LITMIR.BIZ

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a paper napkin. Even Lindsay held her tongue.

      “Come on... What?”

      “Well, I guess we all just figured you had your pick of them,” Victoria said.

      “Yeah, I mean, look at you.” Lindsay stood and tugged an old elastic band from Bailey’s hair. The loose, dark waves fell around her thin shoulders. “Look at this beautiful virgin hair. I’d kill for these thick, healthy strands.” Lindsay’s voice was filled with pure jealousy as she examined Bailey’s hair. “Nope, not a split end to be found, despite using elastic bands.” She dropped Bailey’s hair and crossed her arms.

      “And you’re in great shape, too. I’d kill for your flat tummy,” Rachel said, frowning as she touched her own stomach.

      “I guess I’m just waiting for the right one, that’s all,” Bailey said. The challenge had never been finding someone interested in her, it was finding someone who could hold her interest. She wanted someone who made her laugh, someone she could have fun with but who also understood her need for independence and admired her strength. She wasn’t prepared to change who she was just to fit someone else’s idea of the perfect partner.

      “Okay, well, if you aren’t seeing anyone, who have you been texting all night?” Rachel asked. “I saw those smiles, and it definitely wasn’t a female friend.”

      Wow, these women were observant. She waved a hand. “Oh, that was just Ethan.”

      “Ethan, huh?” Lindsay pulled out the chair next to her and sat, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands. “Tell us more about that dreamboat.”

      “You two are awfully close,” Victoria said, then added quickly, “not judging.”

      No, just interested in gossip like everyone else in town. “There’s really not much to tell. We’re friends...and lately I’ve served as a shoulder to cry on,” she said wryly.

      “He has to be getting over Emily by now.” Lindsay refilled her glass, emptying the bottle.

      “I don’t know about that, but he’s not moping around town as much anymore.”

      Silence filled the room as all three women stared at her expectantly.

      “What?”

      Victoria finally spoke for the three of them. “We’re just wondering when you plan on asking him out yourself.”

      Bailey hesitated. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of it since Emily had left town, but to hear it suggested by others...

      “Didn’t you just say you wanted a guy with similar interests?” Victoria asked. “Personally, I think you two would be perfect together.”

      “Don’t say you haven’t thought about it,” Lindsay insisted.

      These women were relentless. “Ethan’s a great guy and I like him...as a...”

      “If you say brother, I’ll die,” Victoria interrupted. “I’ve met your brothers. Ethan couldn’t be more different than Brandon and Jordan. Those two are big and burly and tough....”

      “Hot in their own way,” Lindsay chimed in.

      “But not Ethan hot,” Rachel interjected.

      “Agreed,” Lindsay said with a nod.

      These women were insane and they wouldn’t ease up until she confessed. “Fine, I’m attracted to him, but who in this room isn’t?” Bailey countered.

      Victoria’s lone hand shot up, then she slowly lowered it. “He’s a firefighter, it’s the uniform. I may be getting married, but I’m not blind.” She took another sip of her coffee, then added, “Don’t tell Luke I said that. Poor guy is terrified that I’m going to back out of this wedding again and take off to New York while he’s out of town. As if I’d be that stupid again.” Her eyes took on a faraway, dreamy look.

      “Anyway, I think you should make a play for him,” Rachel said with a definitive nod.

      “No way.” Bailey stood. She had to get out of there before they suggested that they call him right now and ask him out for her. A little too much wine had been consumed that evening.

      “Why not?” Lindsay asked.

      “He’d never go for it.” There. The truth was out. The main reason she would never gather the courage to ask Ethan out was her fear of being rejected. The same reason she hadn’t approached him years before and had stood by while Emily had asked him to prom. It didn’t matter, though. Ethan had only ever seen her as a friend, and with or without Emily, that didn’t seem to change.

      * * *

      THE NEXT DAY, Bailey arrived at the shop to find four vehicles parked in the lot and a frazzled-looking Nick behind the service counter. Not quite eight o’clock in the morning and the shop was busier than it ever was. That couldn’t be good news. Joining him on the other side of the counter, she quickly stashed her motorcycle helmet under the desk and unzipped her leather jacket in the humid heat of the unair-conditioned shop.

      “What’s going on?” she asked, recognizing the annoyed, impatient faces on the other side. They’d all been in earlier that week to pick up their vehicles after repairs. All four had been worked on by Nick.

      He stabbed the enter key and moved the mouse anxiously around the Corvette-shaped mouse pad, staring at the frozen computer screen. He muttered under his breath as he moved away from the computer. “Stupid thing is frozen again and it won’t let me bring up last week’s work orders.”

      “Let me try,” she said, shrugging free of her jacket and approaching the monitor. A new computer system was on her list of upgrades, as soon as possible. The dinosaur program they were currently using was more trouble than it was worth. “Sorry about the wait. Please help yourselves to coffee.”

      Nick cleared his throat behind her. “We’re out.”

      Bailey swung around. “How is that possible? I asked you to pick some up yesterday....”

      He shrugged. “Forgot.”

      Of course he’d forgotten. Why was she surprised? She couldn’t count on him for anything. How was she supposed to train a guy who didn’t want to learn and had no interest in the family business? The work orders popped up on the screen and she scanned them quickly. All four were basic oil-and-filter changes. Well, luckily whatever the issues were, they should be easy to fix.

      She turned to the first two people in line. “Please drive your cars into the bays. I’ll have you out of here in fifteen minutes.” As they moved away from the counter, she told the others, “Give us half an hour and you’ll be on your way, as well.”

      The angry expressions disappeared as they took seats in the small waiting area.

      A half hour later, Bailey wiped her forehead and fanned herself with a newspaper as she updated and closed off the work orders on the computer. Glancing up at the sound of the chime above the door, she saw Ethan enter the shop. She loved how he looked in his firefighter’s uniform. It wasn’t just the clothing, it was what the uniform represented—bravery, courage, strength, compassion and heart. His sense of duty and loyalty was admirable. Then there were those smoky dark eyes. She busied herself with the work order for the Volkswagen Jetta.

      “Hey, Ethan, what brings you by?”

      “It’s inspection time again,” he said.

      “Aren’t you supposed to give us a heads-up?” she asked, glancing around the shop. They’d been extrabusy that morning, so some things weren’t as organized as she would have liked them to be before an inspection.

      “We did. Chief left a message with Nick yesterday.”

      “You know that doesn’t count,” Bailey said as Ethan scanned the shop. “We had a crazy busy morning, so go easy on us this time, okay?”

      “No.”

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