The Reluctant Bachelorette (15 page)

Taycee should have known this question would be coming. Was
this the reason for the impromptu interview?

“I . . . uh . . . don’t know,” Taycee finally hedged. There
were a lot of things she could say. Like how she and Luke hadn’t even been out
on a date when it happened, how they weren’t in a mutually exclusive
relationship, or how Luke didn’t want to be on the show in the first place. But
all of those answers would sound as though Taycee didn’t find fault with Luke’s
actions—which she didn’t—but she also didn’t want the viewers to know that. She
wanted Luke voted off.

“I think however Luke chooses to spend his time off camera is
up to him.” There. Another diplomatic answer that didn’t necessarily help
Luke’s image, but didn’t exactly worsen it either.

“Are you hoping he gets voted off, or would you like him to
stay around for a while longer?”

Jessa wouldn’t let it go, would she? Taycee shot her a thinly
veiled you-are-so-going-to-pay-for-this-later look. “Well, that’s the great
part about it, isn’t it? I don’t have to hope or worry because it’s in the
viewers’ hands, not mine. They chose ten great guys this past week, and I’m
sure the five they narrow it down to will make for a great week also.”

“Very true.” Jessa settled back in her seat and looked
directly at the camera. ”Speaking of the final five, the voting is now
officially open, so cast your votes for whoever you think will be a great match
for Taycee, and remember that every time you vote, your money is going to a
good cause. Thanks so much for your support!”

The camera light finally flickered off. Taycee let out a
breath of relief before giving Jessa the glare she deserved.

“Sorry.” Jessa patted Taycee’s knee in a motherly fashion. “I
had to do it. You answered them all brilliantly though.”

“This is going to cost you another favor, just so you know.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just put it on my tab.”

T
aycee squinted through the peep
hole
on her front door. A distorted, magnified face stared back with
large crossed eyes and cheeks sucked in, making a fish face. She squealed and
flung the door wide open, throwing her arms around the stocky guy standing on
her front porch.

“Caleb, what the heck? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?
Are you back for good?” Her brother had always said that he’d consider moving
back near Shelter once some of his bigger cases were all wrapped up. That was
over eight months ago. Was it finally happening?

Caleb lifted her off the ground and squeezed the breath out of
her before setting her back down. “Sorry, sis. I’m only here for the night.
We’ve brought in a firm from Denver to help out with a marathon case we’ve been
working on, so I’ll be spending some time up there for the next several weeks.
Which means”—he grinned—“I’ll get to drop in on you every once in a while.
Awesome right?”

“Yeah. Awesome.” It sort of felt like someone had given her a
beautiful bouquet of flowers and then taken it away, saying, “Oops, sorry.
Wrong recipient.” Taycee hadn’t seen her brother in months, and with every
passing day, she worried more and more that he’d never move back. What would
she do if Caleb followed in her parents’ footsteps and decided to make a
permanent life elsewhere?

She would cry long and hard, that’s what.

“You don’t mind if I crash here tonight, do you?”

“Of course not.” Taycee waved him inside. “I’ll take whatever
I can get. I was just hoping this would be a longer visit—possibly even long
enough to check out a few potential office spaces?”

“I’ll be working at least sixteen hour days the rest of the
week, so no can do,” Caleb said, sliding the strap of his overnight duffle over
his head. His light brown hair had grown longer since she’d last seen him, but
the new look suited his casual, go-with-the-flow personality.

“Sixteen hour days? Are you serious?”

“Cheer up. I’ll most likely be back a few more times before
the summer’s out, so hopefully one of these trips I can extend my stay a little
longer and we can really catch up—not that you’ll be able to squeeze me in,
what with your busy dating schedule and all.”

Taycee slugged him in the arm. “Don’t make me regret telling
you about that or you’ll get the couch tonight instead of the guest bed.”

Caleb ran his hand across the back of her micro suede couch.
“It actually feels pretty comfortable.”

So much for that threat. “C’mon, Caleb. I’m embarrassed enough
as it is. I don’t need you making it worse.”

“Fine. But only because I’m starving and you probably won’t
feed me if I do.” He held up his bag. “Where can I put this?”

Taycee showed him to the guest room, and then left him to get
settled while she rummaged through her fridge for something to make for dinner.
Leave it to a guy to think a girl always had extra food on hand. She frowned at
the contents of her fridge. Only a few pieces of chicken and some vegetables.
Mmmm . . . maybe pasta. Yes, basil chicken could work.

Soon chicken was frying on the stove next to a bubbling pot of
pasta. Taycee diced broccoli and tomatoes when Caleb wandered back in. He sank
down on a nearby bar stool. “I hope it’s okay that I invited Luke for dinner.
Since I’m only here for the night, I figured we could catch up. It’s been
forever since I’ve seen him.”

The knife stilled in Taycee’s hand. Luke? Coming here?
Tonight? She resumed her chopping, slicing through the vegetables with renewed
force. Caleb and Luke together? In the same room? With the topic of
Shelter’s
Bachelorette
hot off the let’s-gang-up-on-Taycee press? Ugh. She could
think of several things she’d rather put up with. Hanging out with Liza for
one.

“Why don’t you invite the rest of Shelter while you’re at it?”
Taycee grumbled. “I’m sure I have enough food lying around.”

Caleb grabbed a chunk of raw broccoli and tossed it into his
mouth. Between chews, he said, “Sorry. Didn’t think about that.”

Obviously. “Just don’t tell Jessa. I’m not supposed to
interact with any of the bachelors off camera.”

“Wow, they’re really taking this show seriously, aren’t they?”
A chunk of tomato disappeared in his mouth. “If you’re really worried, I can
always call him back and un-invite him.”

“No, it’s fine. He’s coming to see you anyway—not me.”

Taycee checked the chicken while Caleb ate another piece of
broccoli. He wandered over to the stove and took the tongs from her, prodding
the chicken as if it would somehow make it cook faster. “I still can’t believe
you’re dating my best friend. That’s wrong on so many levels.”

“I completely agree.” Taycee took the tongs back and pushed
him out of the way. “Hovering won’t make it cook any faster, you know. Now stop
snitching and get some plates from the cupboard.”

“So bossy.” Still, he opened the cabinet doors in search of
plates.

Thirty minutes later, just as Taycee removed the finished
pasta, the doorbell chimed. Without waiting for an answer, Luke let himself in.
He wore a large cowboy hat and a trench coat with the collar sticking up to
hide his face.

“Long time no see.” Caleb laughed as he clapped his friend on
the back. “What in the heck are you wearing, man? Is there a spring storm
coming that we don’t know about?”

Luke looked down and examined himself as if his wardrobe was
nothing out of the ordinary. “Personally, I think The Mysterious Cowboy it’s a
great look for me. What do you think, Taycee Lynne?” He opened the coat,
revealing a button down plaid shirt, khaki shorts, and cowboy boots. Yes,
cowboy boots. With shorts.

Taycee choked back a laugh. “Change mysterious to goofy, start
chewing on some straw, and you’d have it about right.”

Luke shrugged out of the coat and tossed it over the back of
the couch, throwing the hat on top. Then he removed the boots, revealing white
ankle socks and toned calves.
Really
toned calves. Taycee swallowed and
quickly forced her attention back to their dinner.

“In case you couldn’t tell, it’s a disguise.” Luke padded
toward her, acting as comfortable in Taycee’s apartment as he had in their home
growing up. “I swear that gossip blog has eyes and ears all over town. My
reputation’s already tanked, and I don’t want to bring Taycee down with me. I
even parked a few blocks away to be safe.”

Caleb picked up the cowboy hat, examined it, and then dropped
it on his head. “Dude, you’re paranoid. You both are.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Luke plopped down on a barstool and leaned
forward on his elbows. “But have you read those discussion threads? Dang,
they’re brutal. It’s completely okay for Taycee to date twenty guys at once,
but if I’m caught on camera with another girl, watch out.”

Wait, Luke actually read the discussion boards? Taycee felt a
pang of guilt at this. Did he really care what was said? He seemed like such an
impenetrable wall of confidence that she’d never worried about how something
like that might affect him. “So stop reading them,” she said. “I never do.
Jessa can keep you up-to-date on all the important stuff.”

“Hmm . . . Jessa McCray,” Caleb said it slowly, drawing out
the name as if Jessa was someone worth considering. “What’s she still doing
here? She’s not exactly the small-town type.”

Taycee shoved a pitcher under the faucet and started filling
it with water. Of course Jessa was a small-town type. She loved Shelter Springs
as much as Taycee did. Well, maybe not quite as much, but enough to keep her
here and actively trying to save it. Taycee frowned at Caleb, as if his
mentioning it would somehow make Jessa want to up and leave, too. “She loves it
here. Not that you’d know that since you barely know her.”

“I know enough.” Caleb leaned against the counter, folding his
arms. “She plastered your face and name all over the internet without your
consent—not exactly something a real friend would do. The lawyer in me would
tell you to sue.”

“Wait.” Luke shot Taycee a look. “What do you mean without
your consent? You didn’t know?”

Taycee set the pitcher on the table and faced Luke. “Do you
really think I would have volunteered you if I’d known?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It never came up.”

“Really?” Luke arched one of his dark brown eyebrows. “Because
I can think of several times in the past few weeks that it could have
definitely come up.”

Taycee removed the silverware from the drawer, avoiding eye
contact. He was right. She could have easily told him before, but something had
always stopped her. Maybe there was a bit of a devil inside her that hoped the
longer it took for him to discover the truth, the sorrier he’d be for
tormenting her when he finally did find out.

But he didn’t look sorry. Only confused.

Yeah, well, join the club. I can’t figure me out either.
“I
guess I was too mad at you for accusing me of wanting to date you,” she finally
said, and then immediately wished the words back. Great. Now she sounded like a
teenager coddling a grudge.

Caleb laughed. “That’s my sister for you. You should know
better than to get on her bad side. Don’t you remember that night we went
spelunking without her? She didn’t talk to us for weeks.”

If only Caleb’s memory could be as bad as Luke’s. “Yeah well,
Luke doesn’t remember much of his former life, do you?” she said. When his
eyebrows knit together, Taycee quickly turned away, opening the closest
cupboard in search of who knew what. She’d said too much, and it had come out
less light-hearted than she’d intended, possibly even accusatory.

“Dinner’s all ready,” she said brightly, closing the cupboard
with a loud bang. A really loud bang. She turned to find both Caleb and Luke
staring and making her feel like she was a new species under a microscope.
Taycee pointed to the door and side-stepped toward it. “Oh, I uh, just
remembered something I need to do at the shop real quick. Go ahead and eat, and
I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She needed was a few minutes to herself—away
from Luke. Taycee headed for the front door, only to be stopped by a hand on
her wrist. Luke’s fingers curled around her sensitive skin, sending a jolt up
her arm. Her heartbeat slowed to a loud thud as she met his gaze.

“Whatever it is can wait ten minutes while you eat some
dinner,” Luke said. “Caleb just got here. Don’t you want to catch up first?”

Taycee glanced at Caleb, and then back to Luke again. She
sighed. “You’re right. I’ll go after dinner.”

With his hand still holding her captive, Luke smiled. “Good. It’ll
be fun. Just like old times.”

There it was again. Just like old times
.
If Taycee
heard that expression one more time, she would scream. Why was Luke so
determined to recreate the past anyway, especially when he didn’t even remember
half of it? He’d been the first to leave. The first to dispense with the
friendship they’d once shared as if it were a piece of lint on his clothes.