Big Girls Don't Cry (13 page)

As if she’d have sex with her boss. That was tacky. And very risky for job security.

Not that she planned on keeping this gig for very long. Just the summer. Then she was out of here, heading back to Chicago. Or maybe New York this time.

Why couldn’t Cole make things easy on her instead of kissing her and trying to steal her frozen yogurt? After all, she was still trying to recover from the humiliation Johnny had caused with his drunken thunder-thighs comment back in Chicago. She didn’t need this kind of aggravation from a sexy charmer who looked good with stubble.

If Cole thought having her photo in the paper was such a positive experience, maybe he should feel for himself what it was like not to control a situation. Sure, she was a model and used to having her photo taken. And yeah, she hadn’t liked every shot taken of her. But none had left her feeling as pathetic as this one had, despite the town’s unexpected response to the picture. She still wished it hadn’t been taken.

So let’s just see how Cole would feel in the same situation,
Leena thought. “Do you have a picture of him?” she asked Mindy.

“He had a professional photo taken for the clinic business cards and website.”

“What, the guy couldn’t use a cute photo of a little kitten or puppy instead?”

“You didn’t let me finish. He did end up going with the kitten and puppy stuff on the business cards.” Mindy held one up for her to see.

“Yeah, I forgot.”

“Forgot? But you’ve been handing them out all day with future appointments marked on the back.”

“It’s been a busy day, okay? So Cole’s photo is on the clinic website?”

Mindy nodded. “But he wouldn’t like us doing anything with it unless we had his permission.”

“Of course not.” Leena had no intention of involving Mindy in her plot. Or asking Cole for permission. The whole point was to surprise him.

“So you won’t do anything?”

Leena patted Mindy’s hand. “You have nothing to worry about.”

Mindy sighed. “T-Bone tells me that I worry too much. And he’s right. I can’t seem to help it.”

“What do you worry about?”

“I worry about everything. If I’m being a good wife. What to make for dinner. If I can get the washing done tonight or if I have to wait until tomorrow night. I worry about all the stray animals out there that aren’t being cared for. About the pets left in disaster areas and war zones. I worry that I’m not doing enough to make a difference. Did you know that Cole volunteered at the Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah a while back? He claimed he was going hiking in canyon country on vacation, but he spent most of his time helping out with the animals. He also headed down right after Hurricane Katrina to assist with the rescue effort down there. That’s where he got his dog Elf. And his three-legged cat Tripod. Plus he kept two spooked black cats abandoned in a box left at our clinic’s front door.”

“The guy sounds like a saint,” Leena muttered. She was beginning to feel guilty about her plans for him. Not that being listed as one of the state’s sexiest bachelors was an insult or anything.

“You girls talking about me again?” Cole asked.

How did the man manage to sneak up from behind her so easily? Twice in one day.

“Leena seems obsessed with finding out everything about me,” Cole said.

“Wrong.” He made her sound like a groupie or something. “People keep telling me all about you.”

“Why would they do that?”

“I have no idea.”

“Did you tell them that you think anyone who stays in Rock Creek is a loser?” Cole said.

Mindy turned hurt puppy-dog eyes toward Leena. “Is that true?”

“No, of course not.”

Cole refused to allow her to get away with the fib. “Yes it is. You told me this morning that you had no intention of settling for Rock Creek or for anyone who stayed here.”

“I only said that because you kissed me.”

Mindy’s eyes bounced to Cole. “You kissed her?”

“In a moment of insanity, yes.”

“Total insanity,” Leena said. “It was nothing.”

Cole nodded. “Absolutely nothing.”

“I already said that.”

He gave her a pseudoinnocent look. “I was just agreeing with you.”

“Well, don’t.”

“She’s been in a bad mood all day,” Cole told Mindy. “I’ve tried to stay away from her—”

“By sneaking up on me?”

“But each time I walk by, she’s talking about me. You can understand my confusion,” Cole said. “She tells me I’m a loser and yet she can’t stop talking about me.”

Leena felt the anger shooting through her. Cole was mocking her again. The man was no saint. He was a demon. A lean, mean, sexy demon. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. “It’s six o’clock. I’m leaving for the day,” she said.

Cole just grinned. “Bye. Have a nice night.”

“I plan to.” Leena also planned on getting that photo of him and e-mailing it the newspaper ASAP. Then she’d see who had the last laugh.

Chapter Eight

The next week was a busy one, with Cole handling more cases than usual. Spring was a busy time with annual checkups and vaccines. Thanks to Leena’s impromptu supporters who’d witnessed him reprimanding Edie, he’d gotten a half dozen new clients. He liked being busy.

Which is why he was working on his house on his day off. He had three doors to sand and refinish. The Sunday morning sun was warm on his shoulders. May was starting out hotter than usual.

He’d worked up a sweat and was thinking of going inside for something cold to drink when Nathan showed up. “Hey, buddy. Seen today’s paper?”

“Not yet. Why?” Cole asked suspiciously. “What are you looking so happy about?”

“Can’t a man be glad it’s a beautiful day?”

“Some men, maybe. Not you. What’s up?”

“I should ask you the same thing. Any news you care to share?”

“I did my first pet-rat castration this week.”

“I meant news about you.”

“Look, whatever it is, just spit it out. I don’t have all day to stand around and figure out your cryptic remarks. I’ve got sanding to do. Unless you’re here to help?”

“No, I just dropped by to say congratulations.”

“For what? The rat castration?”

“No, for being named one of the state’s sexiest bachelors.”

“Yeah, right. Very funny.”

“I’m serious. It’s right here in the Lifestyles section.” Nathan whisked it out and showed it to Cole. “See?”

Cole grabbed it out of his hands. “I don’t believe this.”

“I find it hard to believe too, frankly. There must be plenty of guys sexier than you out there. What made you throw your hat into the ring?”

“I didn’t. I don’t know anything about this.”

“Then someone else must have nominated you. Maybe one of your ex-girlfriends?”

“No, they wouldn’t do that without asking me for permission first, and I sure as hell wouldn’t give it.”

“Why not? What’s wrong with being one of PA’s sexiest bachelors?”

They were interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. Cole let the answering machine pick it up. He could hear it through the open kitchen window a few feet away. “It’s Cole, leave a message.” Beep.

“Hi, my name is Tiffany, and I saw your picture in the paper this morning and wondered if you wanted to go out. Give me a call. You can find my picture at
myspace.com
.”

The unknown Tiffany rattled off her site address and her cell phone number.

That call was barely finished when the phone rang again. “Hi, my name is Bambi, and I work at the Sugar Shack as a dancer. Anyway, I saw your pic in the paper and thought we would make a great couple. Call me.” Another phone number left.

“Looks like you’re gonna be a busy man,” Nathan noted with a grin.

“How can the paper put my name and picture in there without getting my permission?”

“Did you sign anything without reading it lately?”

“No, only time sheets and office stuff for Leena . . .” Cole paused. “
Leena!
She’s behind this.”

“So now you know who to thank.”

“Or to blame.”

“What do you have to complain about? Your phone is ringing off the hook.”

“This is payback.”

“Payback? For what?”

“Because I liked her photo in the local paper.”

“That ad for the mobile home sales?”

Cole nodded. “She was not a happy camper about it.”

“And you rubbed her nose in it?”

“I did no such thing. All I said was that she looked great.”

“You dog.”

“Exactly. The woman is totally irrational.”

“Well, she
is
Sue Ellen’s sister.”

“Yeah, but that’s no excuse. Leena is not a scatterbrain or eccentric. She’s very good at organizational stuff. The office has never been so streamlined. But when she deals with me, she’s totally off the map.”

“You have that kind of effect on her, huh? Not able to sweep her off her feet? What is the world coming to?”

“I never said I couldn’t sweep her off her feet if I tried.” Cole recalled the bet he’d placed with Algee last week. He hadn’t done anything about it since then. He’d been too busy. But now that Leena had launched the first attack, it was up to him to think about mounting a counteroffensive. The sooner, the better.

 
Cupcakes. Sue Ellen was obsessed with cupcakes. She’d been feeling like a failure ever since she’d made that wild ride out to Wal-Mart to get the Tastykake cupcakes. Russ hadn’t said anything, but she’d seen the way he’d looked at her offering compared to the gorgeously iced homemade creations by the other contributors to the bake sale.

Russ was too much of a gentleman to say anything, but she knew what he must be thinking. Trailer-park trash.

Sue Ellen was determined to prove him wrong. She was driven to create the most divine cupcakes ever seen by mankind. Cupcakes that would make Martha Stewart step back in awe. She just had to stop burning them first. Or undercooking them so that the middles were still raw.

Maybe it was her oven. She needed a new one.

She’d just pulled out another batch of defective cupcakes when there was a knock at her door. It was Donny.

“Do you know how to fix ovens?” she demanded, hauling him inside and shoving him toward the appliance in question.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“I don’t know. It won’t make cupcakes. It either burns them or leaves them raw.”

“Are you testing them with a toothpick?”

“You test the oven with a toothpick?”

“No, the cupcakes. You stick a toothpick in and if it comes out dry then the cupcakes are ready.”

“I never heard of that. Are you kidding me?”

“No. My mom likes to bake.”

“Will she teach me?”

“I can teach you.”

Sue Ellen had her doubts about that.

“What?” Donny said. “You don’t think a guy can make good cupcakes? Stand aside, woman.”

He was wearing a white T-shirt and khaki pants today instead of his Smiley’s Septic uniform. It was one of the few times she’d seen him in regular clothes. She was a little surprised at how good he looked.

“I heard about your cupcake run to Wal-Mart last week.” At her startled look, Donny added, “My mom works there. She said you weren’t in her checkout lane, but she saw you.”

“I didn’t know she worked there.”

“She’s worked all her life. Being a single mom with three kids was a rough job. She won’t let me help her. Stubborn like you.”

“Me? I’m not stubborn.”

Donny laughed as he spooned her cake batter into the paper-lined cups in the muffin pan.

“What’s so funny? I’m not stubborn. Not compared to some people.”

“If you say so.”

She pointed to his handiwork. “You didn’t fill them to the top.”

“You’re not supposed to overfill them.”

“Where does it say that?”

Donny held up the cake box. “Right here. In the instructions.”

Small print was starting to look a little blurry even with her contacts in. And she didn’t like to wear glasses because Russ had commented on how he didn’t like them. She still had connections at the vision center in Serenity Falls. Maybe she should get her eyes tested again.

“So now I just wait and stick a toothpick in it?” She opened the kitchen junk drawer looking for a package of toothpicks.

“I’ll wait with you, just to make sure you get it right.”

Sore spot. “Do you think I’m dumb? That I can’t get anything right, even baking cupcakes?”

“No, I think you’re awesome.”

“Damn right I am.” Sue Ellen placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. “And don’t you forget it.”

“You’re unforgettable, Sue Ellen.”

“Right,” she scoffed, unimpressed by his words. “Because I see Jesus in the fur of a llama.”

“No, because you have a joy for life that is contagious.”

“Contagious? Like the flu, you mean?”

“No, like a happy virus.”

“So I’m someone who makes people laugh. Like some kind of clown?”

“I’m not saying this right,” Donny muttered.

“No, go on. Tell me more. Tell me how you think I’m the laughingstock of Rock Creek.”

“Says who?” Donny growled. “I’ll deck anyone who says one bad thing about you.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Donny looked down, his cheeks turning ruddy. “You know.”

“Know what?”

“How I feel.”

“About?”

“About you.”

“Sure.” Sue Ellen patted him on the shoulder, easy to do since he was the same height as she. “We’re friends.”

“We’re more than friends.”

“Okay then, we’re
good
friends.”

Donny sighed. “Well, that’s a start.”

“Do you really think you can teach me to make great cupcakes? Russ will be so proud of me then.”

“He should be damn proud of you
now
.”