The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson Page A

Taycee gave him a quick hug goodbye and escaped inside her apartment.
She sighed in relief. Never had her apartment felt so good.
    No cameras. No guys. No noise. Only
blessed silence.
    How would she keep this up for six more weeks?
     

 
     

    L uke stopped by Maris’s diner for
lunch with Missy Green in tow, clinging to his arm and wearing a bright pink
tank top and matching high heels. She was like a yapping dog that had clamped
down on his pant leg and wouldn’t let go. He wanted to shake her off.
    Missy had spent the last hour at his clinic prattling away
while Luke examined her mother’s cat—a perfectly healthy cat, albeit fat
and lazy. Missy had snuggled up against him and peered over his shoulder the
entire time, asking him to explain every little thing he did. The exam should
have taken ten minutes, but Missy wouldn’t shut up. The girl had more to say
than the anonymous Shelter’s Bachelorette gossip blog, and that was
saying something.
    Luke finally explained that he needed to close the clinic for
lunch, and what had Missy done? Invited herself along. He could have kicked
himself. Why hadn’t he said he had another appointment? Needed to meet with his
lawyer? Call his mom? Any excuse that would have sent Missy packing.
    The customer in front of Luke moved forward, and Luke followed.
“What do you feel like, Missy?” Maybe if she looked at the menu, she’d let go
of his arm.
    “I’ll have whatever you’re having,” she purred.
    “So you want a double cheeseburger, curly fries, and a
chocolate shake?” Okay, so maybe Luke really didn’t want that, but unless Missy
had the metabolism of a hummingbird, no way would she order the same—not if she
wanted to keep her current rail-thin figure.
    She frowned. “Don’t they have salads here?”
    “I don’t know. The menu is over there if you want to check.”
He pointed to a stack of menus next to the register and let out a relieved sigh
when she finally relinquished his arm. Maybe he should make a run for it while
he had the chance. Luke eyed the door, sorely tempted.
    She came back only seconds later, wrapping her arm through his
once more. “I’ll take the Caesar salad, with the dressing on the side. They
always put way too much when they mix it in on their own.”
    Luke tried not to roll his eyes as he placed their orders.
Then he found a booth, hoping to hide behind the tall seat backs. But once he’d
slid in, he realized his mistake. Instead of sitting across from him, Missy scooted
right in next to him, forcing him to slide to the end of the booth. Thigh to
thigh, knee to knee, she clung to his side.
    Would it be wrong to push her on the floor and step over her
on his way out? Maybe he could slide under the table and crawl out like a
two-year-old. He didn’t care at this point, not if it would rid him of Missy
Green. The girl was like a giant squid with suction cups for hands.
    “Luke, if I’d have known you’d be coming back to Shelter, I
never would have left.”
    He cleared his throat. ”When are you headed back to
California?”
    “Don’t you worry.” Missy scooted even closer, sandwiching him
against the window. “I’ll be here all summer.”
    Luke turned to tell her exactly where she could put those
suction cup hands for the rest of the summer, but once again, wrong move. In
warp speed, her fingers wound around his neck, and her lips pressed against
his.
    What the—
    In the middle of the day, in the middle of the diner, Missy
Green kissed him. Shock gave way to anger and he shoved her away. Out of the
booth and onto the floor, she landed in a bright pink heap. Without so much as
a sorry, he stepped over her and headed for the door.
    “He wants to meet me somewhere more private,” Missy’s voice
echoed through the now quiet diner.
    Several chuckles followed him as he fled, his lunch forgotten.
He walked past his truck and headed down Main Street, needing some fresh air.
What was Missy’s problem anyway? She obviously had