CHAPTER FIVE

 

Austin shifted in the bucket seat of Grayson’s sports car, wishing he’d opted to drive tonight to go to dinner. He’d thought about canceling, but he hadn’t seen his friend in a while. Grayson was on the go all the time, being a highly sought-after plastic surgeon and a dedicated mayor. His schedule was constantly filled, but he still made time for his friends. Unfortunately, Alex couldn’t make it tonight. He and Peyton had to iron out their guest list so they could send out the wedding invitations.

He hadn’t seen Savannah since she’d come to the ranch. He’d enjoyed getting to know her while he took her around the ranch, although it had been surprising to learn she had a child. He’d been under the impression she would continue interviewing him, but maybe she had enough for her story. He only hoped she didn’t do a hatchet job on him, especially after Lucinda had showed up. Both women had their hackles up. And speaking of women…

“Damn it. It’s ladies’ night.” He’d totally forgotten about that. He normally steered clear of all of the single theme nights at the restaurants in town.

“Oh, is it? I’d forgotten about that.” Grayson gave him a sly smile.

“Say that again, but this time with more conviction.”

“OK.” Grayson held up his hand. “If I’d said it was ladies’ night at the Lazy L, what would you have said?”

“Let’s have dinner another night.”

“Right. I can’t go to ladies’ night without my wingman.”

He rolled his eyes. “Why do you hang out at these meat markets? The women drink too much, paw on you, and then want you to take them home.”

“You’re not making the case you think you are.” They pulled into the parking lot of the Lazy L. Grayson cut the engine.

“You know,” Austin said, “ever since you became mayor, half of them want to be Mrs. Mayor. You should be more discerning about the women you date.”

“People in hell want ice water too.” Grayson chuckled. “Come on, I’ll buy the first three rounds, and if any women come meandering up to the table, I promise to shoo them away for you.”

“Deal.”

They entered the restaurant and grabbed a table. The waitress came over with a pitcher of beer and took their orders. A few minutes later, a pretty, redheaded woman approached Grayson about an upcoming vote on garbage collection. Austin immediately checked out of the conversation. It was typical for someone to stop by their table with a concern to schmooze with him, and the fact that she was Grayson’s type was a plus—for him at least. Grayson was a natural politician and never refused any of his constituents when he was out and about. Austin scanned the room and let out a sigh of relief when he didn’t see Lucinda. He’d had a tough time getting her off the ranch the other day when she stopped by. He’d even gone as far as leaving instructions at the gate not to let her back in.

One thing was for sure. Seeing Savannah had set her off. She was normally confident, so it was surprising to see Lucinda bristling at Savannah’s presence.

He continued to scan the crowd, wondering if it had been a mistake to let Grayson talk him into this. But speak of the devil, Harper Grove’s ace reporter was sitting at a tall table over in the bar area. His heart leaped in his chest at the sight of her.

“Grayson,” he said, not taking his eyes off her. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Sure thing.” Grayson waved, but he was still focused on the redhead.

Austin made his way across the restaurant to her table. “Savannah, nice to see you,” he said.

She smiled. “Austin. Figures you’d be here for ladies’ night.”

“Actually, this is Grayson’s idea. I’m hungry.”

“Uh huh. I’m here with a friend, and we’re trying to decompress from a hectic day. So if you don’t mind…”

“Sure.” He scratched at his beard. “I want to apologize for keeping you all day at the ranch. I had no idea you had a babysitter waiting.”

“Don’t worry about it. I got home at a decent time, and everyone was happy to see me.”

“Good. I know it can be hard for a single parent. I’d never encroach on anyone’s time, especially when they have responsibilities.”

She seemed amused by his explanation. “Thank you for understanding.”

“What’s your child’s name?”

“Blue.”

“That’s different. Does your ex help out at all?”

“No, and to be honest, I’d prefer it that way. He was an absentee dad even when we lived together. I think its best we all just move on.”

He felt himself blanch at her cavalier response.

“I know it’s not my place,” he said carefully. “But is that fair to your child? I know a clean split is better for the adults, but a child needs his or her father. Who knows? He could be a great dad even if he failed as a partner, barring there was no reason you’ve left that involved abuse.”

“It’s complicated,” she said as she glanced past his shoulder. He could sense that she was done talking about it. He’d probably crossed a line. After all, he wasn’t a father, so what did he really know about it? His own father had been a failure in many ways.

“Again, I didn’t mean to take away any quality time. Going forward, I will keep our meetings brief as possible.”

“Thank you for being considerate of my time.” She sipped her beer. “As a single mother, it’s a delicate balancing act.”

Austin looked back to see a woman approached the table. It was Barbara Jean, the bakery owner.

“Hi, Austin,” Barbara Jean said in a bubbly tone as she hopped on the stool.

“Barbara Jean. How’s my favorite baker?”

“Great. Did you enjoy those biscuits I made for you?”

“Yes, they were delicious. I sopped them up with that fancy maple syrup you gave me.” He rubbed his stomach. “It brought back fond memories. Thanks again.”

“You don’t have biscuits on your menu,” Savannah said.

“I know.” Barbara Jean’s cheeks turned a light pink shade. “Austin told me such a sweet story about the fun times he had eating biscuits with his meemaw, I just had to bake him a batch.”

“Maybe I should put that in my article,” Savannah murmured.

“How’s that going by the way?” Barbara Jean propped her chin in the palm of her hand. “Savannah isn’t being too tough on you? She can come off as abrasive, but she’s really a sweet, lovable person.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She has her guard up all the time.”

“Give her some time, she’ll soften a bit.”

He glanced at her and tried a smile. “Hope so. I was just apologizing for a faux pas the other day.”

“What could you have possibly done?” Barbara Jean asked.

“I’m afraid I took up too much of her time. She had to hustle home to Blue because of me.”

“She’s a proud momma. I don’t know anyone who could love a dog more.”

Austin raised an eyebrow as Savannah shrank in her seat. “Dog?”

Barbara Jean nodded. “He’s the most beautiful Labrador retriever you’ve ever seen. He’s more like her kid.”

“I see. I’ll let you ladies get back to your meal. Have a good evening.”

Austin walked back to the table feeling foolish. He’d felt like a heel for the last couple of days, thinking he’d infringed on mother-child bonding time, and Savannah had let him go on believing that.

 

 

Savannah put her head down on the table so hard it made a thud.

“What’s wrong with you?” Barbara Jean asked, staring at her with concern.

“I’d just set up the perfect excuse to keep my dealings with Austin to a minimum, and you had to go and blab about Blue being a dog.” She rubbed her forehead.

“You had him thinking your dog was an actual child.” Barbara Jean laughed. “Why?”

She’d had a wonderful time with him at the ranch. In fact she’d had too good a time. She’d been smiling like an idiot ever since that day. And she needed to keep things strictly business.

“I don’t want to get entangled with his life,” she finally answered. “And if he’s some kind of playboy womanizer, a kid should scare him off. If he’s interested in me, which he’s probably not.”

“Savannah, you go over there and apologize to that man.”

“Why should I?”

“Aside from the fact he just busted you in a lie?” Barbara Jean put her hand on her hip. “You may have thought it was a good out when you needed it, but to him it probably seems like a mean-spirited trick. Do you want him to think of you like that?”

When put that way, she actually felt like a heel. “No. You’re right.”

“Now go over there and stroke his—”

Savannah’s head whipped around, and her eyes widened.

“—ego.” Barbara Jean laughed and took a swig of her beer. “I swear I was going to say ego.”

Savannah stood up, but couldn’t seem to take that step over there to swallow her pride and set things right. Out of context, it did seem like she was being a deceitful jerk.

She did a slow walk over to the table. Austin was talking to the mayor. Ignoring her.

“Austin,” Savannah said, then she glanced at the other man. “Mayor Grayson.”

He gave her a friendly smile. “Grayson is fine. Have a seat.” He pulled a chair out for her to sit.

She noticed Austin didn’t respond.

“Thank you.” She sat down. “Ralph couldn’t say nicer things about you.”

“Really?” Grayson mused. “Around me, he usually just mumbles a lot about the world going to pot.”

“That’s our fearless newspaperman.” She gave Grayson a nervous laugh. She turned to Austin, who was staring off toward the bar, his jaw set. She put her hand on his wrist. That got his attention. “Austin, I’d like to apologize about the misunderstanding that just occurred.”

“The one where you intentionally mislead me. I hope your journalism ethics are better than your personal ethics.”

Oh, no, he didn’t just question her journalistic integrity, did he?

“You’ve been awfully resistant about the whole interview,” she said. “A few words the night we met could have prevented all of this. If you’re not happy, it’s your own fault. You set this all in motion.”

“Pardon me if I don’t like answering questions when someone bursts in on me while I’m butt naked,” Austin countered, raising his voice.

Just then the song that had been playing ended. The people at the nearby tables all stopped talking and stared at them. She felt her cheeks heat.

“I think I’ll grab a drink at the bar.” Grayson put his napkin down, scooched back his chair, and stood. He looked at Austin. “As Mayor Grayson, I can’t get caught up in a scandal. But as your friend, I know this is going to be a fun story at our poker game. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

“You were not butt naked,” Savannah replied loudly enough so she could at least be heard by the nosey busybodies in earshot. “And I knocked, you didn’t answer.”

He leaned forward. “What’s your problem with me?”

For starters, he was too damn gorgeous. The music started up again, another fast tune. The people at the surrounding tables had finally gone back to eating their meals.

“You have a knack with women, as I can personally attest to since my baker friend makes you treats that aren’t on her menu.”

“Barbara Jean is a sweetheart who indulged my nostalgia.”

“Those college girls fawned all over you at the ranch.”

“Aubrey’s a family friend. I told you that.”

“Angela certainly sang your praises.”

He gave her a flat look as if he struggled to keep his patience. “I’ve eaten in her restaurant over a dozen times. We developed a relationship. Remember when we talked about getting to know the townspeople? Loner habits may fly in big cities, but places like this notice. I should know. I tried it for a while, and it didn’t work for me. You should get out more. These people will reward you with so many scoops and tips, you wouldn’t have to leave your desk at the newspaper for a story.”

He made sense. Too much sense. She was beginning to look like a lunatic, but she’d take it all the way to the end of the line. “I bet half of those gals on the dance floor would change a flat tire for you.”

“Which I would not allow.”

“If you refused, it would appear sexist.”

“I was raised right,” he countered. “It’s just bad manners, and no amount of modern living is going to change that.”

“Yeah…well… Lucinda seems to be pretty hooked on you, even after you bolted—”

“I would think an intelligent woman like you wouldn’t believe everything she hears. If you want to know what happened between me and Lucinda, just ask.”

Another song played over the speakers. This one was much slower and mellow. Too bad her heart was beating so fast. She felt like a school girl who couldn’t admit she might have a crush on a boy. He spoke to something deep inside of her. But he also provoked her insecurities too. She may have looked good on the outside with her makeover, but on the inside she was still that shy, self-conscious girl who didn’t attract men like him.

She sat there trying to think of what to say as the nice, slow song played.

“Would you like to dance?”

“I do not dance.”

“Everybody dances.” He stood and held out his hand.

“I’d make a fool out of myself.”

He grinned. “I make a fool out of myself every day. It’s liberating. It’s the least you could do for making me believe your dog was a child.”

Against her better judgment, Savannah took his hand and walked over to the dance floor with him. She let him take the lead, trying not to feel too awkward when he drew her close and put her arms around his neck and his hands on her waist. They swayed to the rhythm, and soon the rest of the crowd melted away.

She wanted to know specifically why things hadn’t worked out with Lucinda and the other women he was rumored to have dated. What held his attention? What would make him keep coming back to a woman forever? If she asked, that meant she was curious. And if she was curious, that meant something in her needed to hear his answer so he wouldn’t be portrayed as some roguish gigolo in her mind. Right now he was mysterious, sexy, and had a penchant for dropping women faster than dropping feed in a chicken coop. And why the hell were all these country euphemisms dancing around in her head all of a sudden?

She held on tighter to Austin as the song continued to play. It felt like heaven being in his arms. Why was she fighting her attraction to him? Oh yeah. She didn’t want to be another one of his conquests. She wanted to be special to him.

The song ended, but she hoped another one would start before the moment ended.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” he murmured as he looked down into her eyes.

“It wasn’t unpleasant.” She reluctantly removed her arms from around his neck. “Thanks for the dance.”

“Any time.” He didn’t let go of her waist. “Is there something about me that makes you want to run away from me?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Everything.” She cleared her throat. “I have to get back to Barbara Jean. I was thinking of stopping by on Saturday for the next round of the interviews.”

“It’s a date.” He walked off in the direction of his table.

 

* * *

 

Austin took a deep breath as he held the door of the bridal boutique for Peyton. He’d been looking forward to having lunch with her, since it seemed they kept missing each other lately. He totally understood she had a wedding to plan and was trying to do it all by herself despite having wedding planner. Alex helped her of course, but the other details about finding a wedding dress left her a little out of sorts because her close friends didn’t live in town. So when she saw the bridal shop on the way to the lunch date, he didn’t have to heart to complain that he was so hungry he could eat a chair cushion. But it was Peyton. He couldn’t say no to her.

“Hello, welcome to My Wildest Dreams Bridal.” A woman with a ponytail and a tray of food approached them. “What a beautiful couple! My name is Anita, and I’m here to help you find the perfect gown for your wedding.”

“Nice to meet you, Anita. I’m the bride, but he’s not the groom.”

“What a shame,” Anita replied as she gave Austin the once-over.

Peyton smiled. “You have some lovely gowns. I love the one in the center of the window display. I’ve just started looking, so I’m afraid I don’t have anything specific in mind.”

“You’re a bridal virgin!” Anita beamed and went to retrieve a clipboard. “I’ll just take some information while we walk around.”

Austin and Peyton looked at each other, trying to contain their laughter.

“That virginity ship sailed when I was nineteen,” Peyton murmured.

“Fifteen,” he countered. “It was the best summer of my life at camp.”

Peyton touched the sleeve of a beautiful ball gown. “Oh crap.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I think it’s a bad sign when you can’t find the price tag. You know that old adage, ‘if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.’”

He gave her a reassuring hug. “Why don’t you concentrate on finding what you want first? Then you can move to the elimination round of the game show.”

“You’re right.” She continued to follow Anita around.

He looked around, trying not to be bored. The shop was something out of a fantasy land. There was soft music playing, delicate fabrics everywhere, and a host of accessories meant to bring the look together for the magical day. Peyton was always a practical woman, but even she wasn’t immune to the atmosphere. As she began to relax, she oohed and aahed as Anita began putting dresses on a rack that she’d take to a dressing room. He got it. The rituals that led to marriage were a fun yet sacred thing. Alex had called him twice about getting fitted for their tuxedos, which was a little amusing for a man who was usually very commanding everywhere he went. The accomplished heart surgeon was becoming a nervous groom, and it was endearing to watch. Alex wanted everything to be perfect for Peyton.

Armed with what looked like a dozen dresses, Anita set Alex up in the first fitting room with a pink velvet curtain.

He didn’t get the appeal of the planning for the big event. Heaven knows he’d attended his share of weddings, but he never really noticed the clothes the bridal party wore. Sure, the bride wore a really pretty dress, and the groom donned his monkey suit. The bridesmaids weren’t meant to overshadow the bride’s beauty, even though he’d seen a few who’d tried. By the end of the night, everyone was happy, exhausted, and a little tipsy. He’d taken home a few bridesmaids in his time, but the next morning it was clear that the pulsing lust he’d felt for them was the magic pixie dust of the wedding itself.

He hadn’t had that kind of lust for a woman in a while. But he had felt a guttural longing deep in his gut the night he’d met Savannah at the hospital. It ramped up after their day on the ranch, and he’d thought he’d had a handle on it until he’d seen her the other night at the Lazy L. It had been nice dancing with her. She felt good in his arms and wasn’t as awkward as she thought she would be. Too bad she thought he was some kind of lothario skulking around Harper’s Grove. It was a better description of Grayson than it was of him.

His stomach grumbled. He was really getting hungry. He hoped she’d be ready to eat soon before the growls echoed around the store.

“Austin?” she called. “Is that your tummy?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Did you eat breakfast?”

“Of course. It is the most important meal of the day.”

“Look in my purse then. I think I have a power bar in there.”

“Woman, I need real food. Not something I’d give the horses.”

“Well,” Peyton said from behind the pink velvet changing room curtain. “We are going to lunch as planned. This is just a pit stop. I promise I won’t be too much longer.”

“Scone?” someone said from behind him.

He turned to find the woman who’d been standing in the reception area when they’d arrived holding a platter of fruit and scones. He held up a hand. “I’m good, thanks.”

“I couldn’t help but overhear you were starving.” She gave him a bright smile. “Perhaps I can get you a beverage? Perhaps a glass of champagne? I’m sure I can find something you like.”

“If I’m going to hit the sauce this early in the day, I’d prefer two fingers of bourbon, neat,” he drawled.

“I’m a bourbon girl.” She smiled and put the tray on the coffee table.

“You have good taste.”

“I’m Coral.”

“Nice to meet you, Coral. You have a lovely name. I’m Austin.”

“I bet you are,” she cooed. “I think it’s so sweet that you’re accompanying your sister on her wedding dress hunt. I can guarantee you she’ll find what she wants right here.”

“You mean we won’t have to go the Wedding Barn in Sherman?” He knew way too much about wedding stuff thanks to Peyton.

“No, they mass produce celebrity knockoffs. Who wants to start their married life imitating a celebrity? We offer originals that can be altered to the bride’s needs. It’s good vibes for the new journey of marriage.” She moved closer.

“Well, Peyton’s my friend, not my sister. Actually, she’s my best friend.”

“Even more endearing. I don’t have a male friend who’d traipse around with me while I hunted for a wedding dress.”

“He’s one of a kind,” Peyton called from behind the curtain.

Coral continued her fixed gaze on him. “I would love to buy you a drink some time.”

He didn’t know what to say.

“Coral,” Peyton said, “I saw a lovely pair of white satin gloves with a lace cuff over on the accessories counter. Can you please tell my bridal consultant I’d like to see those too?”

“Sure thing.” Coral backed away slowly, as if waiting for him to answer.

He picked up a bottle of perfume, took the top off, and took a whiff. If she didn’t leave in ten seconds, he was contemplating spritzing some in his eye. Anything to avoid answering her question. She was pretty, but she wasn’t really his type. She didn’t have long, flowing brunette hair, voluptuous curves, smell like lilacs, or have a snarky sense of humor like a certain reporter he knew.

“Thanks, darlin’.” He knew Peyton was running interference for him. She was good at that.

“You’re welcome.” Peyton giggled. “I knew she’d make an appearance at some point. She locked onto you like a heat-seeking missile as soon as we walked through the door.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” He picked up another perfume bottle and sniffed.

“Yes, like you didn’t notice Anita stammering and avoiding eye contact with you when she was showing me gowns.”

“I am the only man in this store.”

“Correction, the tailor is a man. But you are the only hunky cowboy in here.”

“Did you notice Coral assumed we weren’t together?” He looked to see if she was headed back their way. To his delight, she’d been detoured by an entourage of women who were holding up magazine pages and talking a mile a minute.

“It’s bad luck for a groom to see the bride’s dress before the wedding. Everyone knows that superstition. It was a safe assumption. But you usually let a woman down with ease and leave her feeling good to boot. You faltered.”

He had Savannah on the brain. He shook his head when a noise came from the dressing room. “Are you OK in there?”

“I’m fine. I’m just doing a little balancing act in here.”

“When am I going to see something?”

“I’m on dress number three, and it looks as if I’m going to get baptized,” she huffed. “I’ll come out when something makes a statement. Otherwise you’ll be subjected to a shopping montage for the next hour.”

“Got it, you’re holding the fort until you put on the perfect dress.”

She giggled. “Exactly.”

“Hey.” He set down the perfume bottle down. “Do you think I’m an outrageous flirt?”

“You’re not an outrageous flirt,” she said thoughtfully. “I don’t, however, think you know you’re doing it half the time.”

“How so?”

“You just have a way about you that make women feel comfortable. You hold out their chairs, ask about their day, and make sure you give them a compliment.”

“It’s called having good manners.”

“I know. But when a handsome man asks you about your day or tells you the new haircut looks good on you, it feels good. Factor in that Southern drawl of yours, and you’re a romance novel hero come to life. Why do you ask?”

“Savannah says women fawn all over me.”

“Well, that’s true. Women flock to you, fantasize about you, and then when they realize their expectations of the relationship don’t match yours, it ends badly, like it did with Lucinda.”

“True. Being romantically challenged is the Holbrook curse.” He sniffed another bottle of perfume. Yuck, that one smelled like furniture polish.

“Actually, that’s been broken. Logan’s madly in love with Megan. Your dad is trying to get your mom back or is going to die trying. It sounds like everyone is onboard the happiness train except you.”

“I’m happy.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Once more with feeling,” Peyton taunted.

“I’m happy. I have my ranch and the horses. Business is good. I’ve cut down on fighting with T.K. I haven’t been punched once by someone looking to get back at my brother over his scandalous encounters since Logan and Megan got together. I have great friends. Life is on an even keel that I like.”

“But…”

“But?”

“I feel a but coming on. What’s really going on? Since when do you care what anyone thinks about you?” A rustling noise came from the fitting room. “Self-reflection isn’t really your thing. You once told me the best time for a man to examine his life is when he’s dead, anything before that was posturing self-pity. But this reporter, who’s supposed to do a light slice-of-life piece on you, has your wheels spinning.”

Austin raised an eyebrow. “I guess this interview is getting to me. You know I’m not big on talking about myself.”

“True,” she agreed. “Or could it be the pretty reporter.”

Peyton pulled back the curtain. She was dressed in an off-shoulder, flowing white gown. She looked so stunning he was almost at a loss for words.

“Peyton. You look absolutely gorgeous.” He whistled as he held out his hand to help her up on the pedestal in front of the mirrors.

“You think so?” She played with the skirt.

“Absolutely breathtaking.” The tailor came over, and another sales lady joined the crowd. “That dress was made for you dear.”

Anita clapped. “I think she’s found it.”

“Thank you.” She did a twirl and looked at Austin. “Do you think it’s too much?”

Austin shook his head. “I think it’s perfect. It’s you. Elegant and whimsical. What’s wrong?”

“Well, it’s Alex’s second marriage. I don’t want to go over the top. He’s done this all before.”

“But he hasn’t done it with you. You deserve a perfect fairytale day with all the trimmings. I know Alex wants you to be happy, and he has no reservations about showing it.”

“Thank you.” She hugged him. “Now let’s see how much this is going to cost me.”

He stopped her. “Not a dime. My treat.”

“No. I can’t let you do that. You’re letting us have the wedding at your place and you’re watching the kids while we honeymoon.”

“Now let me do this for you. Spend your money on the cake or something. I’d love to do this for you. I haven’t had many real friends in my life. You’re the closest thing I have to a sister, and I appreciate having you in my life.”

Peyton teared up and lunged at him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He hugged her right back, then took out his wallet and pulled out a fancy-looking black credit card and handed it to the salesperson. “Anita, can you help Peyton with whatever else she needs? I want to see smoke coming off this thing before you give it back to me.”

“Sure thing.” Anita eagerly took the card from him.

“I promise to be just a few more minutes.” Peyton hoisted up the dress.

“Take your time.”

By the time they were finished, Austin was loaded down with bags, and Peyton was very happy. She’d found her accessories, made her selection for the bridesmaids, and sent the photos to Charisma, Skyler, and Serena. Once they responded with a resounding yes, she selected the flower girl dresses for Chloe and Alexis and made her fitting appointments. He was happy to be able to help make her dreams come true. He couldn’t help but smile at how she glowed. She and Alex were in it for the long haul. Alex cherished her and worked hard to include her in his family. Love like that was as rare as it was special.

He wondered if he were meant to love someone like that. He knew he could be a demanding man. He was rough, rugged, and opinionated and there was no changing that. But he didn’t mind being soft and accommodating when necessary. He wanted passion and mutual respect. He wanted someone who knew a good relationship took a daily, concerted effort filled with realism and compromise. He wanted a strong woman who knew her own mind and didn’t need to hold his hand. But he would be there whenever she needed a hand to hold. He wanted someone who shared his love for ranch life and could appreciate the hard work required for that simple yet rewarding living. He promised himself that if he ever married, he’d only do it once. He wanted forever and a day of everlasting love and devotion. Funny how he hadn’t thought about his manifesto for true love until the day Savannah barged into his life.

They bid the staff farewell, and he noticed Coral didn’t give him another flirty look. As a matter of fact, she didn’t even wave when he said goodbye.

“I was mistaken.” He grinned as he opened the truck door for Peyton and put her packages behind the passenger seat. “I’m losing my touch. Coral didn’t give me a second glance.”

“Oh. Her?” Peyton climbed into the passenger seat. “She came over to get the lowdown on you when I was looking at the bridesmaids’ dresses. I told her you already taken, you just didn’t know it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just promise me I’ll get to hear about it before your budding romance becomes the lead story in the Gazette. Savannah sounds like that flint you need to get the fire brewing in you.”

“You couldn’t be more wrong. She provokes some thoughts, is all.”

“Thought-provoking is synonymous with provocative. I’ve seen her, you know. She’s like a brunette bombshell from one of those old movies. Stacked like a brick house is what they call her figure. You have a thing for her. It’s plain as day. Question is, are you brave enough to do something about it?”

Austin closed the door and rounded the truck. He should have known Peyton would have called him out with a truth bomb. The last thing he wanted to do was think about Savannah. He was still hungry. Now it was just for something entirely different.