Love at First Date

by Susan Hatler

  I pictured Abby and her hot date. Yeah, I’d been off the mark on that one. Still . . . “Well, how should I know? You were obviously hiding something.”

  His face sobered. “I was. But not what you think.”

  Wow. I couldn’t believe he’d finally admitted it! “Well? Aren’t you going to tell me what you’d really been doing?”

  “No.” His face turned serious. “I’m going to show you.”

  He slipped his hand in mine, causing tingles to wander up my arm as he led me to the opposite corner of room. We squeezed by various people—some who were talking and others who were gazing appreciatively at the art around them—and I couldn’t stop wondering what he’d been doing to cause those deep circles under his eyes.

  In the very back of the room, we stopped in front of a painting . . . of me! It was entitled “Love At First Glance” and my breath caught. He’d captured my expression perfectly—it was the same first look I’d gone over a million times in my own mind, only from his viewpoint.

  The painting focused on the woman’s green eyes with brown flecks, my eyes, and the appreciative look I’d given Henry when he’d offered to rescue my friend’s dog.

  Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the painting. All this time I’d wondered what had caused those dark circles under his eyes. It had been the hours he’d spent picturing me in his mind, painting me. And all that time, I’d been thinking of him, too.

  “Well?” He nudged my shoulder a little while still holding my hand. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

  My mouth opened, then quickly closed. What was that yellow card above the title? My head whipped around and I frowned up at him, accusingly. “The card above the title says SOLD.”

  He reached out to smooth my hair back from my face. “That’s what Jennifer had to talk to me about earlier. It wasn’t for sale and a woman insisted that she be allowed to buy it. Since she was someone I need to win over, I couldn’t say no.”

  My mouth dropped open. First Abby, then Jennifer, and now another mystery woman? “Who would you sell my painting to in order to win her over?” But inside, I already knew.

  He looked as if he were trying to hold in a laugh. “Your mother.”

  My lips twitched at the confirmation I’d been right. Even though we had our issues, I sure did love my mom. “She can be a little overbearing at times.”

  “Good to know.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, brushed his lips past my cheek, then whispered. “She promised to let us come over any time to visit it.”

  Ha! So that’s why my mom had been so sure about Henry. She’d seen the painting. Anyone who saw it would know how much time, love and care had gone into each brush stroke. Even Jennifer Cooke. No wonder she’d given me a weird look when we met. She’d recognized me.

  I tore my eyes from the painting, gazed up at Henry, and melted against him. “Henry?”

  He played with my hair as his deep gray eyes met mine. “Yes?”

  “You do realize you’re going to have to ask me out, right?” I moistened my lips. “How can it be love at first glance when we’ve only attended doggy class together?”

  He leaned his forehead against mine. “Every time I’m with you feels like a date.”

  I leaned close to his ear. “If that’s the case, this makes number four.”

  His face took on a serious quality. “I’m going to ask you to marry me. Very soon.”

  My heart pounded in my chest. “I’m going to say yes.”

  His mouth crept into a small smile. “For now, I’m going to kiss you.”

  “It’s about time.” His lips pressed against my cheek again, heat igniting against my skin, and my shoulder curled in as I savored the feeling. “I was afraid I’d have to attend more doggy school before you ever made your move.”

  Finally, our mouths came together, and a blissful feeling settled over me. After all the hard work I’d gone through trying to find love, it had found me instead. No sooner than we’d started our second kiss, when clapping erupted around us. We pulled back slowly and turned around to face a crowd.

  Abby Wilson, standing front and center, whistled with two fingers in her mouth. The elderly woman winked knowingly at me. My mom stood next to Robert, teary-eyed and with a hand over her heart. Although I’d thought I should go with the safe and screened choices, my heart had told me to give this guy a chance. And I’m glad I did.

  When it comes to men, there are no hard and fast rules. Sometimes online dating works out, sometimes it doesn’t. You can use your head, follow your heart, or, with one single glance, you might just fall in love at first date.

  THE END

  If you enjoyed spending time

  with these characters,

  be sure to read Rachel’s story in:

  My Last Blind Date

  (Available Now!)

  About the author:

  SUSAN HATLER is an international bestselling author who writes humorous and emotional contemporary romance and young adult novels. A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too. You can visit her website at www.susanhatler.com

  Other books by Susan Hatler:

  My Last Blind Date

  Should Rachel risk another dating disaster by trying yet again for love?

  It’s Valentine’s Day and Rachel Price has a choice: Stay home and watch TV with her loveable doggy or let her best friend, Ellen, set her up on a blind date. What to do….

  Ellen says the guy is a “10,” but the last guy she set her up with was a “–5.” Rachel’s been flirting with coworker Noah Peterson and she’s hoping he’s noticed. Then, she finds out Noah has big plans. Even worse, he advises Rachel to go on the blind date!

  Should she play it safe and spend the Hallmark holiday with her loyal pooch, Chester, or risk another dating disaster by trying yet again for love?

  The Boyfriend Bylaws

  Melanie Porter has been dumped—again. When others accuse her of “being in love with being in love,” she agrees to let her best friend, Patti, step in and direct her dating life with The Boyfriend Bylaws.

  EXCERPT

  Rule #1: No giving out your phone number until approved to do so.

  Rule #2: Must obtain permission to accept any date invitation.

  Rule #3: No bringing up marriage, kids or the future.

  Rule #4: No going to first base without authorization.

  Amended Rule #4: No going to first base, or any other base, without authorization.

  Rule #5: No scribbling your first name with some guy’s last name. Ever.

  Rule #6: New rules may be added as Patti Hartley deems necessary.

  Memorize it, live by it, and happy dating!

  . . . .

  “His name is Nick,” I said. “He seems like a total gentleman, not to mention he’s insanely gorgeous. Can I get permission to go on a date with him before he asks me out?”

  Patti scoffed, stretched her leg out, and reached for her right foot. “No way.”

  Why did she have to be so difficult? I was playing by her rules. “What’s the point of waiting until he asks me out, and then calling you? That’s just stupid.”

  “Why should you wait? Let’s see. Brad. Paul. Mike. Marcus. And don’t think I didn’t see the wink your co-worker, Matt, gave you at lunch today.”

  An Unexpected Date

  Holly may be living in her dream location, but is her little resort town too small to attract the right man?

  Holly loves living in her cozy mountain town and all the surrounding beauty soothes her soul. She treasures beading jewelry for her own small business while watching nature and its amazing creatures outside her window. But, her mom begs her to move back to the city so she can find a man to marry. Holly doesn’t want to give up on her dreams, but does that mean she’ll have to give up on love?

  Shaken

  In high school, it’s tough enough reading Steinbe
ck and Shakespeare…now Kylie has to read minds.

  High school junior, Kylie Bates, can suddenly read minds. When she touches people’s hands, she’s able to see their deepest thoughts. As if that’s not freaky enough, her dad sends her to help hottie detective, Sam Williams, track down a missing girl. Way too much pressure, especially for a girl who can’t watch Scream without getting nightmares.

  Then, finding the missing girl leads to much more than Kylie’s prepared for. Like discovering that her dad has been lying to her. That she has a family she never knew about. That the girls have powers similar to hers. Oh yeah, and that someone is out to get her.

  When the detective’s teenage wanna-be-cop cousin, Trip Williams, approaches Kylie at school insisting she help him solve the case, she discovers Trip might be the only one she can trust, and the only one to help her unravel the secrets behind her mysterious gift.

  If you enjoy Susan Hatler’s books, you’ll also love Veronica Blade:

  From Fame to Shame

  When good-girl Maddie switches places with her famous bad-girl twin Jackie, she has some pretty high stilettos to fill.

  Despite the danger of tabloid drama if their identity swap is discovered, Maddie has to save her sister's butt. When Jackie’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a rekindled spark for “Jackie,” his deep gray eyes and sweet kisses make Maddie's heart thumpety thump. But dating the guy who dumped her sister is a no-no. Too bad Dallas isn’t used to girls saying no. What will happen when he discovers Maddie’s deception?

  Blind Date, Checkmate by Veronica Blade

  Should a woman who’s unable to forget her first love give “happily ever after” one more try?

  Shelby Winters’ one great love went sour. If she can’t feel that way again, why bother?

  When her best friend sets Shelby up on a blind date with Logan, the one who broke her heart, he pursues her relentlessly, forcing her to make a choice: give her heart what it’s always desired and risk total devastation or shut Logan out and lose her only shot at happiness.

  To Shelby, it’s a lose-lose situation. Or is it?

  Something Witchy This Way Comes by Veronica Blade

  Brainiac Tessa McClean’s newly discovered magical powers give her an escape from her self-absorbed parents. But the thrill of being a witch fades when she learns of a rival coven and begins to suspect her own coven’s motives. Evidence tells Tessa to trust one side, but instinct drives her toward the other.

  When the school’s scrumptious delinquent, Hayden Anders, offers Tessa self-defense lessons in exchange for tutoring, his timing couldn’t be better. Although hanging out with him is a necessary evil in Tessa’s fight to stay alive, resisting a bad-boy she secretly yearns for might be more than she can manage.

  Together, Tessa and Hayden work to unravel the mysteries behind the two covens to discover why they’ll stop at nothing to lure Tessa to their side. She must form an alliance with one of the covens before it’s too late. But the wrong decision could cost Tessa the lives of all who she holds dear — including Hayden.

  A Bite’s Tale: A Furry Fable:

  A Cinderella who spends her nights as a wolf. A prince with a taste for blood.

  Seventeen year old Cydney struggles against her werewolf nature, trying to keep everyone around her safe. No way will she risk exposing the beast at the prince’s ball, no matter how her two cousins try to persuade her. Even as she attempts to get on with her life, Cydney can’t forget the boy she loved three summers ago — or what she did to him after losing control.

  Turned into a vampire to save his life, the prince refuses to live up to his royal duties. He just wants to find the girl he loved and lost...the werewolf girl who bit him. But his father, the king, commands him to attend a ball where he must choose a wife. Can he find his Cinderella before he's forced to marry another? He doesn’t even have her real name, much less a glass slipper.