Dating by Design Series Box Set

by Jennifer Peel

  Chapter Four

  “Well, that was fun, darlin’.” Zander was barely controlling his laughter on the drive home.

  “Do you think Kenadie’s upset that I’m going to be one of her bridesmaids? I don’t know her that well and she’s my boss.”

  “Kenadie and Jason just want to get married. They don’t care about what happens at the ceremony. The ceremony is for Nan, so as long as she’s happy, that’s all that counts.”

  “I still don’t think Kenadie is thrilled with the idea, or the fact I came tonight.”

  “She likes you. It’s me. She’s worried I’ll tick you off and you’ll quit.”

  “I could see that being a possibility, at least the ticking off part.”

  “I’d be disappointed if I didn’t.”

  “I used to think my brothers were the most arrogant men alive, but I do believe you deserve the crown.”

  He gave a slight bow while driving. “I accept. King of arrogance has a nice ring to it.”

  “Only you would think so.”

  He pulled into my apartment complex’s parking lot and stopped in front of the lamppost outside of my building. He didn’t even put his car in park, but he turned toward me. “Do you need me to walk you to your door?”

  “Need? No. But if this was really a date, I would expect you to.”

  “And what else would you expect?” His smile was smoldering.

  “Hold my hand on the way up, a kiss goodnight, and a promise to call.”

  “I’ve rarely held a woman’s hand and I never kiss a woman—”

  “What?”

  “You didn’t let me finish, darlin’. You see, holding a woman’s hand is more intimate than kissing. It says you’re in a relationship, or you want to be. And I’ve kissed more than my fair share of women, but they always kiss me first.”

  “Are you telling the truth?”

  “I swear on my crown of arrogance.”

  “You really are arrogant. I think I should be helping women stay away from you, not protecting you from them.”

  He laughed. “It’s not my fault I’m irresistible. I make no promises. When I go out with a woman, she knows what she’s getting.”

  “And you don’t ever want anything more than that?”

  “If there is a woman out there who has it in her to make me kiss her first, then I might think about it.”

  “What if she doesn’t want you?”

  He leaned in closer. “I’m not worried.”

  “Goodnight, Zander.”

  I opened the car door to get out.

  “Hey.” He tugged on my sweater. “If you ever want to kiss me, I wouldn’t say no.”

  I turned back toward him. “If ever we did kiss, it would be you who kissed me.”

  “Is that a challenge?”

  “No. Just the way it is.”

  “We’ll see.”

  I got out of his car and shut the door. I swore I heard him laugh as he sped off. I walked upstairs to my apartment, not sure what to think of Zander. He was a lot of fun and easy to talk to. But so full of himself, which I already knew from work, but on a personal level it was different. And how did I get roped into being in Kenadie’s wedding? I wasn’t even sure if I would get an invitation. Mrs. Marshall reminded Kenadie tonight they needed to get those out as soon as possible. Kenadie really did seem nonchalant about the whole thing, except for her desire to be married to Jason. They were really into each other and basically ignored everyone else when they could.

  I wanted to have that all-consuming kind of love. I thought maybe Lucas and I would have that until he started showing his true colors. Maybe he was the king of arrogance. At least Zander was upfront about what kind of a guy he really was. Lucas put on a good show, thinking he could get what he wanted out of me by playing his cards right. Until he learned I was a much better card player. There were certain things I never intended a man to win. But he almost had me fooled. I still shuddered thinking about how one little action saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life. What if I hadn’t noticed? I shook the thought out of my mind.

  I curled up on the couch with Jasper and flipped on the TV. Netflix binge it was. I scratched Jasper’s head. “What did you think about Zander, besides his obvious dislike for you?” Jasper purred and nudged me with his head. “I bet he does have women purring. You know, Jasper, I could give him a run for his money. I know he thinks I’ll be begging for his kisses. I have no doubt he would be a skillful kisser, but there is no way I’ll be kissing him. But what if I get him to kiss me? Even if it means nothing to him or me?”

  Did that make me shallow like him?

  I thought about it while digesting a heavy diet of romance movies. After all, we were statistically improbable, so it wouldn’t be like anyone would get hurt. He would be getting a taste of his own medicine and I would get him out of my system. It sounded like a good plan.

  Saturday saw me adulting. I felt like I had been doing it a lot longer than I should have been. Maybe that’s why everyone thought I was older than I really was. When mom died, I took over most of the cooking and cleaning. I knew dad felt guilty about it. I was sure it was one of the reasons he sent me here. But I didn’t mind helping out. Even when the boys complained about the food. Dad worked too hard and I wanted to do my part.

  I had some extra spending money, so I decided to buy a new dress for Sunday since most of my dresses were for warmer weather. Zander mentioned that the Marshalls always dressed up for church. I appreciated the tip. October in Atlanta was relatively warm, a lot warmer than Wyoming. Dad said they already had one storm dump a foot of snow last week. I was still running in shorts most mornings.

  I found a beautiful burgundy sheath dress that was form-fitting, but sophisticated. That’s what the lady at the store said. All I knew was I felt pretty in it.

  The rest of the day had me doing homework. I had to write a paper for my last English class as a college student. Less than a year, I kept reminding myself as I wrote and revised for hours on end.

  I was nervous on Sunday as I drove back out to Flowery Branch by myself. I felt like an interloper, but Mrs. Marshall had personally called me to make sure I was coming and to invite me to lunch afterward so that her friend Cissy could take my measurements. Cissy was a seamstress and she was making all the gowns, including Kenadie’s wedding dress.

  Their church was exactly what I pictured a southern church to look like, white with grand columns, and a belfry to match. The parking lot was about full when I arrived, so I parked in the back. I walked in to the crunch of the leaves that littered the parking lot, though there were still plenty of multi-colored trees surrounding the church’s property. I loved this time of year. But with the holidays approaching, it made me long for home. I had visited in the summer, so vacation time and money were short. I would be spending the season here. It wasn’t all bad. I had friends and Aunt Beth.

  I was greeted by the pastor’s wife when I walked in the door. She was lovely, as was the inside of the old church. The chapel area was to die for in rich cherry wood. It was a shame that Kenadie had such bad memories of the beautiful place. But I didn’t blame her for not wanting to be married where she was once dumped at the altar. What kind of person does that anyway? Couldn’t you do that beforehand?

  Mrs. Marshall caught my eye and waved me over to the pew where she, Kenadie, and Jason sat. Kenadie gave me a small smile and Jason was all grins. He was probably the happiest person I had ever met.

  I sat at the end near Mrs. Marshall, between her and Kenadie. She introduced me to her son, Rick, and his girlfriend, Renee, who had two boys, Heath and Cole. Lana, his seventeen-year-old daughter was also there, but I had met her before. She was Kenadie’s mini-me, except her hair was darker and she had stunning blue eyes instead of brown like her aunt’s. They were a beautiful family.

  Mrs. Marshall patted my leg. “You look gorgeous this morning, dear.”

  “Thank you.” I missed the affection of a mother. “You do to
o.”

  She waved her hand. “Just trying to defy gravity for a few more years.”

  “You’re doing a good job.”

  “I’m keeping you if you keep talking like that.”

  Kenadie leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Did Zander behave himself on Friday night?”

  “Define ‘behave’.”

  Her eyes widened.

  I smiled. “He didn’t do or say anything that shocked me.”

  Relief washed over her pretty face. “Like I said, be careful. Despite his buttheaded nature, he’s alluring, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I have his number.”

  She nodded, impressed.

  The sermon was about unity and loving your neighbor. I appreciated the thoughtful words. Even more, I liked the warmth of Mrs. Marshall. And her red lipstick was on point. She strung her arm through mine at the end of the service. “I hope you like pot roast and noise.”

  “I love both.”

  “Perfect. You can follow us over to the house. Jason is such a dear and insists on driving me to church.” She placed her hand across her heart. “I love that man.”

  “Should I be worried, Momma?” Kenadie teased.

  “Maybe if I were thirty years younger.” She winked at Jason.

  Jason took Kenadie’s hand and kissed it. Kenadie blushed. They were too cute.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind me coming over for lunch?”

  Mrs. Marshall waved her hand. “The more the merrier. Besides, we need to get your measurements, and,” I detected a glint of mischief in her eyes, “Zander is coming.”

  “Are you trying to persuade me not to come?”

  Kenadie and Jason both laughed.

  Mrs. Marshall smiled, but in a secretive sort of way. “Yes, yes. I think my instincts are right about you.”

  I tilted my head. “Right about what?”

  “That you’re perfect.”

  No one had ever called me perfect, well maybe my dad, but he was biased.

  I followed the whole Marshall crew to a lovely ranch-style home out in the country. The property was gorgeous, filled with trees with fall leaves that looked like they were glowing. Not to mention the pond and well-kept brick home. I pulled around to the back like everyone else. The first thing I noticed was Zander, waiting outside his car looking at his phone. He smiled when he saw everyone pull up.

  I was surprised to see that Renee’s boys, Heath and Cole, ran to him first and gave him fist bumps. His profile indicated he wasn’t too sure about children. But I knew his ex-girlfriend had a daughter. Maybe he just didn’t want any of his own. And I would say that was a good idea given his admission that he wanted to have as much fun with as many women as possible. I watched from my car, though, as the boys were animatedly telling Zander a story. Zander gave them his full attention and laughed along with them. I’m not going to lie, it was kind of adorable.

  Zander caught me staring at the scene and gave me a smirk before walking over to my truck. I supposed it was a good time to get out. I probably looked foolish for not getting out right away, but I was caught off guard by Zander. And I was drawn to him.

  He looked nice in well-fitting jeans and a blue sweater. I had to hand it to him, he knew how to dress well. Even Friday night when he was more than casual, he still looked put together.

  I slid out of my truck and landed on the paved drive.

  Zander was waiting for me. His eyes perused me. “You look too sinful for church.”

  “Do you say that to all the girls?”

  “I don’t usually date church girls.”

  “I figured.”

  He grinned. “Did you miss me yesterday?”

  “Yes. I was pining away waiting for you to call me. What kind of a fake boyfriend are you anyway?” I pushed past him to join everyone else entering the house through the back door.

  “So, you’re on board with the whole pretend girlfriend thing?”

  I spun around to face him. “I’m thinking about it. I’m just not sure if I want to be seen with you. I mean, what does that say about me?” I gave him a wicked grin.

  He gazed into my eyes and leaned in. “It would only speak of your excellent taste.”

  “I think I’m going to make you a crown, Mr. Arrogant.”

  By this time all eyes were on us. I tucked some hair behind my ear and walked away from Zander into the group, who had mixed reactions on their faces. There was Mrs. Marshall who looked pleased, Jason seemed amused, and Kenadie pensive.

  I felt awkward as I approached. I didn’t want to give anyone the wrong impression. Yes, I was attracted to Zander, but I was beginning to see how right the system was. Men like him and women like me were completely incompatible. But there was this part of me itching to knock him down a few notches, to get him to kiss me. Not so it would lead to anything, but to show him he wasn’t all he thought he was cracked up to be. And his parting words from Friday rang in my head. I was now a challenge to him and he was going to do his best to make me kiss him.

  Game on.

  Chapter Five

  I found myself undressed and being poked and prodded by the Nanettes in Mrs. Marshall’s sewing room after lunch. Kenadie wasn’t kidding when she talked about how hands-on they were.

  Cissy pinched my butt. “I miss my firm rear end. Enjoy it while you can, sugar.” When she started talking about my perky boobs, I covered my girls with my arms just in case.

  I’m not sure I had ever felt so exposed, but I had never had a dress made for me before. “How much do I owe for the dress?” I looked down at Cissy who was measuring my waist.

  Mrs. Marshall squeezed my shoulders. “Aren’t you the sweetest thing. I’m taking care of everything, don’t you worry. You just show up and look gorgeous.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course, dear. But if you would like to help, maybe you can work with Lana on the bridal shower. She’s a little young to plan these sorts of things by herself.”

  “I would love to, but what about Renee?”

  The room got quiet.

  Mrs. Marshall leaned in and lowered her voice. “Well . . . I would love for Renee to be a bridesmaid, but Rick and Renee have had a tumultuous relationship. On again and off again. I never know week to week.”

  “Oh. They look so happy together.” They had left right after lunch to visit with Renee’s family.

  “They are, but they’re both so stubborn. It’s hard when you blend two families. They both carry a lot of baggage.”

  “That would be hard.”

  “Rick’s afraid if Renee’s in the wedding and they don’t work out, it would be a hard reminder for him later on down the road. If he would just marry her like I know he wants to, then it wouldn’t be an issue.”

  Cissy and Adelaide both said, “Amen,” simultaneously in support of their friend. I’m sure it was a hot topic amongst them.

  I smiled at the friends. How wonderful it must be to have such lifelong friends. “I hope it works out.” It was all I could think of to say. Especially under the circumstances as I stood there in my bra and underwear.

  Cissy stood up. “I think I have all I need.”

  That was a relief. The women surprised me and stayed while I put my dress back on.

  “So tell us, sweetheart, what’s going on between you and Zander?” Adelaide applied a layer of ruby lipstick to her thinning lips.

  I shimmied into my slip. “We’re just coworkers, maybe friends.”

  “Uh-huh,” the Nanettes rang in tune.

  “What else would we be?”

  “You two seemed awfully cozy during lunch.”

  I could see why they would think that. He kept whispering in my ear, even if it was to ask me to pass the rolls. “He’s only putting on a show.”

  The ladies eyed each other conspiratorially.

  Mrs. Marshall approached me and helped me zip up my dress. “He’s never brought a woman to ice cream on Friday night before. Or here
for that matter.”

  I smoothed out my dress. “That makes sense, considering he was in love with your daughter.”

  The women once again looked between themselves with interest. I saw the wheels turning in their heads, like they could speak telepathically to each other. Then they all three focused back on me.

  “I think he’s been long over Kennie. He was only using her as an excuse. And now he doesn’t have one anymore.” Mrs. Marshall gave me an encouraging smile.

  I stepped back. “Don’t look at me. He’s only hoping I’ll take Kenadie’s place and help fend off any women he feels aren’t worthy of him.”

  “Zander is fully capable of fending off women on his own. He wants your company, just like he wanted Kennie’s,” Mrs. Marshall said adamantly. Her friends were nodding.

  “Someone should tell him that. Besides, I’m not interested in him that way. We’re completely incompatible.” That was a half-lie. I was interested in him, but I shouldn’t be. He got to me. Like the shivers I felt at lunch when he whispered in my ear. And when he leaned in close, my insides felt like I was on a roller coaster.

  The women all laughed at me.

  “That’s what I said about my Ralph and we’ve been married for well over forty years,” Cissy said.

  “I didn’t even like Ken when I first met him. I thought he was a pest,” Adelaide confessed.

  Pest might be a good word for Zander.

  I was trying to formulate a response—or at least a way to escape—when someone pounded on the door.

  “Is this where all the beautiful women are hiding?”

  I rolled my eyes while the Nanettes giggled.

  “He’s a charmer, that one.” Adelaide stood up to answer the door.

  Mrs. Marshall wrapped me in her arms. “Don’t be so quick to judge a book by its cover,” she whispered in my ear. “He’s a good man, even if he doesn’t believe it.” She stepped back without another word or a second glance at me.

  I watched as Zander wrapped up all those women in his arms, making their day. I might have grinned at him. He did have a certain charm, even if he was full of himself.