After Darke by Heather MacAllister

Author:Heather MacAllister
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

SHE WAS THE SCUM of the earth. Not only had she lied to her parents, but some rebellious, foolish, defiant part of her wished the lie were true. Wished that it had been for real when she’d seen the surprise and cautious joy on her mother’s face and watched her father grudgingly bestow his approval.

Wished that Jaron...no, not Jaron. He just happened to be there filling the role of fiancé. She’d probably feel that way about anybody. Anybody. Definitely not Jaron. Even if he looked very much a part of her world in his country casual clothes, he was not her type. Not...her...type.

Her type was friendly and comfortable and easy to be with. There would be a mutual, deepening attraction, not this inexplicable zero-to-sixty-in-two-seconds sensation she kept getting blindsided with. That was just plain nuts. There was no reason for it.

She could never relax around Jaron. With them, it was a constant struggle to see who’d gain the upper hand. Sometimes she had it, and sometimes he did.

Right now, he did.

The timing couldn’t be worse, because nearly everyone in Cooper’s Corner was packed into the Twin Oaks gathering room.

The kiss in front of Tubb’s window had done it. With both her mother and Lori Tubb burning up the phone lines, word had spread faster than mental telepathy. The result was that Friday afternoon tea at Twin Oaks was the hottest ticket in town. Everyone had come to see the newly engaged Bonnie and her fiancé for themselves.

Correctly predicting something of the sort, Maureen had been prepared for her daily afternoon tea to turn into an impromptu engagement party, and Clint had made extra batches of cookies.

The weather was sunny and mild, with the warmth of Indian summer, which was good, because Maureen and Clint had to serve the overflow on the back deck. And then the people just picked up their cookies and tea and brought them back inside, their voices nearly drowning out the soothing piano music. Bonnie could have used some soothing.

She and Jaron held court by the great stone hearth in the gathering room. She’d changed into a dress. Why, she didn’t know. It felt more bridal, she guessed. Jaron was dressed much the same as the other men, but somehow, he’d elevated the plaid shirt and khakis to high fashion. The crease on his pants was particularly sharp. If she didn’t know better, she’d have guessed he’d been hitting the starch and iron. And maybe he had, but Bonnie didn’t know any men who ironed. She barely ironed herself. In fact, did she own an iron? Or had she just borrowed her mother’s and never given it back?

“Bonnie!” A short, dark-eyed woman took both her hands and kissed her on the cheek. “I heard. I’m so happy for you!”

Why hadn’t her smile cracked yet? “Aunt Gina, this is Jay.”

“The teacher?” Jaron shook her hand.

Gina looked delighted. “Bonnie’s told you about me?”

“Yes, and about her illustrious teaching career.”

“If she told you about that, then I know this is true love.

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