Love on a Deadline Read Online Free PDF Page B

only work in his favor.
    Or not.
    Because Mac suddenly veered off course and headed straight for the boathouse. The breeze toyed with a silky ribbon of mahogany hair that had already escaped the confines of her ponytail. In figure-hugging jeans, a plaid button-down shirt, and hiking boots, she looked more like a camp counselor than a journalist.
    â€œWhat”—Mac parked her hands on her hips and glared up at him—“are you doing?”
    Ethan grinned down at her. “Triage.”

“Triage,” Mac repeated.
    â€œIt’s when you assess a situation and choose the most—”
    â€œI know what the word means. But you’re the one who’s going to need a doctor when you fall through that roof and break both your legs.”
    Ethan didn’t look the least bit disturbed by the possibility. “The boards are only rotten in a few places.” He thumped one of the shingles with the heel of his shoe. “Hollis thought the boathouse would be a good place to set up the food for the reception.”
    â€œIt still doesn’t explain why you’re up there.”
    Mac had set her alarm an hour early so she could take pictures of the venue and have them on Grant’s desk before he poured his first cup of coffee. And maybe to avoid Ethan.
    Okay. Avoiding Ethan had been her main motivation.
    Mac wasn’t sure what to expect when she’d cut through the trees between the two properties. Maybe a scene straight from Father of the Bride with a swarm of makeover bees already hard at work. Mowing the grass. Pulling weeds. Sculpting hedges into topiary swans.
    The last thing she expected to see was Ethan standing on the roof of the boathouse. Alone. Looking like the cover model for the August edition of Outdoorsman Monthly in a T-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and a pair of jeans so old they’d faded to a soft January blue.
    And he healed people to boot.
    Sometimes life just wasn’t fair.
    Ethan swung down from the ladder and landed in front of her in one fluid motion. “I’m the one who’s going to fix it.”
    â€œYou’re telling me that you’re in charge of cleaning up the yard?” Mac couldn’t hide her confusion.
    â€œActually, I’m kind of in charge of everything.”
    Everything. He had to be kidding.
    â€œBut . . . but what about Hollis? And your mom?”
    â€œMom started to take over and Hollis started to panic. When I mentioned I was going to meet with Dr. Heath, she decided the lake house would be the perfect place for her and Connor to exchange their vows. But they’ve been busy so I offered to help.”
    Too busy to plan her own wedding? But then again, Hollis probably didn’t have to.
    â€œAt least she hired a wedding planner—” Mac stopped at the look on Ethan’s face. “She doesn’t have a wedding planner?”
    â€œShe and Connor want to keep things simple.”
    Simple?
    Simple didn’t sell newspapers.
    Mac saw her chances of interviewing Senator Tipley slipping away.
    Ethan frowned. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œMy editor wants to run a story in next week’s edition too. He’s expecting me to interview everyone connected with the wedding.”
    â€œLike who?” The fact that Ethan seemed genuinely curious spiked another wave of panic.
    â€œLike the florist. The . . . the penguin guy. The caterer.”
    â€œYou lost me at penguin.”
    â€œHe plays the violin,” Mac muttered.
    â€œDo you know someone? I told Hollis I’d take care of the music too.”
    â€œEthan.” Mac dragged in a breath. Released it. Slowly. “I don’t think you realize what you signed on for. Weddings don’t just happen by themselves. You need a cake. A photographer. Decorations.”
    In a little less than two weeks.
    The Hollis Channing that Mac had gone to school with would have taken that long to pick out her nail polish