CHAPTER 1
RONAN
“Soooo…where are you headed to after this?”
Hazel leans against the bar as she looks at me with a speculative expression. I can practically see the thoughts whirring in her eyes. “Any other errands to run?” she prods. “Chores to take care of at home?”
Rather than coming right out and asking her what she’s getting at—I know Hazel well enough by now to know she’s not asking out of innocent curiosity—I play along. “No other errands,” I reply. “Just a quiet evening with Murphy. Maybe I’ll take him out in the snow with his laser pointer once it gets dark. Get some pent-up energy out.”
“Hmm.” She drums her fingers on the worn wooden bar while scanning the dining room of Blissful Brews, which is the best—and only, if you want to get picky about it—brewpub in our small town. I know she’s checking on her customers because even at her most scheming moments, Hazel’s nothing but conscientious. But the customers at the handful of occupiedhigh tops seem satisfied; happily chowing down on their wings and pizza.
The aroma of my to-go order wafts through the paper bag holding the two large containers of soup, making my stomach rumble. Beer cheese and sausage for one, and a slightly healthier Italian Wedding for the other—enough to get me through dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. It’s only four, which isn’t my usual dinnertime, but I missed lunch thanks to an extra busy shift at the mountain.
“So…” Hazel begins again, her voice carefully casual. “If you don’t have any errands, and you’ll want to wait until it’s dark to take out Murphy… it sounds like you might have an hour or two to do something else.”
And there it is.
The reason for Hazel’s avid interest in my evening plans.
It’s not that she wouldn’t ask me how I’m doing or greet me when I come to her place of work. She’s engaged to one of my best friends, after all. We see each other probably once a week. Butthisinterest? There’s an ulterior motive to it.
Biting the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling, I ask, “And what wouldyousuggest I do in this hour or two?”
“Well.” Hazel widens her eyes innocently. “You know my coworker, Angel, right?”
I barely smother a laugh. Hazel darn well knows the answer. Angel works at Blissful Brews, just like Hazel does.Hasworked here for as long as I’ve been coming to Bliss, the sleepy little town that’s home to my main place of business, Green Mountain Guardians. So that has to be close to… four years now. Plenty long enough for me to know who Angel is.
“Of course I know her.” Raising an eyebrow at Hazel, I add, “But what does Angel have to do with my evening plans?”
Only I have a feeling I know, because this isn’t the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of my friends’ well-meaningmatchmaking attempts. And this isn’t the first time Hazel’s brought up Angel—dropping little comments like, “Oh, you’re thinking about getting some new paintings for your house? Angel went to school for art. Did you know that? I bet she’d be happy to help you pick some out.” Or, “Do you like those cookies? Angel actually made them. She’s a great cook. I’m sure she’d make you some, if you asked.”
But as with all the other matchmaking efforts, I’ve done my best to deflect them.
It’s not that I have a problem with relationships. My closest friends are all in them, and they seem perfectly happy. I’m just not interested in one for myself.
Breathing against the flare of bitterness that still hits me at random and unexpected moments, I work my features into a smile. Hazel doesn’t know why I’m so averse to a relationship. No one does. She probably thinks I’m the typical commitment-phobe who’ll change his mind once he finds the right woman.
“Weeell.” Hazel gives me a hopeful smile. “When Angel left after the lunch shift, she mentioned that she was going to put up her Christmas lights this evening. And—” Her face creases with concern. “I’m a little worried about her trying to do it by herself.”
With images of Angel setting out a few blow mold snowmen and maybe stringing some lights on the bushes, I ask, “Why are you worried?”
Hazel casts a quick glance around the dining room again. One table looks like they might be ready for refills, so she explains quickly, “Angel said she wants to go all out this year. Lights on the eaves, around the windows… She said something about wanting to make it extra special for Haley.”
The mental image in my mind shifts. I’ve seen Angel’s house—only in passing, and I’ve never stopped by, let alone gone inside—so I know it’s a two-story Cape with a dangerouslysloped roof. “She wants to put lights on the second floor? By herself?”
“Iknow.” Hazel nods in emphasis. “I told her it wasn’t safe. But she was insistent. Then I offered to have Alec come over tomorrow to help.” She pauses. “He’s working late today on an install out in Montpelier. Although you probably already knew that.”
I did know that, as a matter of fact. Since all my teammates at Green Mountain Guardians have side jobs—Alec’s home security installation company and my part-time work as a medic at Stowe Mountain Resort, for example—we try to stay on top of everyone’s schedules.
But I don’t say all that. I just reply, “Angel doesn’t have anyone else to help her?”
“I don’t think she’d ask,” Hazel says. “She’s pretty independent. I wouldn’t ask you?—”
My small snort of disbelief interrupts her. Hazel frowns and lightly whacks my arm before conceding, “Okay,fine. Maybe I’d ask, anyway. But she’s just sonice, Ronan. And she works so hard trying to take care of everything on her own. And… she’s really pretty. You can’t tell me she isn’t.”
“Sheispretty,” I agree. Interest in relationships withstanding, I’m a red-blooded male with functioning eyes. Petite Angel with her bright blonde hair and huge blue eyes and a body that looks incredible in whatever she wears? Angel with that sweet ass the shape of a little peach and breasts that bounce just so whenever she hurries across the dining room?
Yes, she’s pretty. Beautiful, in fact. But that doesn’t change anything.
