Ready to Run

by Lauren Layne

  “You mean am I still talking about your kiss? Nah, I’ve been saving it all for my diary.”

  She let out a surprised laugh. “No, I meant when you were sixteen, did you talk about kissing girls on the cheek for months?”

  “I never kiss and tell, City.”

  “Here’s your chance to prove it,” she said, jerking her chin in the opposite direction.

  He turned and, sure enough, a middle-aged woman was making her way toward him with very definite purpose.

  She stuffed a five in the box. “I want five.”

  “Um.” His brain scrambled in panic. “It’s one kiss per cust—”

  The woman grabbed a fistful of his button-down and jerked him forward, promptly planting five very firm, no-nonsense kisses on his mouth.

  She grinned as she pulled away, patting his cheek. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”

  The woman walked off, leaving Luke stunned and Jordan cracking up. “Not bad. High praise.”

  “Shut up,” he muttered. “I think my lips are bruised.”

  “Look on the bright side, you’ve nearly tied me in the competition with only one customer,” she said, gesturing to the box that now held a five, compared to her assortment of ones.

  “Looks like my kiss is worth more.”

  Jordan merely snorted.

  Over the next hour, they each had a handful of customers. Most of hers were of the awkward-teenage variety, as well as a couple of older gentlemen who merely wanted the chance to kiss the cheek of a lovely young lady.

  Luke found his mood improving since the men of Beacon County seemed to be minding their manners and no horny cowboys were taking advantage of what thus far had been good clean fun.

  For his part, he’d been subjected to more than a few mouth kisses. The women at the fair, apparently, were bolder.

  Although Jordan didn’t seem to notice or mind, which was…disappointing.

  Not as disappointing, though, as the man who appeared in front of Jordan’s booth.

  Luke had never seen the guy before—not that he knew everyone in the county, but he knew just about every person in Lucky Hollow by name, as well as a good amount from neighboring towns, courtesy of the high school football teams.

  As far as Luke’s evaluation of other men went, well…fuck. The other guy was good-looking. Tall, black hair, blue eyes. Showered, which was saying something compared to some of the fair attendees.

  He was also clean-cut and wearing…motherfucker, were those…cuff links?

  Shit, this guy was right up City’s alley.

  “Call me old-fashioned, but I like to know a girl’s name before I kiss her,” City Boy was saying.

  City Girl leaned forward. Did she bat her eyelashes? “Name’s Jordan.”

  The man laughed. “Shit, really? Mine too.”

  Oh hell no.

  Jordan let out a happy, girlish laugh. Flirtatious. “Seriously?”

  “I’m going to be sick,” Luke muttered.

  Neither Jordan looked at him.

  The man reached into his back pocket, pulled out a fancy-looking wallet, and extracted a twenty.

  “What does this get me?”

  Jordan, the female version, crossed her arms and leaned forward. “Well, considering this is a family-friendly place and I’m not a prostitute, I’d say it gets you exactly what the sign says. A kiss. One per customer.”

  Man-Jordan grinned and stuffed the bill into the box. “I’ll take it.”

  Before Luke could figure out how to manufacture a natural disaster and stop this monstrosity, Man-Jordan made his move, closing the distance and kissing Woman-Jordan for far longer than necessary.

  Luke’s jaw tensed as the kiss went on and on for…Seconds? Minutes? Hours?

  He looked away. Tried not to care. Looked back, and…for God’s sake.

  Luke was appeased slightly that it was Woman-Jordan who pulled back first. His eyes scanned her profile, looking—hoping—for disgust.

  Instead, she looked…

  Well, shit, he couldn’t tell.

  Man-Jordan looked a little more…well, affected. Luke hated the man, but he couldn’t blame him. He knew firsthand that kissing this woman felt strangely life-altering.

  “Thanks for the donation,” she was saying, patting the box in gratitude. “It all goes to charity.”

  Man-Jordan laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “Not gonna lie, that wasn’t my primary motivation. How long do you have to work the booth?”

  She glanced at her watch. “Just until two.”

  Not so long ago, the two hours he and Jordan were expected to work a damn kissing booth had felt interminable. Now it wasn’t nearly long enough. Not if…

  “If I’m here at two, can I take you”—Man-Jordan leaned in with a grin—“on the Ferris wheel?”

  Another of those flirty laughs from Woman-Jordan. “I’d like that.”

  “See you then, Jordan.”

  “I’ll be here, Jordan,” she said with a wink.

  The man and his cuff links finally walked away, and Luke stared at Jordan hard until she finally sensed his gaze and glanced over. “What?”

  “What the hell was that?” he asked.

  She straightened and fluffed her hair a bit. “That was a kiss. Followed by the arrangement of a date.”

  “You said yes.”

  “Well. Yeah. I’m single and he was cute.”

  “You live in New York.”

  “I’m aware of that, Luke,” she said, her tone just slightly impatient. “But a man who doesn’t think I’m a vulture in high heels wants to spend time in my company, and to be honest, I could use a little of that.”

  The guilt made him grumpy, so instead of apologizing he snapped back, “Thought your business in Montana was work related—recruiting me.”

  “Yes, well. You don’t want to be recruited, now, do you?” she said pleasantly.

  He blinked. “Well, no, but…”

  “I told my boss I thought you were a long shot, and she agrees with my assessment.”

  Luke felt relief mingling with…something else. “So you’re going back to New York.”

  “Soon,” she said. “The network’s not quite ready to give up on your story.”

  “But you just said—”

  “Luke,” she interrupted. “Have you ever seen The Bachelor?”

  “Sure, yeah. All the guys and I have viewing parties down at the station.”

  The sarcasm earned him a bland look before she continued speaking. “So, The Bachelor features a hot single guy, and a bunch of women try to win his heart, right?”

  He nodded reluctantly.

  “Well, The Bachelorette is a very successful spin-off. It features one of the women that the previous bachelor rejected and gives her a chance to find a better guy.”

  “So? What does that—”

  It clicked into place at the exact same time as Stacey and Isobel started making their way toward the kissing booth.

  “Perfect timing,” Jordan said sweetly. “Hey, girls!”

  Luke’s ex and her best friend both hugged Jordan enthusiastically, and Stacey jokingly put two fingers against Jordan’s neck, as though checking for a pulse, before moving over and doing the same to Luke. “Izzie and I drew the short straw, agreed to come over here and make sure you were both still alive.”

  “Hearts seem to be racing a bit fast, but no bloodshed, so that’s positive. How’s it been going?” Izzie asked.

  “I’m winning,” Jordan announced, lifting her box and giving it a little shake. “No surprise there.”

  “Only because you’re agreeing to go out on dates with the customers,” he snapped.

  “Oh, you’re just jealous because nobody asked you on a date. I’m not surprised, though. It’s probably the scowl. Isobel, don’t you think it’s the scowl?”

  The quiet redhead Luke had known his entire life leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm as she studied him. “To tell you the truth, I never did really understand Luke
Elliott’s appeal.”

  He gave her a ha-ha look and she winked.

  “Wait, a date,” Stacey said, ever adoring of a bit of good gossip. “Do tell.”

  “Oh, just some guy. We have the same name, and he was cute.”

  “Well, shit. Must be true love,” Luke said.

  Isobel snorted.

  “Luke’s grumpy,” Stacey said in a loud whisper.

  “He hasn’t been getting much in the way of kisses,” Jordan replied in an equally loud whisper.

  Stacey clucked her tongue and reached into her purse to give a dollar to Luke’s box. “Sorry, Jordan. You’re a doll, but Luke and I go way back.”

  “Seriously?” Isobel muttered as Stacey jammed a one through the opening. “We haven’t learned enough from that mistake?”

  “Don’t fret,” Stacey said. “My days of making out with this handsome boy are over, but a quick kiss can’t hurt us.”

  She beckoned him forward with a finger, and he leaned down obediently, accepting her sisterly peck on the cheek.

  When he pulled back, he caught Jordan watching them with an assessing look on her face.

  “Okay, we’re off to indulge in an elephant ear,” Isobel said. “You two be good.”

  Stacey blew them both a kiss, but before Luke could tell Jordan to leave Stacey alone—to leave them all alone—he had another customer. A cute twenty-something who may or may not have slipped in just a tiny bit of tongue.

  Luke felt Jordan’s hot stare but refused to glance her way.

  For the next twenty minutes, they both had an increased stream of people, mostly playful cheek pecks, although there were a couple of drunken dudes who’d come up to Jordan. Luke had been ready to haul them away, but Jordan took easy care of them with a few tart words and scathing reprimands.

  He gave her an admiring glance. “You handle yourself well.”

  “I’m from New York,” she said by way of explanation.

  He nodded, but though he knew the words were true, it didn’t feel like she was from the big city. She was far too at ease with the smell of fried food, the grubby hands of the children who occasionally darted behind and between the booths, running headlong into knees. She’d laughed along with everyone when someone’s pig went racing through the game area and even hummed along with a band doing mediocre Lady Antebellum covers.

  The two hours were over quicker than Luke expected—quicker than he’d like, knowing that Man-Jordan would be showing up any second to claim his Ferris-wheel date.

  Vicky came scuttling over, waving her clipboard. “Kids! I’m so sorry I’ve left you this whole time; there was a mix-up over at the dunk tank and, well…you survived, didn’t you?”

  She looked the two of them over, as though searching for bruises—or hickeys.

  “I had a great time,” Jordan said, as Vicky reached up and flipped the sign to CLOSED.

  “Luke, did you?” Vicky asked.

  He shrugged noncommittally. “I survived.”

  “Can I talk you into doing the afternoon shift?” she asked.

  “Hell no.”

  Vicky sighed. “I didn’t think so. Guess it’ll have to be Travis. He’s always a bit too eager to participate, but he does bring in good money,” she said, picking up Luke’s box and lifting it as though trying to gauge the weight of the paper money.

  “I think City here probably beat me,” Luke said, nodding his chin toward Jordan.

  Except she wasn’t there.

  Luke’s eyes scanned the crowd, saw bright blond hair, those sexy-as-sin legs walking away with City Boy.

  Even he could admit they seemed to fit together, all easy sophistication and perfect good looks.

  Luke was suddenly aware that his boots were scuffed, his jeans on the faded side of tired. The shirt was one of his few that weren’t T-shirts or flannel, but it sure as hell didn’t have cuff links.

  “You could if you wanted to, you know,” Vicky said, not looking up from her clipboard.

  “Could what?” he dragged his gaze away from the Jordans.

  “Compete. If you put in a little effort, that pretty boy wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  Luke didn’t insult his mother’s best friend by playing dumb about who she was talking about, but he wasn’t about to feed into her delusions. “Not interested.”

  “Don’t you find it curious she hasn’t headed back to the city, even though you’ve told her you won’t do the show?”

  “No.”

  “Well, then, what’s she still doing here?”

  She’s realized she can’t sell me out, so she’s after my exes.

  But that answer didn’t feel right, even though he’d heard the words from Jordan herself.

  “Maybe if you all would quit rolling out the welcome mat everywhere she goes, she’d get the hint,” Luke said.

  “Don’t be testy with me,” Vicky said, turning toward the Jordans, but they’d already disappeared into the crowd. “It’s hardly my fault you didn’t get the hint of what I was trying to do here.”

  “Meaning?”

  She turned back, gestured between the two booths. “You need to kiss the girl, Luke. The entire town knows it.”

  He ground his teeth to keep from telling Vicky that he had kissed the girl.

  Thoroughly.

  Wanted to do it again.

  Badly.

  Chapter 17

  “Have I mentioned it’s good to have you back?” Jordan asked, linking arms with Simon.

  He reached across his body to pat her hand with his. “Had I known you were sporting the cowboy boots I sent, I’d have come sooner. I knew you could pull them off.”

  “And you haven’t even seen the teal ones yet. I’m saving them for a special occasion.”

  “I’m wounded I don’t qualify.”

  She smiled up at her friend. “Please. We both know you only came back for the claw-foot tub.”

  “True, very true. Okay, so tell me what our game plan is tonight. Do we need any code words? Good-cop bad-cop routine?”

  “Definitely not.”

  Simon had flown in that morning, partially for moral support, partially because the bosses were slowly building enthusiasm over the potential scorned bride spin-off idea and wanted to make sure a legal consultant was on hand in case one of Luke’s exes was seriously considering it.

  She and Simon were on their way to a casual dinner at Tucker’s with Stacey, and if the vibe felt right, Jordan figured, it couldn’t hurt to mention it.

  Stacey was pretty, vibrant, confident—and, judging from her enthusiasm over Luke being a part of Jilted, didn’t seem entirely opposed to the idea of reality TV.

  Still, Jordan had kept the invitation casual, just dinner among friends. Isobel would be joining them, and she figured the BFF support probably couldn’t hurt. At the fair, Jordan had gotten the distinct vibe that Isobel was ready for her friend to put her history with Luke far behind her. Jordan was hoping for an ally there.

  “You figure out who the first bride is yet?”

  “Nope. She must live around here, because nobody mentions her disappearing the way bride number three did, but they also don’t mention her name.”

  “Have you asked?”

  It was her turn to pat his hand. “All in good time. All in good time.”

  Tucker’s was its usual noisy self, even on a weekday night, and though she knew he was working, her eyes scanned the room for Luke anyway.

  She needn’t have bothered—somewhere along the line she’d gotten to the point that she felt the man’s presence, and he wasn’t nearby tonight.

  Stacey and Isobel hadn’t arrived yet, so she and Simon grabbed a table for four, as well as a bottle of pinot grigio.

  “Well, this is darling,” Simon said reverently as he took in the down-home coziness of the local bar. “Is that a moose head?”

  The vegetarian in Jordan winced, even though she felt a strange sense of pride at Simon’s praise; it was as if she somehow had come to adopt Tucker’
s as her own.

  “Cowboy at seven o’clock’s checking you out,” Simon said into his wineglass.

  Jordan scanned the room, met the gaze of Travis Olander, who wasn’t even trying to be subtle in what appeared to be a very practiced come-hither gaze.

  “Pass,” she said, turning her attention back to Simon.

  “He’s sort of cute. In a Daniel Boone kind of way,” Simon said, tilting his head.

  “He is. He’s also a conversation wasteland.”

  “Ah, you’ve met.”

  “Oh yes. First night here, he made it all of four minutes before asking me back to his place for a Jim Beam nightcap.”

  “Yikes,” Simon muttered.

  “Exactly.”

  “Still, this is highly disappointing, Carpenter. You’ve been here over two weeks and have yet to ride a cowboy.”

  Jordan took a sip of her wine and tried not to blush, thinking about the kiss with Luke.

  Simon’s eyes narrowed on her. “Or have you?”

  She was saved from having to explain the Mistake to her friend by the arrival of Stacey and Isobel.

  “No matter how cute I dress, you always dress cuter,” Stacey said with a pout as she pulled back from the greeting hug. “How is this possible?”

  “It’s the legs,” Isobel said, giving Jordan a quick hug of her own. “I hear you’re a runner?”

  “Word gets around.”

  “Small town,” Isobel said with a wink before turning her attention to Simon. “You must be the god with the perfect skin?”

  Simon laid a flattered hand over his chest before pulling her in for a kiss on the cheek. “Keep that up, and I’ll turn for you. I might be able to like girls again, so long as you promise never to show me your boobs or other stuff.”

  Isobel laughed. “Pour me a glass of that wine and I’ll turn for you, but same rules apply. I don’t want to see your thing.”

  “Um, I’m right here,” Stacey said, good-naturedly swatting Isobel’s arm as the four of them sat down.

  At first, Jordan didn’t process this entire exchange as anything more than usual friendly banter, but then her consciousness demanded that she replay it—as did Simon’s quick kick to her shins.

  Oh. Ohhhhhhh. Stacey and Isobel were…romantically entangled.

  Surreptitiously, her eyes flicked between the two women, perhaps not subtly enough, because Stacey caught her eye and grinned. “Wondering how you missed it?”