One in a Million(24)

“I do okay,” Callie said. “If the recipe has chocolate in it.”

“Yeah, I’m going to need you to make a lot more of these,” Becca said.

“Is that why you’re stuffing them into your mouth like you haven’t eaten in days?” Olivia asked.

Becca grinned. “Been burning lots of calories lately.”

Olivia laughed softly and Callie sighed deeply. Then she realized they were both staring at her. “Sorry,” she said. “Sex envy.”

“Listen,” Becca said earnestly. “I know that being around the two of us when we’re stupid in love has got to be superbly annoying, but I promise you, you’ll find the right guy too.”

“I’ve already got one for her,” Olivia said.

Becca stared at Olivia and then laughed as a light bulb apparently went off. “Yes! I don’t know why I didn’t think of him sooner.”

“Because you’re having too much sex,” Olivia said, tapping a finger to her temple. “Sex brain.”

Callie sighed. “I really wish you’d both stop talking about sex. And I don’t want to find a—”

“Tanner’s perfect,” Becca said.

“—guy,” Callie finished.

“Yep, perfect,” Olivia said to Becca as if Callie hadn’t spoken. “They’re meant for each other.”

“Yeah, they are,” Becca said.

“No,” Callie said.

“Please tell me you think he’s hot,” Becca said. “Those eyes…Gah.”

Callie sighed. He did have some damn amazing eyes.

“I don’t know why we didn’t think of this sooner,” Becca said.

“We?” Olivia asked. “I already thought of it.” She pointed at Callie. “And your grandma thought of it too. She’s out there lobbying for the two of you.”

“Lobbying?”

“Trying to get everyone involved in matchmaking the two of you. It’s on her Tumblr.”

Well, crap. Callie hadn’t had time to check her grandma’s social media yet today. “I told her to stay out of it.”

Both Olivia and Becca burst out laughing.

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” Callie said.

Becca got herself together but was still grinning when she spoke. “Honey, your grandma…she doesn’t know how to stay out of it. Have you ever met her?”

Callie gritted her teeth. “I’m going to have to hire a babysitter.”

“You’re not mad, are you?” Becca asked.

“Yes,” Callie said. “But only a little bit at you.”

“Okay, good. So you’ll still make us more grilled chocolate sandwiches, right?”





             Chapter 9



The next morning Callie told herself she had absolutely no reason to go into town. She could stay in bed and work from there. She certainly had plenty of it to keep her busy. Hell, she could bury herself in work if she wanted.

But she’d been doing that for years now, and that hadn’t gotten her anywhere.

Besides, she was hungry. And she hadn’t told Becca and Olivia, but grilled chocolate sandwiches were pretty much the only thing in her wheelhouse.

She could go to her grandma’s house and get breakfast and while she was there she could demand to know why she was doing exactly what Callie had asked her not to do.

But that was an argument she couldn’t have without doughnuts.

Which meant she needed doughnuts.

So go to the grocery store. She repeated this to herself as she dressed—in real clothes—and then again as she put on mascara and lip gloss. She had a hard time justifying that part but, hey, one never knew when she’d have to take a Skype call today, right? Might as well be prepared. She drove toward town. When she passed the grocery store, she said, “Whoops.”

And then kept going until she hit the bakery.

Just for the coffee and doughnuts, she told herself. And absolutely nothing else, like, say, sitting there waiting on a certain gorgeous, funny, ex-super-crush named Tanner Riggs.

She got out of the car and checked her hair in the mirror. And maybe applied more lip gloss. When she opened the door to the bakery, the delicious scent of coffee and baked goods immediately assaulted her. She paused to inhale deeply and then froze when she heard a blast from her past.

And not a good blast.

It was a male laugh that once upon a time had been the laugh of her fiancé. It was now the laugh of the guy who’d left her at the altar.

Whipping around, she eyeballed the street and found Eric about fifteen yards away, holding hands with a cute blonde as he walked up the sidewalk toward her.