The Reluctant Bachelorette (27 page)

T
aycee’s mouth watered
from the smells wafting through
the expansive room. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and everything smelled
good—even seafood.

Jake had brought her to Denver, and they now sat in a
beautiful high-rise seafood restaurant overlooking the city. Under normal
circumstances, Taycee would have taken in the view and the experience, but
every time her gaze traveled that direction, a slight reflection in the glass
reminded her that both Burt and Megan were there, filming. She should have been
used to it by now, and she was, for the most part, but here in this quiet, more
intimate and romantic setting, Taycee wanted to crawl under the table and hide
from all the eyes sneaking glances their way.

Jake leaned across the table and slid his hand under hers. He
looked so comfortable, unphased by the fact that they were the center of
attention. How did he do it? How did he forget about everything and everyone
else?

“So, it looks like I’m scheduled to present to the town
tomorrow night,” Jake said.

“I know.”

His fingers played with hers, tracing each finger up and down.
The gesture should have caused goose bumps to emerge up and down her arms, but
it only added to her discomfort. After last night with Luke, so much had
changed. It made everything even more wrong. She shouldn’t be here with Jake, nor
should she have gone out with Miles yesterday or go with Alec tomorrow.

“Jessa wants to air some of the footage from it. You know, to get
more publicity.”

“That should be good for your business too, I would think.”

He nodded. “That’s pretty much what Jessa said. She called it
a win-win, but the jury’s still out on whether or not any of the farmers will
be interested.”

“I think they’ll be more receptive than you think. They’ve
never fully embraced the farmers market idea, but they went along with it
because it was either that or give up. You’ll be giving them the option that it
doesn’t have to be forever if they don’t want it to be.”

“True. But it’s still going to take some major work on their
part if they choose to go that route.”

Taycee shrugged. “That’s their choice to make. All you can do
is give them enough information to make it.”

The waiter interrupted them to refill their glasses. Taycee’s
gaze wandered to a table not far from them, where a guy with broad shoulders
and dark hair sat with his back to her. He looked so much like Luke that she couldn’t
help but stare and wish that the situation could be different. That it could be
Luke sitting across from her instead of Jake.

“You seem kind of distracted today.”

Taycee’s eyes snapped back to Jake’s. “Sorry,” she said. “I
was just thinking about work. I should have phoned in an order today but ran
out of time.”

Jake frowned. “You should have said something. We could have
pushed back our date a little.”

“Oh, it’s not that.” Taycee waved off his concern. “The
warehouse closes at four, and I let time slip away.”

“Too busy thinking of me?” Jake teased.

Taycee nodded because it was the truth. She had been thinking
of Jake. And Alec. And Miles. But not in a good way. More like a stressful, only-four-dates-left
I-can-do-this sort of way. She sighed. “It’s hard to believe this bachelorette
thing is almost over, isn’t it?” Especially since it seemed like it had been
going on for years, rather than weeks.

Jake lifted her fingers and kissed them lightly. “The show
might be almost over, but win or lose, I plan to stick around for a while
after.”

Taycee’s plush chair suddenly felt like concrete. She shifted.
“For business reasons?”
Please say yes.

He chucked, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “That’s
not what I meant—not that I wouldn’t be happy sticking around to answer
anyone’s questions. I was referring to you. Win or lose, I’d like the chance to
spend some more time with you.”

Taycee blinked across the table at him. Whoa. Where did all of
this come from? One second they talked about a missed flower order and the next
Jake said he wanted to stick around for her? She felt blindsided. Suddenly
“only four dates left” got a whole lot longer.

“I have to be honest,” Jake continued, still caressing her
hand. “I never expected to like you this much.”

No, no, no. Taycee’s fingers quelled in his. She tried to
swallow the lump in her throat. “What are you saying, Jake?”

“I’m saying I want to keep seeing you, even after this is all
over. Under normal circumstances—without all the cameras and publicity. I’d
like to give us a chance.”

Taycee couldn’t look at him any longer, so she pretended to
stare out the window. But what she really stared at was the reflection of Burt
and Megan, filming everything. Jake’s words. Her reactions. A pit formed in her
stomach. She couldn’t handle hurting someone as great as Jake. It wasn’t right.
Or fair. Why did love have to be so complicated and hard anyway?

“Who ordered the chicken?”

Taycee could have hugged the waiter for his perfect timing.
She’d never been more relieved to see anyone. If only he’d pull up a chair and
hang out for the rest of the night.

If only.

“That would be me,” she said.

The waiter set a plate in front of her and another in front of
Jake, and then left. An awkward silence descended, but Taycee had no idea what
to say or how to right this horrible wrong. She wanted to open up and tell Jake
that she was a fraud, that her heart belonged to someone else. The desire
weighted her down with its desire to be let out. But what would happen if she
did that? How would Jake react? Would he get up at leave? Walk away from the
show like Greg had done? Would Miles?

Two voting opportunities remained. If they didn’t get those
votes, what then? What would happen to the farmers, to Jessa’s aunt and uncle?
Would they be able to find another way to make up the difference in only a few
weeks? Or would they end up losing everything? All because of Taycee.

Thankfully, Jake switched to a different topic during the rest
of their dinner. It wasn’t until later, when they meandered around the walkways
of a dimly lit park that he brought it up again.

“So, about our conversation from earlier,” he said, swinging
her around to face him.

“Which one would that be?” Taycee frantically tried to think
of a way to change the subject. “The one about organic farming or the one about
all the scientific names of my favorite flowers?”

“The one about us.” Jake’s hands travelled up her arms. “The
one that got interrupted by the waiter.”

“Bringing us the most amazing meal,” Taycee interjected.
“Speaking of which, have I thanked you for that yet?”

“Yes.” Jake grinned as his hands arrived at her chin and
framed her face. “You’re avoiding the subject.”

Taycee’s gaze flickered toward the cameras that were undoubtedly
zooming in on them with the expectation of a romantic moment. “Please don’t ask
me this right now,” she pleaded.

“Forget about the cameras,” he whispered.

“I can’t.”

His eyes probed hers, searching, seeking. “Just answer one
question for me: Do you like me?”

“Of course I do.”
Just not in the way you want me to.

“Do you want me to stick around after?”

“That’s two questions.”

“Taycee,” he warned.

A battle waged in her mind. Jake’s heart versus the lives of a
whole lot of farmers. Was this one of those situations where it was okay to
hurt one person for the greater good? Because it didn’t feel okay. Not by a
long shot.

Jake searched her face, waiting for an answer.

“Yes,” she breathed finally, even as the pounding in her head
screamed “no.”

Warmth and hope sparkled in Jake’s eyes right before his lips
found hers. Taycee kissed him back, putting all of her apologies into it. But
when two brown eyes appeared in the back of her mind, she broke away and hugged
him instead.

Taycee’s date with Alec went better in some ways, worse in
others. Although the fear of breaking his heart wasn’t a concern since she
really didn’t think Alec had a heart, he couldn’t keep his hands off her the
entire night, making Taycee want to throw him into the nearest river to cool
him off. She played along as best she could, even let him steal a kiss or two,
but she detested every second of it.

By the end of the date when she could finally close the door
on Alec, all Taycee cared about was that she had another week behind her and
three days of peace before she’d have to start the act all over again.

Why had she ever agreed to do this?

Taycee wandered toward her bathroom and twisted the knobs on
the bathtub. Minutes later, she soaked in a much needed hot bath that wafted
smells of vanilla. She breathed it in, letting it soothe her. When her phone
buzzed with a text message, she picked it up. Her heart raced the way it always
did when she saw Luke’s name. Which was a lot lately. Although she hadn’t seen
him since the night they’d gone star-gazing, every day since, sometimes even
twice a day, he called or texted. Sometimes both.

Have plans tomorrow?
he asked.

No
, she quickly answered.

Want to?

Depends.

On what?

Who? When? Where? What? Why?

His response came fast.
Me. 7. Denver. Surprise. Miss you.

A smile spread across her face as happy flutters raced inside
her. Her fingers shook so much she nearly dropped the phone.

Miss you too. What should I wear?

Whatever you want.

So . . . sweats?

You’ll look beautiful regardless.

Her stomach flip-flopped as she set down the phone. It all
felt so surreal, so unbelievable. She’d dreamed about this happening for more
than a decade and suddenly it was here, at her doorstep. An un-coerced,
voluntary, real date with Luke Carney.

Giddy—that was the word for it—only it still didn’t do it
justice. Times giddy by a few hundred million and it might be close.

Her phone buzzed again.

7AM not PM.

You’re kidding.

See you bright and early. Don’t eat breakfast.

Taycee let out a happy sigh as she settled against the back of
the tub. Only seven more hours and she’d get to see him. No cameras. No
pressure. No expectations. And no acting. Only her and Luke.

She couldn’t wait.

T
aycee’s stomach grumbled
as
Luke drove past the diner. She looked back longingly, and then frowned when
Luke turned on the highway and headed toward Denver. “You did say not to eat
anything, right?”

“Patience, Taycee Lynne.” His hand found hers, and he lifted
it to his smiling lips, kissing it, before placing it on his lap and covering
it with his own. Taycee didn’t think she’d ever get used to how it felt to hold
his hand. The initial touch made her stomach drop every time.