Read Online Red-Hot Texas Nights by Kimberly Raye - Free Book Online Page B

think he’d be perfect. His pictures capture so much character. I think if I can come up with a good bribe, he might do it for me. Which brings me to the real reason for my call.”
    â€œYou mean you didn’t call just to harass me about working too much?”
    â€œNot completely. I mean, that’s part of it. You need to take more time off. Have some downtime. Maybe go out to dinner at a nice restaurant. Maybe share that dinner with a certain photographer who went into your bakery the other day and is now convinced you’re the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.”
    â€œWait a second. I’m your bribe for the photographer?”
    â€œIf you agree to dinner. If not, then I’m stuck looking for someone to capture the most important day of my life.”
    â€œYou’re not going to guilt me into this. I don’t do blind dates.”
    â€œYou don’t do any dates, and I’m not trying to guilt you into anything. I’m seriously worried about you and your lack of downtime.”
    Brandy thought of the past night with Tyler and fought down a wave of guilt. “No, you’re not.”
    â€œOkay, so I understand your dedication, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to have a little fun every now and then. Mike’s really cute,” she added. “And you’d be doing me a huge favor.”
    â€œI’ll think about it.”
    â€œWell, don’t think too long. I need to lock down the date on his schedule.”
    â€œI’ll get back to you next week.”
    â€œHow about tomorrow?” When Brandy sighed, Callie added, “It’s just that the wedding happens to coincide with the annual Cotton Eyed Joe dance festival at the VFW Hall. Mike will have to find someone to cover for him at the festival if he commits to the wedding, but he won’t commit until I can promise him a date and—”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œOkay you’ll get back to me tomorrow or okay you’ll do it?”
    â€œI’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
    â€œOh. Okay. Well, I guess if you really need time to think about whether or not you want to help make the wedding as wonderful as it could possibly be and ease my stress level considerably, then I’m sure you have your reasons—”
    â€œI’ll do it. I’ll go on the date. Just not right now because I’m really busy.”
    â€œYeah, sure. I would never dump a date on you just like that. You need notice. So how about next week?”
    â€œMake it next month and you’ve got a deal.”
    â€œGreat. Thank you. You won’t regret it. I know it sounds like I’m just doing this for the wedding, but I really think you two will hit it off. I’ll set it up and text the details. Gotta run. Brett’s waiting for me. We’re having dinner with his pappy. Now make sure you don’t work too late.”
    â€œYes, Mom.”
    â€œAnd eat something that isn’t loaded with sugar.”
    â€œBye, Mom.” She hit the OFF button and set the phone on the seat next to her.
    A blind date.
    What was Callie thinking?
    That maybe there’s more to life than work. A first for her because her entire life had been about work. But not by choice. That was the difference between them. Callie had spent years working because she’d had to step up and take charge of the family when their parents had died. She’d had to step up and be the mom.
    But in all honesty, she was as far from Mary Elizabeth Tucker as a woman could get. Their mother had been a stay-at-home mom, content to move in with her father-in-law so that her family could scrape by on the meager income that her husband managed to bring home. She’d never had aspirations beyond her three daughters, beyond putting food on the table and shoes on everyone’s feet.
    Or so she’d claimed.
    But on those rare occasions when she’d herded Brandy into the kitchen to make