by Lucy Score
“Kids keeping you up?” Julia asked sympathetically.
“More like Ava Franklin’s book,” Summer announced, yanking a paperback and a Sharpie from her bag. “I started this yesterday afternoon and rescheduled a call with an advertiser just so I could keep reading. Then when these little hellions went to bed, Mama curled up on the couch to read one more chapter. Next thing I know it’s four a.m., and I’m checking Amazon for the next one. Sign please.” She shoved the book and marker at Eva.
“You liked it?” Eva asked, giddy with the face-to-face feedback from a woman with excellent taste. Summer ran a hip online magazine for women and was easily the most stylish woman in town. She’d hailed from New York, and a handful of years in Blue Moon and two toddlers hadn’t dulled her taste one iota.
“Like doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Summer announced.
“Snack pweez!” Meadow sang to Summer.
“Me, too!” Jonathan announced, driving his truck up Summer’s leg.
Summer dug back into her bag and pulled out a baggie of crackers.
“Sit at the table, and don’t feed the dogs, please,” she instructed.
She piled crackers in front of each kid and then produced two dog treats from her bag and sent Diesel and Valentina off to the living room rug to enjoy their snacks.
“There. That should buy us three whole minutes,” she said, accepting the mug from Eva. She slid onto the stool next to Julia.
“God, you’re organized,” Eva sighed with envy.
“If I weren’t, chaos would reign,” Summer laughed. “So, what are we talking about?”
“Eva was just expressing her concern that Donovan Cardona’s ardent feelings for her are because of the whole planetary disaster,” Julia filled her in.
Summer sipped her coffee and considered. “Hmm.”
“What if I go for it with him, and then Halloween is over, and he just wants to be friends?” Eva said, pacing behind the island. “Or, what if I go for it, and his feelings are real, and I screw it up somehow? My entire family finally lives in the same place at the same time. Do I really want to see an ex-boyfriend every day? What if it ends so badly that I have to move out of town? I really like it here.”
Being pushed from town to town, new start to new start, Eva had never stuck around in one place long enough to deal with an ex-anything.
Summer hmm-ed again, and Julia drummed her fingers on the countertop.
“Well? Where’s my married lady wisdom?” Eva demanded.
“We’re trying not to shove it down your throat,” Julia said cheerfully. “This town is kind of over the top with its free advice giving.”
“Julia and I have a pact not to browbeat people with our sage knowledge,” Summer told her.
“Well, I’m asking for it. So, shove and browbeat away.”
Summer let out a breath of relief. “Thank God. I didn’t think I could keep it bottled up much longer. Whew. Okay, if you’re concerned that Donovan’s feelings for you aren’t real or are being influenced by the solar system—seriously, could this happen in any other town in the world? —just wait to have s-e-x until after Halloween. The planets will have uncrossed, and everyone will be back to normal.”
“And, you can use the time of non-s-e-x-having to get to know each other,” Julia suggested. “Flirt. Date. Talk. Sext. Figure out if this is a man you’d want to keep in your life.”
The three of them shared a look and then burst into laughter. The dogs eyed them warily.
“As if there’s a woman on the planet who wouldn’t want to keep Donovan Cardona,” Summer giggled, dabbing her eyes with a napkin.
Eva slapped her leg. “I mean, he’s basically perfection,” she gasped, trying to catch her breath.
“I knew it when I said it,” Julia snickered.
“So, I should give him a chance to really get to know me, warts and all. And once Halloween is in the rearview mirror, I’ll have my answer?” Eva sighed.
“As long as you can keep your pants on, I think it’s a good plan,” Julia nodded.
“It’s only two weeks,” Summer said with the cheer of a woman getting laid with obnoxious regularity.
Two weeks. Eva could manage to keep Donovan out of her pants for fourteen days. No. Back to two weeks, she decided. Fourteen days sounded too long.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Eva wasn’t sure if Mr. Mayor had thrown his weight around or if the Beautification Committee couldn’t see a setup coming. Whatever the reason, she and Gia were formally invited to attend Wednesday’s top secret, emergency membership meeting.
She wrapped the loose cardigan around her a little tighter to ward off the chill on the walk over to the library with Gia. Eva had bought it, and half a dozen other sweaters, online to avoid another fire/naked dressing room situation. She wasn’t putting anything past this whole Uranus Crossing fiasco. A trip to the grocery store might end with her being locked in a freezer with the goat milk ice cream.
Gia was practically skipping with glee on the sidewalk next to her. Her sister was providing a much needed distraction from the weighty issues Eva was trying to ignore. What little mental energy that was left after writing and obsessing over Donovan and his potential feelings was spent on that little nastiness that seemed determined to hunt her down. She was determined to finally put the shadow that had followed her, exploited her, and played upon her emotions for years behind her. This time the answer was “no” and that’s what it would stay.
“Do you think they wear cool robes during meetings? Will there be a secret handshake?”
Eva poked Gia in the arm. “I can’t believe you’re this excited about it.”
“Are you kidding me? We’re about to join a secret society! Something I’ve always wanted to do. And we get to play Cupid with people’s lives? I can’t think of a better way to spend my free time.”
“Just keep in mind our primary objective, okay? We’re here to get in and make sure the B.C. doesn’t go nuts and start pairing up married people with swingers or something.”
Gia waved away Eva’s concerns. “Please. You’re still new here. You don’t know these folks like I do. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do for true love.”
“You are ridiculous,” Eva told her sister.
She didn’t hear Gia’s response because Eva was too busy being yanked off the sidewalk behind a tree. She yelped, ready to defend herself against her attacker, when she realized her attacker was her very sexy, very warm, sort-of boyfriend.
“What are you doing?” She laughed as he backed her against the tree.
“I missed you,” Donovan breathed. He ran his hands up and down her arms. “Where’s your coat?”
“Forgot it. Maybe you have something that could warm me up?” She said it teasingly, but in that moment, there was nothing that she wanted more than a kiss from Donovan Cardona in the shadows on a chilly October night.
“It’s my duty to serve,” he told her. His lips branded her, crushing down on her mouth until she whimpered. She wasn’t cold anymore. No, the chill was chased out by embers that sparked an inferno.
He went instantly hard against her, and this time when Eva shivered, it had nothing to do with the cold. She wanted him, needed him. Uranus and nerves and uncertainty be damned. If this was crazy, she wanted to embrace it as the rest of the town had.
“Excuse me. Can you two get your tongues out of each other’s mouths, please?” Gia stood on the sidewalk tapping her foot and looking at her watch.
Eva shot her sister a dirty look. “Gia, do I interrupt you and Beckett when you’re making out?”
“Of course not. We have three children that do that,” Gia huffed. “But if you don’t stop eating Donovan’s face, we’re going to be late.”
Eva sighed, not ready to let go of him. She could feel his need humming under her hands. “Duty calls,” she said softly.
“You could just blow off the meeting,” Donovan whispered.
<
br /> “Sheriff Cardona,” Gia gasped, hands on hips. “I’m beginning to think you’re under the influence of the planets. The sheriff I know would never shirk his responsibilities or ask anyone else to. We’re doing this for you so there’s one less group of citizens you have to watch.”
“She’s really excited about joining the B.C.,” Eva explained.
“I can see that. But I’m not sure she knows how much I’m looking forward to being alone with you.”
“I have eyes,” Gia announced. “And you have a town full of people to protect from themselves. We’ll report in after the meeting.”
Donovan pressed one last kiss to Eva’s lips, and it promised to get just as out of control as the last one until Gia dragged Eva out of his arms.
“Bye,” Eva waved, tripping over a tree root.
“See you soon,” Donovan said with enough heat to keep her warm for the rest of her life.
Gia linked arms with Eva and blew out a wolf whistle as they continued on toward the library. “That was one hell of a kiss.”
Eva fanned her flushed cheeks. “Our sheriff should have his mouth registered as a weapon.”
Gia released Eva and dug her phone out of her bag. “Excuse me. After seeing that live porn performance, I need to sext my husband.”
“Tell me the truth,” Eva said, putting a hand on her sister’s arm. “Don’t you think this whole thing with Donovan and me is moving a little fast?”
“What are you getting at?” Gia asked. “Are you looking for an excuse not to? Because that’s more Emma’s MO than yours. She almost missed out on Niko because she spent all her time coming up with excuses for why their relationship couldn’t possibly work.”
Eva shook her head. “That’s definitely not what I’m doing. I’m just concerned that Donovan’s feelings for me have something to do with this whole planetary thing. Everyone’s going at least a little crazy. What if this isn’t real?”
Gia’s eyes widened. “Well, crap!”
“See?” Eva said triumphantly though she felt anything but victorious inside.
Her sister was shaking her head. “No. That’s not what I meant! I know he has feelings for you, and they started long before Uranus stuck her nose in anything.”
“A crush then,” Eva argued. “But let’s face it. He didn’t act on it before. So, why now?”
“What I’m saying is, I know you can trust this. Sure, the timing is suspect, and I can understand why you’d have concerns there. But it’s real. I know it is.”
“How?” Eva grumbled.
“Aren’t you the romance novelist? How do your heroines know when it’s love?”
Eva ran a hand through her hair as they climbed the front steps of the library. “I guess they learn to trust their feelings and just go with it.”
“Like with Olive in Wild Desire,” Gia pointed out. “Olive didn’t know if Alexander really loved her, but she knew how she felt and decided to love him anyway.” She held the door for Eva and stepped inside.
“I can’t believe you read my book,” Eva said with glee, following Gia through the door.
“Everyone is reading your books,” Gia laughed. “I saw Mrs. Nordemann devouring Strings of Destiny at Overly Caffeinated yesterday.”
Eva grinned and took a deep breath. She loved the smell all libraries seemed to have. Old books, carpet cleaner, and a world of possibilities.
“Olive took a leap of faith,” Gia continued.
Eva sighed. Her sister was using her own fictional characters to educate her.
“That’s what love is,” Gia insisted. “A giant, scary leap of faith because there’s no guarantee that the other person will love you back. I don’t believe for one second that you don’t have feelings for Donovan. Not after that tongue wrestling back there. There’s something strong and bright and exciting between you two.”
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” Eva confessed as they headed toward the back of the building past shelf after shelf of books. “I just assumed it was the insanity that everyone else caught.”
“Eves, frankly, he’s exactly the kind of man I’ve been hoping you’d end up with,” Gia said, squeezing her hand. “You can be scared, but don’t be paralyzed. Trust your feelings.”
“Jeez. You were made for the Beautification Committee,” Eva laughed.
They climbed the stairs to the second floor. The three-story brick building had once been a high school and while the first floor had been opened up for the book collections, the back half of the second floor maintained the original classrooms. They were now used for conference rooms and storage.
“Which room is it again?” Gia asked.
Eva dug through her purse. “Let me look at the email.”
An arm shot out of a darkened room and hooked through hers.
Eva yelped as she was dragged inside.
“What the hell, Ellery?” Eva demanded. “I’m going to start carrying pepper spray if I keep getting accosted on the mean streets of Blue Moon.”
Ellery shushed her and dragged Gia inside before shutting the door. She flipped one of the switches on the wall, and an ancient fluorescent light flickered to life on the ceiling.
“What’s with the cloak and dagger, El?” Gia asked, completely unconcerned by the abduction.
“I need to make sure you two are focused.” She snapped her fingers in their faces like a hypnotist waking her victims. “The committee has some radical members who don’t understand how relationships actually work. Their ideas are terrible… and dangerous. And since I’m no longer a calming influence in there, I need you two to protect the single people of Blue Moon from bad matchmaking.”
“How will we know if it’s a bad plan?” Eva asked. She assumed all plans from the Beautification Committee would be mostly awful.
“Think of it like your books. Just like a story, a good matchmaking scheme involves layers of psychology and physical attraction. You need to understand each party and dig into what they really want or need in life. The subconscious desires of the psyche.”
“Damn, Ellery. I could use you as a beta reader on my new book,” Eva grinned.
“Make sure those yahoos don’t ruin my wedding day, and I’ll read the heck out of your beta,” Ellery promised.
“So is there going to be a test or something to see if we’re fit for membership?” Gia asked nervously.
Ellery nodded solemnly. “There’s a test.”
“What kind of questions are there? Do you have the answers? Are there essays or multiple choice? Have you ever accepted anyone who didn’t pass the test? Oh, my God! What if they don’t let me in?” Gia’s verbalized train of thought ran off the rails.
“I can’t give you the answers because that would be unethical,” Ellery said, taking Gia by the shoulders.
“But they screwed you over,” Eva pointed out.
“Ah, but that’s their karma, not mine. I still believe in the mission statement of the Beautification Committee and am sworn to uphold my dedication to promoting love.”
Eva looked over her shoulder to see what was giving Ellery that far-away look in her eyes. It was either the dusty bust of Mozart or Ellery’s own ideals.
“Together, we will conquer personal fears and anxieties and mold the foundations of relationships to form unbreakable bonds!” Ellery stood with hands on hips like a super hero.
“Okay. So, cool. Uh, we’ll do that,” Eva said.
“And if those pompous, rule-bound weirdos in there give you any crap, I’ll take care of them,” Ellery said darkly.
“When you say ‘take care’ of them…” Eva began.
“I’ll make them sorry for crossing me and ignoring my contributions. My great-grandmother was a voodoo priestess, you know.”
No, Eva didn’t know that. Great. Not only did they have to put the Beautification Committee on a leash, but they had to make sure that Ellery didn’t start marching in a vengeance parade of on
e.
“So, what are you going to do during the meeting?” Eva asked easing away from the subject.
“I’m going to climb into that air vent and eavesdrop.” Ellery pointed at the wall above them. “If there’s anything insane being discussed, I’ll text you instructions.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Conference Room 204 was buzzing with enough activity that Eva barely heard the occasional clank and bump from the air duct. She probably should have suggested that Ellery lose the tiered chains she wore as a necklace before climbing into the metal tube. Oh, well. Next time.
The tables, decorated with bud vases of pink roses, were organized in a U-shape that faced a large white board framed with pink and red hearts.
“Welcome, potential members!” Bruce Oakleigh waved from the front of the room. His fluffy beard matched the gray sweater vest that hugged his ample belly. “Come in. Come in.”
He ushered them over to the snack table where Eva chose a heart-shaped muffin top while Gia gushed her gratitude to Bruce.
“I’m just so excited that I would even be considered for this committee. It’s really an honor,” Gia said, clasping her hands together.
“Well, we’re honored that you would consider joining our little team,” Bruce beamed. “And a real-life romance novelist?” he said, turning to Eva. “You’re practically a professional matchmaker.”
“Well, sure. If you count fictional people,” Eva joked. Gia elbowed her in the stomach.
“So this is where the magic happens,” Gia sighed happily as she took in the hustle and bustle of the room.
Bruce appeared to be a sort of ringleader and fluttered off to discuss something with his wife, Amethyst, a bony thing with a spectacular beehive hairdo and superior posture. Eva recognized Bobby, the owner of Peace of Pizza with her trademark silvery dreads and flowing tunic, arranging champagne flutes on a tray.
Rainbow and Gordon Berkowicz, the bank president and part-time garden center proprietor respectively, had their heads together over a pink binder. Willa, the owner of Blue Moon Boots, wore denim on denim with her long—still unpermed—blonde hair hanging loose to her waist. She was loading her plate up with cookies.