Man of the Month (Willowdale Romance Novel) Read Online Free PDF Page B

like that.”
    He wrapped his fingers around her arm and stopped her in the middle of the aisle. His hand was soft and warm and belonged on more interesting places than her arm. “Hey, you ditched the head chef job to give this a try. Give yourself some credit.”
    She frowned. “We’ll see how smart that was. Maybe this guy should have something a little more secure than I’ve got.”
    Brad got an uncomfortable look on his face. “Okay. Go on.”
    She grabbed three bags of cherries and set them on the scale. “Tall.”
    He rubbed his thumb over his chin. “How tall?”
    This interrogation was making her feel like she’d been hauled in to the police station. Shrugging, she set the fruit in the cart. “Your height is good.”
    “Most guys aren’t six foot four. Six foot okay?”
    “Sure.” If a sketch artist were drawing her dream date, it’d turn out looking an awful lot like the guy in front of her. She waved him off. “Just someone nice. Doesn’t matter.” Because this wasn’t going to work—settling for chopped liver when she really wanted the filet mignon.
    Brad took her by the shoulders. “I’ll find you someone great. I promise.”
    They were pretty much silent the rest of the trip, going through their shopping list, dashing off to grab this or that, doing their best not to brush up against each other.
    After they checked out, she asked Brad for a ride to the diner. “I promised to meet the girls for lunch. I’ll get a ride back to work.”
    A gust of snow swirled around her feet as she climbed into the car.
    “No problem.” Brad seemed almost relieved by the request.
    As they drove along the bumpy road that always seemed to need a new paving job, Jeanne dreamed about how nice it would be if this were all real—if they were a couple, coming home from the store with plans to whip up a feast later that night. She imagined they’d never even get to the pies. Then the truck hit a giant pothole, jerking her back to her senses. Stupid reality.
    Brad pulled into the Jelly Jar parking lot. “Okay. I’ll go make a few calls looking for Mr. February. Unless you give me a do-over on January? Want me to set up a date for next weekend?”
    She hopped out and glared at him. “You really want to see what I could do to you with that potato peeler? And don’t think I’ll be coming around with the iodine afterward, either.”
    He grinned at her, and she knew he could probably get away with anything, thanks to that smile.

Chapter 5
     
    TONYA AND KATE were already sipping their sodas when Jeanne slipped into the booth.
    “So?” Tonya asked.
    Jeanne shook her head and started laughing until tears slipped down her cheeks. “Disaster.” She relived the night, blow by horrifying blow. By the time she’d rehashed everything, ate a big burger and finished a slice of Rita’s carrot cake, she was feeling better.
    Kate wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. “The bad dates help you sift out the good ones.”
    “Did it at least get your mind off Brad?” Tonya asked.
    Jeanne set her fork down and pushed the plate away. “My mind wasn’t on Brad. Other than to make him howl in pain for the lousy set up.”
    Tonya raised an eyebrow and looked at Kate.
    “At least next month’s date will be better. How could it be worse, right?” Kate said.
    “If I last that long.” Jeanne shook her head.
    “How about some of Teague’s B List buddies?” Kate offered. “We could take a trip out to California, meet some hottie actors?”
    Jeanne rolled her eyes. “Ugh. Actors? Full-of-themselves phonies? No thanks. Except for your hubby, of course.”
    “Yeah, it’s not that much fun to look at People anymore once your best friend’s husband’s plastered on the pages,” Tonya said.
    “Hey,” Kate protested.
    “Sorry, hon. You know we love Teague.” Jeanne stood up and stretched. “I’ve got to get back to the kitchen.” Sure, she needed to get to work on those pies, but she really wanted to get back to