Dating the Cowboy

by Ann B. Harrison

Once the camera turned off, Ryan stood and discarded his microphone. “Okay, Dr. Love. Tell me how to get the woman of my dreams, because my life has become a nightmare of meaningless dates and horrid morning afters that don’t bear repeating.”

  “I think you should listen to what Alice has to say. She’s done a quick profile on you.”

  She gave Ryan a timid smile, and Crease watched as she laid out what she’d learned from his data. She was so earnest with her words, so confident that she was right. She was. Every single time.

  That was why it hurt when she kept turning him down. She knew exactly what she was doing. He wasn’t good enough for her, not by a long shot. If she ever found out the reason for his move to Marietta, she’d never forgive him. The last thing he needed was her disappointment.

  While she talked, he watched her lips, the way her hands gestured, and the light in her eyes as she detailed data. Thank goodness he didn’t have a Facebook page she could analyze. Staying off the grid was the only way he could keep his secret from her.

  Chapter Ten

  “Are you kidding me?” Alice tried to understand what Crease was saying. “A photographer and an assistant? Here? For us?”

  He nodded.

  “Makeup and clothing? The whole freaking deal?”

  “That’s what they said. They’ll be here tomorrow by noon.”

  Alice dropped into her chair, her face pale, eyes wide and terrified. “Look at me.”

  “I don’t understand the problem. You look like Alice. I like what I see.”

  He shrugged and she wanted to throw her computer mouse at him. Guys never got it. The panic, the fear that if she had a hair out of place or her eyeliner on crooked she’d be judged by whoever saw the article and shamed for eternity. Who could live that down? Certainly not Alice. The world had turned very judgmental and Alice hated that. It made her glad that, as a nerdy girl, she leaned more to the introverted side of personality orders.

  Crease never worried about stuff like that, and he loved her without makeup, insisting she was perfect au natural. He never saw that side of social media because he never went on it, claimed he wanted to live in the real world. He never saw the nasty side of the internet, the judgy side that brought out all the bullies.

  Besides, he was gorgeous no matter how much or how little time he took with his preparation. Girls could never get away with little or no preparation.

  And there was the whole public persona Alice liked to avoid. The video interview was one thing and might never go to air, but to do a photo shoot that showed everyone who she was would be putting herself out where she didn’t want to be. She liked sitting behind her computer where nobody saw her. It was her thing. Anonymous and out of reach. Thank goodness she only trawled social media sites, rarely posted on them. Looked like she was going to get way more visibility thanks to the interview, more would be the pity. Images of hundreds of notifications commenting on her makeup and hair failures whizzed through her mind.

  “Surely they got enough footage they can use.”

  Crease screwed up his mouth in the cute way that usually meant he didn’t agree. “Apparently not what they were after. They said something about it being a spread in the magazines, something about syndicating it or something so they wanted styled shots. I don’t really understand all that stuff.”

  “What?” she squeaked. Her heart went into overdrive and she gasped for breath. There went her anonymity.

  Crease grabbed her shoulder. “Hey, calm down. You look like you’re going to pass out or something.”

  “I might.” She took a moment to try to slow her heart, but it was no good. “Do you not understand what syndicating a magazine article means?”

  “Nope.”

  “It means, Crease, that we could be in every single magazine in America.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Why on earth would they do that? We’re a small-town dating business, not some flashy big chain company.”

  He pulled his chair around and sat down, his face paling somewhat. “But this is amazing. Such an opportunity. We must have made an impression, I guess. Didn’t think it was going to get this big.” He blew out a breath and grinned. “We can do this, Alice. It’s more than I thought we’d get this early on, but think of the repercussions.”

  He chewed on his bottom lip and her gaze was drawn to it. She licked her lips, leaned forward to touch him, her hand outstretched.

  “Alice!”

  She blinked and withdrew her hand. That was too close to call. “What?”

  “What are we going to do? Do I really have to wear makeup? Surely, they meant that for you, not me.”

  She poked her glasses up her nose and shrugged, trying to gather her scattered wits. “I’m going to the hair salon, and I’ll wait there until they fit me in.”

  *

  “That’s it. Perfect.” The photographer adjusted his lens and clicked madly while Alice looked into Crease’s eyes. “You two are so cute.” He came closer, clicked some more. “Blow him a kiss, sweetie.”

  Her pupils dilated as she did as instructed, and Crease grinned. Now that his nerves were calming down, this was kinda fun. At least he thought so once they stopped smearing goop on his face. Alice still looked like she wanted to bolt for the door. That scared rabbit look she got when her privacy was invaded and she couldn’t hide had dropped only a notch or two. She’d have to get used to being recognized if this went as well as the photographer said it would. Her days of hiding behind the computer screen were over.

  They’d dressed her in a slinky red number, long and flowing around her ankles, a split that almost came to her waist. Her hair was pulled up in a bunch of messy curls on her head but still showing the coppery highlights she’d had put in yesterday. The makeup artist had spent time on her eyes making them smoky and sensual, ditching the glasses. She looked stunning, and her comments about messing up her makeup were unfounded.

  “Okay, lose the shoes, Alice. I want to see you two dancing. Make sure it’s close and personal, Crease, okay? Let’s show the world how much you two are in love. Prove that the love doctor knows what he’s talking about.” The photographer instructed Lori, the dresser, to undo his bow tie and the top button of his white shirt. She messed up his hair a little as well.

  “Beautiful. Don’t forget the close moves and don’t be afraid to kiss her senseless.” He grinned at Alice. “Darling, try not to look as though he’s going to eat you alive. You’re in love, remember, and I want to see it in your eyes. Stop looking like you don’t want to be here.”

  She blushed. “Sorry.”

  Lori touched up Alice’s lips and then stepped out of the way as the music began to play. “Don’t stop dancing until I tell you to.”

  Crease held out his hand. “Shall we?” The Graff’s ballroom where they were set up was the perfect backdrop for the photo shoot. At first, Crease had been surprised, but when they arrived to meet the photographer, he’d been impressed. If they were going for a romantic feel, this place had it. Old-world charm with the lighting just right. He could imagine himself in another world.

  He held out his arms to Alice and she glided into them. “I’m so scared right now.”

  “It’s okay. We’re nearly done. Just dance and pretend we’re at a formal. Ignore the guy and it will be over before you know it.” He slid a hand down her dress to rest on the small of her back and linked his fingers through hers. Crease started moving across the floor. Slowly, Alice relaxed in his arms.

  “Fun, right?”

  She stared up at him. “I’d rather be in a battle with a two-year-old and a paint gun.”

  Crease roared with laughter and tried to ignore Pete snapping away around them. “You say the darndest things, Alice.” He spun her around and let her go so she twirled in front of him, her dress floating out around her legs. A pretty smile lit up her face.

  When he pulled her back in, the tension had gone from her body and she looked like she was finally enjoying the
session.

  “I’m so glad I’m doing this with you.”

  He gripped both of her hands and held her close. “Me too. There isn’t anyone else I’d feel comfortable with like I do with you.”

  “Thank goodness you’re my best friend, Crease.” She leaned in to give him a gentle kiss and something snapped inside him. The first touch of her lips made him forget where they were, what was happening. All Crease cared about was the woman in his arms.

  He cupped her cheeks and held her captive with his lips. She sighed into his mouth and her arms slid around his neck. Alice leaned into his body, and one hand reached up to play with his hair.

  Crease wasn’t about to let this kiss end if he had any say in it. He dropped his other hand and lifted her up to settle on his hips. Now she was above him and Alice kissed him back like she meant it. Her tongue toyed with his; small moans came from her throat. It was all Crease needed to spur him on.

  His arms tightened around her and he stepped toward the wall, leaning against it to hold Alice in place on his chest and free his hands. He ran his fingers up the bare skin on her back to tangle them in her hair. The silky softness of her tresses fell around his cheeks, the smell of her perfume driving him wild. This was his Alice, the woman he dreamed of, and for as long as he held her in his arms he could pretend this would be forever.

  Alice broke the kiss, paused for a breath, and stared into his eyes, the heat between them flushing her skin. She kissed the tip of his nose before going back to his lips. She teased him with her teeth, taking small nips at his bottom lip that made his stomach flip. She had no idea what she was doing to him. Or did she?

  Crease gripped the back of her neck and took her mouth again, desperate for the moment to last. Her legs tightened around his waist and a whimper escaped her throat. She was invested in this kiss as much as he was.

  The all-encompassing passion burst forth and Crease was lost. There wasn’t anyone he’d rather be with right now than Alice. They were made for each other, and all he had to do was prove it to her. Surely, the times of her turning him down was over. He tasted the sweetness, the passion burning between them.

  Until the sound of clapping broke them apart. “Thank you, lovebirds. And that’s a wrap.”

  Alice opened her eyes and blinked. Her cheeks were pinker than before and her lips swollen from his kisses. Crease was loath to let her down and break the spell. But the timing was all wrong. And there was still the issue that he hadn’t discussed with her—his real reasons for starting the business. So far Alice hadn’t mentioned it but he could sense it was on her mind. Would it make any difference to their friendship?

  “Alice…”

  “Yes?”

  He couldn’t say it, couldn’t bear to hold her back from what she wanted. “We did great. Even that kiss was convincing, don’t you think?”

  Her eyes clouded over and she pushed herself down to standing. “Yeah, it was. They brought it.”

  He’d hurt her when it was the last thing he wanted to do. He desperately wanted to beg her to stay, to give up her dream and be with him. He’d even move the business to Seattle if that was what she wanted. No matter how much living in a big city scared him, if he was with Alice, he would cope. It wouldn’t do anything for the folks of Marietta, but it would still be helping couples somewhere, and they’d be together. That was the most important thing. He blew out a shaky breath. He could do this.

  A thought occurred to him. What if Alice didn’t want him like he wanted her? What if this was all just his imagination running wild because he never managed to get a real date with her? He had no idea how she would react if he told her the truth about himself. He might be reading too much into it when he should be valuing their friendship over everything else. He should keep his mouth shut and not rock the boat. Stick to his promise, and if she decided she wanted to stay in Marietta, then Crease would tell her how he really felt. Why he’d done the things he’d done and became the person she thought he was today.

  Alice tripped over to the cordoned off dressing area to discard the red dress while he waited his turn to change out of the tux they’d supplied for the shoot.

  “You two look great together. I think this story is going to make more waves than Ryan thought when he did the interview. Have you seen the views online?”

  “What views?”

  Pete shut his camera in the bag and zipped it. “The video I shot of the interview the other day. That’s online now. You’ve had over six hundred thousand views, Crease. I think I should charge you for advertising your business the way it’s going.”

  He stood dumbfounded. “What?” Ryan never said it was going to go up. Didn’t he say he’d warn them if it did?

  “Yep, that’s right. Over half a million views. Why do you think Ryan sent us down to do a spread for the magazines? This story is the best feel-good story he’s done in ages. He’s aiming for an award with this one. You two are going to be household names by next week.”

  “No way.”

  “Yes. And if you need a photographer for your wedding, give me a shout. I’ll give you a great discount.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Sadie pushed in through the office door, bursting with excitement. “I saw you in that interview with Ryan Chandler, Crease. Have you seen how many people have viewed it?”

  “Not since last week when the photographer mentioned it. We’ve been too busy to worry about it again with everything going on. Alice went up to Marietta Pharmacy to get the magazine to see if we’re featured yet. He did say this week or next.”

  She placed her hands on his desk and grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Go online and have a look. I’ll wait while you do.”

  “Okay.” So maybe this was why their signups had gone through the roof. Alice tried to work it out why things had changed and came up empty-handed. They’d looked at the interview, but it had been heavily edited and didn’t really give away anything that would account for the increase in traffic. But his coaching classes were full for weeks to come, and panic had set in when Alice looked at how much work she had to analyze while trying to get a foot in the door with contacts at Zapper. Although, so far, she’d had no luck.

  Crease sat back while the video loaded and began to play. When it was finished, he shared a glance with his sister-in-law. “He went back and edited the personal stuff back in. It wasn’t there last time we looked. It was a bland and boring interview. Guess he had a change of heart.”

  “Yeah, he did. I bet that’s done wonders for his dating life too. Now every mild-mannered women who never thought she had a chance with a minor celebrity like him is sending him messages.”

  “Wow.” This had grown out of proportion like a baby sumo on steroids. How was he ever going to keep good on his promise to help Alice get an interview at Zapper? He never wanted to let her go before for his own selfish reasons, but he really couldn’t let her go now. The business would crumble without her.

  “Sooooo, Joy and I were thinking.” She gave him a coy look, which could only spell trouble if his two sisters-in-law were ganging up on him. “We want to throw you guys a party. You’re doing so well with the business and all. Plus, Jethro is feeling a bit out of sorts. He didn’t realize it hit you so hard losing your father like that. You never said that much about it growing up and he feels bad that he didn’t notice you were unhappy.”

  “I wasn’t unhappy. We did just fine with Grandpa. I only meant that I wish we didn’t have to go through that in our lives. It got me to thinking when we started discussing starting this business. Doesn’t every child deserve to have it all, both parents?”

  “Yes, I agree. You’re preaching to the choir here. I see so much in my job, children being displaced by divorce. I totally get what you’re saying, Crease. Jethro always figured you boys were better off without your father, and you probably were.”

  “He doesn’t have anything to be sorry for. It was me who had the issues, my problem. End of story.” Now he wished he hadn’t said any
thing. He’d kept his family shame from Alice all these years because he didn’t want her feeling sorry for him. The poor little boy whose father had run out on him and then he lost his mother so soon after. Being brought up by their struggling grandfather hadn’t been that hard, but some would pour on the sympathy, which Crease didn’t want. Now that it was out, he couldn’t take it back.

  “He knows that, but still, it made him stop and think.” She folded her arms and relaxed her stance. “Crease, your brothers care about you and feel bad that they didn’t know how much it affected you. Let us give you a party to celebrate how far you and Alice have come. It’d make us all very happy.”

  Alice came racing into the office, her face pale. Crease immediately jumped up and reached for her. “Babe, what’s wrong?” He pulled her against his chest and ran his hand over her back until he felt her breathing steady and the tension went out of her shoulders. He peered down into her face. “Tell me what’s got you so freaked out before I lose it too.”

  She held up a national magazine for him to see. On the cover was a photo of him and Alice locked in a passionate kiss. What the heck?

  “He put us on the cover?”

  Her voice came out in as squeak. “Yes.”

  “Holy shit!” Crease grabbed the magazine and stared at the photo of the two of them. “The love doctor gets a taste of his own medicine.” He chuckled as he read the headline. The love doctor. That was priceless. “We made the front cover.”

  Sadie leaned over his arm and read the heading. “You two are fantastic.”

  Alice sank into her chair. “This is way more than I expected. You should see how many magazines are featuring us. All on the front cover, I might add. Most of them used this photo too. I didn’t want to buy them all because I’d never be able to carry them back to the office. Oh, and the lady in the pharmacy got me to sign one for her to keep.” Alice ran a shaking hand over her face. “She said something about celebrities in Marietta being few and far between and making the most of it.”