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He was going. Never in a million years would she have thought he’d be who rescued her.
“My mother would like any man who was keeping me from spinsterhood.”
It was the truth, but even the pickiest of mothers would leap for joy if their daughter brought home Dr. Ryder Andrews, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon extraordinaire and gorgeous to boot.
“Spinsterhood?” Ryder’s brow arched. “Your breakup with computer guy doesn’t catapult you into fear of spinsterhood, surely?”
“You’d think, but try explaining that to my mother.”
“If you want me to.”
Because he’d be in Tennessee and would meet her mother. Something none of her Seattle friends had ever done, including Paul.
Had she not been so afraid to fly, they’d have gone home to meet her family. Her brother, Mark, had been to Seattle several times and seemed to like Paul well enough. Funny how childhood tragedy could leave one child terrified to board a plane and have another facing his past by becoming a pilot.
“You’re really going to Tennessee?” she asked, wanting to make sure she wasn’t misinterpreting. “That is what you’re saying? You’re going to pretend to be my boyfriend for my cousin’s wedding weekend, so my family won’t start using spinster hashtags when discussing me and I can enjoy my trip home without their pity or matchmaking?”
CHAPTER THREE
DR. RYDER ANDREWS didn’t think McKenzie had anything to worry about when it came to spinster hashtags.
She was an intelligent, beautiful woman any man would be lucky to spend time with and call his own.
No doubt, when she was ready, she’d soon replace her ex.
But next weekend, she’d be spending with him.
With him playing the role of her pretend boyfriend.
He stared down into the wide green eyes looking up at him, full of hope that he was saying yes. Eyes he’d been avoiding looking into for months because he’d instantly liked McKenzie, been attracted to her, and quickly learned she was taken.
With McKenzie, he’d been tempted to walk down that slippery slope and risk the fallout.
He’d been down that road before, and it hadn’t ended well.
That he was tempted to become involved with someone involved with someone else had made him that much more determined to stay away from her as much as possible.
He’d found her eyes enchanting, found looking into them left him unsettled, so he’d stayed away.
Yeah, McKenzie had no worries on growing old alone unless remaining single was what she chose. Not with those killer eyes that flashed with intelligence, lush auburn hair that he’d once thought about running his fingers through more often than he could count when his eyes closed and dreams took over, and a curvy bod that no lab coat or scrubs could conceal. He might have suppressed his fascination with her, but that didn’t mean he didn’t recognize that McKenzie was a beautiful woman.
If Ryder had to say what he liked best about her, though, his answer would be her intelligence and how she could see outside the box. How, during those first few weeks they’d known each other, their gazes could meet, and he’d know what she was thinking. She’d know what he was thinking. And they’d share a smile. When he’d realized she was off limits, he’d tried to avoid consults on her patients, but when it had been unavoidable, he’d always been impressed.
He’d never met anyone like her, had been disappointed she was already taken, had often had to remind himself to back away and remain aloof so as not to overstep.
He’d asked her once, early on, if she was happy in her relationship. She’d enthusiastically told him she was, that she and Paul were in love and planned to spend the rest of their lives together.
That’s when he’d decided to squash his attraction to her.
“I’ve never been to Nashville,” he admitted, knowing she was waiting for him to clarify that he was going. “Maybe we’ll get a chance to do a little sightseeing.”
“Seriously?” Her forehead scrunched. “You’re going with me and will be my pretend boyfriend?”
Rather than see her hire an escort service? Absolutely.
“I’ll go with you to your cousin’s wedding in Tennessee as your pretend boyfriend.”
* * *
