Fixed up in February (Spring River Valley Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

already amazed.”

Chapter Four
     
     
    “Oh my god! This is fantastic.” Audrey licked her lips and moaned in delight.
    Across the table from her, Max wore a self-satisfied grin. “I’ve been told my omelets are orgasmic.”
    She stifled a laugh. “Oh? Do you cook for women often?”
    “Not often enough.”
    Audrey dropped her gaze and studied her plate. She’d been staring at him a lot since the moment he entered her apartment and tossed his worn leather jacket on the sofa, revealing a black turtle neck that hugged a professional set of biceps. In the proper lighting she saw his eyes matched the color of the faded Levi’s hugging his hips. His dark hair shimmered, wet from the weather, and sexy stubble shadowed his jaw. Plus, she’d just spent twenty minutes watching his butt while he worked diligently at her stove creating a culinary masterpiece.
    “So I guess by filling in for A ppendix G uy, you’re not leaving some other girl home alone and unattended?” Ugh. Had she really just asked him if he was cheating on his girlfriend this evening?
    “My wife doesn’t mind if I step out once in a while.”
    Audrey choked on her next bite of eggs. “You’re… wifcuff ?”
    “Are you okay? Did you get an eggshell?”
    “I got… you’re married ?”
    He smirked and held up his skillful hands. “Do you see a ring? Don’t you think Cassandra would have mentioned that?”
    “Hey, she didn’t even tell me the understudy was on duty tonight.”
    He broke eye contact and picked at the remaining eggs on his plate. Something that felt suspiciously like guilt stabbed Audrey in the gut. What had she told Cassie about her penchant for shooting her mouth off? “I mean…”
    “No, you’re right. I’m the understudy. I was a last minute replacement for the real guy. It’s okay.” He finished his last bite and rose to clear the table. “Look, my cousin called me in a panic. She hated the idea of disappointing you, so she asked me for help. I haven’t been on a date in a while…not because of all the axe murdering I do or anything. I just…spend most of my time with babies and dogs in Santa hats and following around brides on their wedding days. And when I’m not doing that, I’m trying to win a Nobel Prize for photography. So I’m not looking for anything serious. I guess she figured we’d have a nice time and both go our separate ways, and when Mr. Right recovered, he’d come back and take over.”
    Audrey watched him, and for the first time thought she saw the real guy Max was talking about, the one he’d been hiding with his smart ass remarks all night. “I’m sorry I’ve been so…prickly. I appreciate you falling on your sword for your cousin.”
    His wicked half smile returned. “She owes me now.”
    Touché, Audrey thought. Zing . She glanced at the clock. It had been almost an hour since he’d come back inside. “So, brides? You’re a wedding photographer…oh, wait…you were going to do my friend Harper’s wedding.”
    “Harper? Shaw? Oh…the wedding that got cancelled last month.”
    “Yeah, that’s the one.”
    “I felt bad for her. How is she?”
    “She’s great. Believe it or not, she met a guy who’s a lot better for her than her fiancé.”
    Max finished stacking dishes in the sink and turned to lean casually against the counter. “See? Things work out. You just have to give them time.”
    “Is that more advice for me along the ‘you give up too easily’ line?”
    “Yes, it is. Hey, I love my cousin, and she means well, but somewhere along the line, she started believing her own press.”
    “What’s that mean?”
    “She fixed up a couple in high school and they really hit it off. They ended up getting married, and they’re still extraordinarily happy today. In fact, I just took the pictures at the christening of their first baby. Since then, she’s been fixing people up , and she has a good track record, so everyone started to say she has a gift. But I don’t