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A shadow touched his face. “As well as can be expected, I guess.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Macy’s the hard one. I think she blames me.”
Lauren’s heart squeezed. “Oh, I’m sure that’s not true.”
He blew out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know. When Susie died, Macy changed.”
“It would be hard on a girl to lose her mother.”
“That’s true enough. But Molly’s adjusted. She has her moments, but she doesn’t pick at me all the time.”
“I know plenty of girls who pick at their parents. It’s an age thing, I think. I’m sure I did.” She laughed.
Garrett lifted a hopeful expression to Lauren. “Maybe you’re right. I just know the sooner we get past it, the better.” They heard a car door close. “That must be them.”
Before they could get up, Macy and the others swished through the front door and stepped into the front room.
Garrett rose from the couch and turned to greet them.
Gracie locked eyes with Lauren. “Well, looky here. Ain’t this just so cozy?” She walked across the room and looked from Lauren to Garrett, her words dripping with insincerity. She glanced down at the coffee tray and turned to the other contestants. “I guess while we’ve been sightseeing, Lucy here has been having a good time of her own.”
Shock kept Lauren silent.
“I don’t know what you mean by that, Gracie, but I invited Lauren to sit down with me for coffee. Is there a problem with that?” Garrett’s eyes pinned her.
She lifted her face with a look of total innocence. “Why, no, Garrett, not at all. Anything you want, you get.” She flashed her pearly-white teeth.
“Hey, would you ladies want some hot chocolate?” Molly offered, clearly trying to defuse the situation.
“Great idea. I’ll go put my things upstairs and be back,” Billie Gibbons said, making her way up the stairs.
“Yeah, me, too.” Nikki Spartan tossed them her Elvis smile. Lauren could almost hear strains of “You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Hound Dog.”
Ellen Little followed along behind them, hands clenched together, mouth tightly sealed. She looked so fragile Lauren feared that if someone blew on her, she would break into a thousand pieces.
Garrett went to help Molly and Macy get hot chocolate for the guests, leaving Lauren and Gracie alone in the room.
Gracie lifted an arched brow and glared at Lauren. “Don’t think I’m not onto you, honey. You might as well know right here and now, I am winning this contest.” With that, she turned and walked from the room, allowing her chin to lead the way.
Little did Gracie know that if Lauren had had any doubts about being a contestant before, she didn’t now. She knew a challenge when she heard one.
Suddenly the idea of being a contestant in this game suited her just fine.
Chapter Five
Monday evening after dinner Lauren went up to her room and settled onto her bed. It had been a good day of everyone getting to know one another. Macy and Molly had planned an afternoon of games and refreshments, and Lauren had to admit she’d truly enjoyed herself.
As a matter of fact, Lauren figured that for the next couple of weeks she could pretty much get along with everyone there—well, she might struggle the teensiest bit with Gracie. Then again, this could be the challenge of a lifetime. Lauren sighed. She supposed Gracie could be nice when she wanted to. Obviously she didn’t want to. Gracie needed to get over her attitude.
First of all, Lauren hadn’t even known about the contest when she first arrived, and secondly, the last thing she wanted was another romantic entanglement. Her life had enough stress without adding that to the mix.
Hearing a car door close outside, Lauren hurried over to her window and peeked out the curtains. Today marked the beginning of Garrett meeting with the contestants individually. He was taking Ellen out tonight.
With Ellen settled into her seat, Garrett walked over to the driver’s side of his car. Lauren bit on the corner of her lip. For a tiny moment, similar to a blip on a computer screen, Lauren wished she were the one going with Garrett tonight. The thought irritated her.
Nocchi whined, causing Lauren to turn. “I know I’m being utterly ridiculous. I couldn’t care less that he’s taking these women out. It’s a stupid contest, and that’s what he’s supposed to do. It’s just that Gracie has turned this into a competition, and, well, I don’t want to sit back and let her win, do I?” Maybe it was the lawyer in her.
Speechless, Nocchi cocked her head sideways and stared at Lauren. Yeah, they had moments like that. Where Lauren talked and Nocchi listened. Smart dog. Too bad people weren’t the same.
Even as Lauren spoke the words, she had a sneaking suspicion there was more to her motive than just a competitive streak, but she could not allow herself to explore that possibility. Not yet. She wasn’t ready. She still had to shake her feelings for Jeff Levinger.
Lauren plopped onto the bed. “Why did Candace and Gwen get me into this mess, Nocchi?” Tail wagging, the dog stood on her hind legs, scratching to get on the bed.
Lauren lifted the now clothesless pooch onto the high mattress. “Nobody understands me the way you do.” She nuzzled her nose into Nocchi’s fur and cuddled her. “Nocchi, what am I going to do? I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be a part of this contest. I just want a job, and a new life.”
Nocchi stretched out beside Lauren, nestling in close to her side. Lauren absently stroked her dog. Her restless thoughts finally surrendered to heavy eyelids as she drifted off to sleep.
A while later a car door slammed outside, causing Lauren to wake up. She lifted her head with a start, feeling somewhat disoriented. Reality hit her like a splash from Lake Tahoe. She was at a B and B vying for the affections of a man she hardly knew. Why? For one thing, to please her friends who had gone through all the trouble to get her there. Secondly? She had been pushed aside by one woman already in the past six months.
She wasn’t about to move over again.
Wait. The stakes weren’t the same—were they? It’s not as though she was in love with Garrett Cantrell, after all. Her chin rose. Still, she would not step aside. Lauren’s friends wanted her to win—what was the prize again? Hadn’t the reporter called the contest “Win Daddy’s Heart”? Well, she didn’t want the entanglement any more than Garrett did, but she could at least enjoy the adventure. That would show Jeff Levinger and Camilla Renfrow a thing or two.
Lauren walked over and peeked out the window. Garrett and Ellen had returned. Neither looked very happy.
When Garrett and Ellen stepped into the house, Macy and Molly looked at them with hope in their eyes. Garrett was not a happy camper. Not even a happy B and B owner. In fact, he was beginning to think that the whole dad thing was way overrated.
“Good night, Garrett,” Ellen croaked in barely a whisper, her glasses slipping down her nose. She cleared her throat and pushed her spectacles back into place.
“Good night, Ellen,” he said, much as he would talk to a child. When her back was turned toward the stairs, he motioned for his daughters to follow him into the den. They obeyed. Closing the door behind them, Garrett walked over in front of the sofa where they sat.
“Didn’t it go well?” Macy was the first to ask.
“That’s the understatement of the year, Macy.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “And I have far too many days left of this.”
“I don’t get it. We had the contestants fill out a personality profile and they all seemed to match with your likes and dislikes,” Molly said.
“I think some of them didn’t answer honestly,” Macy added.
“Bingo!” Garrett said with far too much attitude.
“We’re sorry, Dad. We thought we were doing a good thing, but you’re not enjoying it,” Molly said. She looked down at the floor, her expression forlorn, disappointed.
He hated it when she did that. Got to him every time. “Look, girls, I appreciate your efforts, but this just isn’t me. When I meet a woman, it will be unplanned, just something that happens, and I’ll let nature take its course.” He thought of Lauren and, not ready to deal with what that meant, quickly pushed her from his thoughts.
Molly brightened. “What about Gracie and Lauren? You seem to enjoy them. Or maybe one of the other women?”
Molly, his bold, tenacious one. When she got an idea, she clenched it as tight as Bear with a steak bone. “They’re nice ladies, but I don’t know. Gracie talks too much, and though I enjoy being around Lauren, we’re as different as night and day.”
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