Can’t Hurry Love by Nadine Millard (primary phonics books .txt) 📕

“Fine, let me look into it,” Paige said, earning herself a squeal and an extra cookie. “Now, what do we do about Saturday?”

Before anyone could come up with an answer, the bell on the door rang out, signalling a customer.

Judging from the sharp intakes of breath around her, Jenna, Paige, and Brooke had all noticed the same thing she had.

Tall, dark, gorgeous, and in what looked like a very expensive suit — it looked like the solution to Saturday might have just walked through the door.

Chapter Seven

“Hey, Doc. Wanna join us?”

Josh was only in the door of Bella’s Diner when the voice called out to him.

He looked over to see Asher Wakefield waving him over to a booth that he was sharing with his twin Damon, and Grayson Carroway.

He had only been able to tell the twins apart in the last few months. Since everyone else around here had grown up with them, they weren’t confused by the likeness. Josh had learned that the main difference was in their temperaments. Asher was more brooding and serious than his brother.

He walked over, reached out, and shook hands with the three ranchers.

Technically, he supposed, Damon wasn’t a rancher. He owned a development company with a partner who worked out of Denver. But he spent most of his time on the Wakefield ranch.

It was still run by the twins’ formidable father, but he knew Asher did a lot of the legwork in running the place. Damon to a lesser extent.

And then there was Grayson. Large and always serious — and Beth’s big brother.

Beth… who he hadn’t stopped thinking about all morning.

He slid into the seat beside Asher. “What has you all spruced up?” he asked Damon, eyeing the shirt and tie. Usually, Damon was in the uniform of the Rocky Valley locals — jeans, plaid, boots, and hat.

“My business partner is in town to look at a property. Figured it didn’t hurt to scrub up a little while he’s around. He should be here soon.”

They all chatted for a while, talking about nothing and everything.

When Asher asked if Josh would be at that weekend’s poker game, he couldn’t help thinking of Beth’s words about her date Saturday. Who was she going out with anyway? He hadn’t noticed her taking an interest in anyone. Not that that meant anything. It wasn’t as if he watched her every move. Although, he probably would, given the chance, like some creepy stalker.

He hoped the sudden spike of jealousy didn’t show on his face. The last thing he needed was to be thinking about Beth Carroway when he was sitting across from Grayson. He looked over at the rancher, checking to see if he’d given anything away. Logically, Josh knew that he was being stupid, but… well, he’d been doing a lot of stupid things lately.

Grayson wasn’t paying any attention to him, however. He was looking — staring more like — at Tara who’d come over to take their orders.

The redhead was definitely pretty in a girl-next-door kind of way. Josh had never paid much attention. Mostly because his attention had been well and truly caught by the blond baker when he’d first gotten here. But also because her red, poker-straight hair had reminded him of Elaine at a time when it had been way too raw.

Now that he knew Tara, knew she was the total opposite of Elaine in every way, he quite liked the bubbly waitress. Still not enough to distract him from Beth, however. Hopeless as that was.

“Hey, guys. What can I get you?”

“Hey, beautiful.” Damon winked up at the waitress who rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “We’re just waiting for — ah, here he is.”

They all looked over to see Damon’s business partner walk through the door.

“Wow.” The whispered word had slipped out, if Tara’s furious blush was anything to go by.

“I — ah — I’ll let him get settled in and come back in a few,” she stammered. Her hazel gaze darted to Grayson, who looked stonier than usual as his blue eyes, the exact colour of Beth’s, watched the new arrival.

“Mason.” Damon stood and shook the man’s hand before making introductions. “Mason Decker, meet Grayson and Doc Larson. You already know Asher.”

They all shook his hand before he pulled up a chair and sat at the end of the booth.

“It’s not like you to be late,” Damon said as Mason perused the menu.

“I went to the wrong place.” Mason grinned. “I saw a sign for a bakery and figured I’d misheard the name you gave me. Although I gotta say, it worked out in my favour.”

“That’s Beth’s place,” Damon said. “What do you mean, it worked out in your favour?”

“Got myself a free donut and a date for Saturday night.” Decker gave a thumbs-up with one hand while the other set his menu down. “You didn’t tell me how drop-dead gorgeous the ladies of Rocky Valley were.”

Josh stiffened at his words.

He couldn’t be Beth’s date since he’d only just arrived. But still…

Damon was laughing.

“Yeah,” he said, “’cause this particular pond doesn’t need another big fish.”

“Who did you see?” Asher asked.

Mason frowned slightly. “Let me think. One of them was a real hard ass. Beautiful, but scary. Brooke, maybe? Then there was your sister, Jenna. I would have known her even if she hadn’t introduced herself. You’re all freakishly alike, you know that?”

Josh silently agreed. Obviously, the twins were identical, but their younger sister had the same black hair and light grey eyes. She was obviously a lot better looking than her brothers though.

“And two gorgeous blondes. One that made me feel like a big bad wolf for just looking at her. I think I scared her just being in the room. And one sassy one who could flirt in the Olympics. She’s my date.”

Well, shit.

Sassy, flirty, gorgeous, and blond? That had to be Beth. But that meant she’d lied to him about already having a date. Why? To save face?

It also meant that she was