it.”

Ha! So that’s why my mom had been so sure about Henry. She’d seen the painting. Anyone who saw it would know how much time, love and care had gone into each brush stroke. Even Jennifer Cooke. No wonder she’d given me a weird look when we met. She’d recognized me.

I tore my eyes from the painting, gazed up at Henry, and melted against him. “Henry?”

He played with my hair as his deep gray eyes met mine. “Yes?”

“You do realize you’re going to have to ask me out, right?” I moistened my lips. “How can it be love at first glance when we’ve only attended doggy class together?”

He leaned his forehead against mine. “Every time I’m with you feels like a date.”

I leaned close to his ear. “If that’s the case, this makes number four.”

His face took on a serious quality. “I’m going to ask you to marry me. Very soon.”

My heart pounded in my chest. “I’m going to say yes.”

His mouth crept into a small smile. “For now, I’m going to kiss you.”

“It’s about time.” His lips pressed against my cheek again, heat igniting against my skin, and my shoulder curled in as I savored the feeling. “I was afraid I’d have to attend more doggy school before you ever made your move.”

Finally, our mouths came together, and a blissful feeling settled over me. After all the hard work I’d gone through trying to find love, it had found me instead. No sooner than we’d started our second kiss, when clapping erupted around us. We pulled back slowly and turned around to face a crowd.

Abby Wilson, standing front and center, whistled with two fingers in her mouth. The elderly woman winked knowingly at me. My mom stood next to Robert, teary-eyed and with a hand over her heart. Although I’d thought I should go with the safe and screened choices, my heart had told me to give this guy a chance. And I’m glad I did.

When it comes to men, there are no hard and fast rules. Sometimes online dating works out, sometimes it doesn’t. You can use your head, follow your heart, or, with one single glance, you might just fall in love at first date.

THE END

Truth or Date (Better Date than Never series, Book 2)

Gina Hall is done with men who won’t commit. Ten years waiting for her ex to propose wasted her time. Never again. When her friend Kristen starts a game of Truth or Dare, she dares Gina to go on a date with Ethan, who’s amazing and total marriage material.

As Gina plans the going away party for office playboy Chris Bradley, she spontaneously initiates a game of Truth or Dare with him. When his turn comes around, he dares Gina to pose as his girlfriend to help get a flirty colleague off his back. Gina finds playing couple with Chris way too much fun.

Even though Gina and Chris are pretending, their relationship begins to feel painfully real. Fearing she might be falling for another fly-by man, Gina must focus on Ethan so she doesn’t make the same dating mistakes all over again.

About the Author

Susan Hatler

SUSAN HATLER
is a
New York Times
and
USA Today
Bestselling Author, who writes humorous and emotional contemporary romance and young adult novels. Many of Susan's books have been translated into German, Spanish, and Italian. A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too.

You can reach Susan here:

Facebook:
facebook.com/authorsusanhatler

Twitter:
twitter.com/susanhatler

Website:
www.susanhatler.com

Blog:
susanhatler.com/category/susans-blog

Titles by Susan Hatler

An Unexpected Date

Better Date than Never Series

Love at First Date (Book #1)

Truth or Date (Book #2)

My Last Blind Date (Book #3)

Save the Date (Book #4)

A Twist of Date (Book #5)

License to Date (Book #6)

Driven to Date (Book #7)

Up to Date (Book #8)

Déjà Date
(Book #9)

Date and Dash (Book #10)

Teen Novels

Shaken

See Me

Winter in Sweetwater County

by

Ciara Knight

Chapter One

Welcome to Sweetwater County, Tennessee. Population 5,000. Where your heart and home belong.

Lisa Mortan would soon see if the county motto scribbled on their sign was true.

It had been a long drive from New York City. Lisa slowed as she reached the city limits of Creekside, the smallest town just inside the county line, wincing as icy rain began to pelt the windshield. She pushed every button and pulled every lever while keeping one hand on the wheel and one eye on the road. With a huff, she flipped the handle on the right side of the steering column up and the wipers smeared grime and water across the glass. Taking a long steady breath, her lungs filled with the scent of new leather. Thank goodness, Mark’s cologne hadn’t invaded the interior of the new car, leaving lingering memories and disappointments.

With a shake of her head, she eyed the charming awnings, in a variety of colors, adorning shops lining both sides of the two-lane road. Passing a hardware and interior design store, Lisa then spotted
J and L antiques
. The muscles at the side of her mouth tugged into a smile and her heart warmed. Who knew one sign could provide so much hope?

A silver truck backed out from an angled parking space, slowing her to a stop. As she waited, she watched a family race from the flower shop’s covered front stoop to a mom-and-pop restaurant, huddling together before darting to the next store. Would her life look like that someday, if she kept the baby?

Lisa maneuvered into a space and pressed the stop button, cutting the sedan’s engine.

Silence.

A sound she’d struggle with, but the ramifications of returning to New York City, and her former fiancé, urged her to keep an open mind.

Staring into the pristine glass windows between swirly writing, nerves fluttered her belly. This was a new start, a chance to have a life and concentrate on what mattered most, or a place to hide out for a few months. Her head spun between right and wrong, but she shook the thoughts away for now. Tucking her purse under her arm, she shoved the car door open and raced across the sidewalk to the storefront.

Clutching her coat around her middle, she thanked the lord it was winter. She wasn’t ready to explain her condition to a bunch of strangers. Not that she was big yet, but she swore anyone who looked at her instantly knew the truth.

A bell jingled overhead, announcing her arrival to all in the store. The smell of coffee and cinnamon filled the warm room, reminding her more of a bakery than an old musty antique shop.

“Be right there,” the voice she assumed was Judy’s called from beyond a partition, on the other side of a large sleigh bed. If Lisa wasn’t about to meet her new business partner in person, she would have thrown her purse on the floor, kicked off her shoes, and climbed the wooden step stool, to crawl under the fluffy sage and antique white quilt covering the huge bed.