Batter Up (Bachelors of Buttermilk Falls Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

aroma of a freshly brewed pot filled his nostrils.
    “What are your plans for today?”
    “I was going to head to town. Do a little work.”
    “On Sunday?” She crinkled her nose. “That doesn’t sound like fun.”
    “The news never takes a day off.” He grabbed one of the strawberries and took a bite. The juice burst in his mouth. “Say, where’s a quiet place to grab a little lunch?”
    “Oh, that’s easy. The Star Lite diner. They have the best burgers. Their BBB Burger is to die for.”
    “BBB?”
    “Blueberry, bacon, and blue cheese.”
    He grinned wryly. Somehow, he doubted Caitlin Reynolds kept that body in shape by downing BBB Burgers . . . or maybe that was her secret.
    “Yep. It’s a couple miles down the road. Once you exit Lake Drive, take your first left at the red light into town. It will be on your right. There’s a big star on the diner.”
    “Sounds charming.”
    She grabbed two bottles of water and the bowl of strawberries from the kitchen island, lodging the can of whipped cream under her arm. “Energy for later.” She winked and headed down the hallway.
    Jason smirked. “Tell Brandon I said, ‘Hi.’”
    Caitlin waved and disappeared behind the bedroom door. He suspected his buddy’s blue shirt would be off in seconds. He laughed. Time to leave before he had to listen to round three or four—he’d lost count.
    He looked around for his car rental keys. The kitchen was decorated with country knickknacks and reminded him of his mother’s old place in Charlotte, North Carolina. He missed her. She had passed away from a heart attack when he was in graduate school.
    He was happy that Caitlin had so readily offered up her family’s lakeside cottage to Jason immediately upon hearing he was interested in visiting Buttermilk Falls. Brandon didn’t hesitate to extend his own vacation a few days.
    Jason looked again out at the lake, the water glistening in the sun. It would be nice to have a fishing buddy. He chuckled. That is, if Caitlin let Brandon out of the bedroom.
    He thought about the reason that brought him here. It was pretty impulsive—to chase after a highly improbable story.
    The way Tom and Bridget had gotten together sounded preposterous. Come on. Cake batter prophesized their union? Yet, Bridget’s bridesmaids had each confirmed Tom’s story that some woman named Emma did it, and that she does it all the time.
    The next day, Jason booked two tickets to Syracuse, New York, an hour’s drive to Buttermilk Falls. Brandon and he met the wedding party in Chicago and picked up the final flight to Syracuse together. Fourteen hours after leaving Las Vegas, they were in small-town America. Not a neon light, stripper, or Elvis impersonator in sight.
    Caitlin had said it was no problem for Brandon and him to stay at her family’s cottage. Her parents were traveling throughout Europe for the summer and, according to her, would rather have guests in the lakeside cottage than leave it empty.
    So here he was. This unexpected detour seemed surreal and a bit stupid if Jason was really honest. He was an award-winning, just-the-facts journalist. Yet, now, he was chasing a story that was downright illogical. Maybe his angle should be how some woman had managed to dupe an entire town into believing her magical cake could determine their fate. “Magical cake is my evidence?” he muttered. Had his career just nose-dived?
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    E mma pulled her silver Toyota into the Star Lite diner and maneuvered into her usual space. The car was on its last leg, and Emma had been saving since January to buy a new one. Hopefully, she’d have enough for a healthy down payment in the next month or two.
    Grabbing her tan hobo purse from the passenger seat and her newspaper, she hopped out of the car. The parking lot was practically deserted. Since most of the Sunday brunch crowd had cleared out, she’d have the small restaurant virtually to herself.
    “Well, there she is.” Mel, the owner and cook, gave her a