Read Online Unlucky in Love by Maggie McGinnis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maggie McGinnis
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about
them
?”
“Sure.” He smiled. “We’ve got some of those, too.”
For the next twenty minutes, he drove slowly around Carefree’s downtown area, pointing out the Scoop-de-Loop ice cream shop and the park, Salty’s bar and the Java Beans café, and the creek he said came through Whisper Creek property, but wasn’t actually Whisper Creek.
While he talked, Lexi scanned left to right, drinking in the tiny, colorful streets. Flowers spilled out of whiskey barrels, and almost every business had a white wooden bench in front of its plate-glass window. It was like the fifties had married a New England village and had this sweet little baby town. The buildings were freshly painted, the grass was a light shade of emerald, and the sky was an impossible blue above the spire of the church that stood proudly at the edge of the park.
She hadn’t quite known what to expect, but as they rolled through town, Gunnar waving at every other person on the sidewalk, she knew it wasn’t this. Somehow, in her mind, she’d built Carefree, Montana, as a dusty Western town straight out of
Little House on the Prairie
. Instead of cute little colonial houses serving as law offices and cafés, she’d been expecting wood-framed buildings with tall facades and peeling paint.
She shook her head when she realized she was scanning the storefronts for hitching posts.
“So what do you think?” Gunnar finally stopped pointing out the sights and pulled the truck into an angled slot directly in front of a building with a ridiculously cute pink awning. Lexi ducked to read the decorative lettering on the awning, smiling tightly when she realized they must be at Jenny’s bakery.
Oh, goodie.
He’d brought her into town to meet his girlfriend.
“I think…it’s not at all what I expected.” When she saw his eyebrows start to furrow, she put up a hand. “I love it. Really love it.”
“What were you expecting?”
“I’m not sure. In some ways, it looks just like home. But then I look toward the west, and omigod, how can a person not fall under the spell of those mountains?”
Gunnar smiled, and she felt like she’d scored ten good-tourist points. He slid out of the truck and came around to open her door.
“Come on. Let’s walk around a little. If I can get one of Jenny’s cupcakes and a cup of Mac’s coffee into you, you might never want to leave.”
As she stepped onto the sidewalk, she felt Gunnar’s hand at the small of her back—just the lightest of touches, and probably an automatic move he considered polite, but damn. It sent tiny flickers zinging around her body, and she felt more than a little pathetic that the breath of a touch could do that to her.
Tristan’s had done that, back at the beginning.
Hadn’t it?
He pulled his hand back as they strolled into the bakery, where Lexi stopped in front of the glass cases and gaped at the sweet, frothy sugar-filled display. There were cupcakes, donuts, cookies in every shape and size…and her favorite—brownies. Be still her saturated fat-loving heart.
Jenny came bustling in from a backroom, tying on a pink apron as she hip-checked her way through the swinging counter by the register. Once she’d fashioned a sloppy bow with her apron ties, she reached out a hand toward Lexi.
“Jenny Dubuque. It’s nice to properly meet you.” She smiled, and Lexi was reminded of Katie. Jenny’s smile was huge and unaffected, set off by sparkly, bright blue eyes and light brown hair. No wonder Gunnar was probably smitten.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Lexi shook her hand. “I hear this is the best place in town.”
“Well, that’s because you have Gunnar as your tour guide.” She laughed as she headed back through the swinging counter. “Now, what can I get you?”
Lexi practically drooled as she looked through the glass. “Everything looks divine. I’m not sure how I could possibly choose.”
Jenny grinned as she got a pink bakery box from behind her and set it
them
?”
“Sure.” He smiled. “We’ve got some of those, too.”
For the next twenty minutes, he drove slowly around Carefree’s downtown area, pointing out the Scoop-de-Loop ice cream shop and the park, Salty’s bar and the Java Beans café, and the creek he said came through Whisper Creek property, but wasn’t actually Whisper Creek.
While he talked, Lexi scanned left to right, drinking in the tiny, colorful streets. Flowers spilled out of whiskey barrels, and almost every business had a white wooden bench in front of its plate-glass window. It was like the fifties had married a New England village and had this sweet little baby town. The buildings were freshly painted, the grass was a light shade of emerald, and the sky was an impossible blue above the spire of the church that stood proudly at the edge of the park.
She hadn’t quite known what to expect, but as they rolled through town, Gunnar waving at every other person on the sidewalk, she knew it wasn’t this. Somehow, in her mind, she’d built Carefree, Montana, as a dusty Western town straight out of
Little House on the Prairie
. Instead of cute little colonial houses serving as law offices and cafés, she’d been expecting wood-framed buildings with tall facades and peeling paint.
She shook her head when she realized she was scanning the storefronts for hitching posts.
“So what do you think?” Gunnar finally stopped pointing out the sights and pulled the truck into an angled slot directly in front of a building with a ridiculously cute pink awning. Lexi ducked to read the decorative lettering on the awning, smiling tightly when she realized they must be at Jenny’s bakery.
Oh, goodie.
He’d brought her into town to meet his girlfriend.
“I think…it’s not at all what I expected.” When she saw his eyebrows start to furrow, she put up a hand. “I love it. Really love it.”
“What were you expecting?”
“I’m not sure. In some ways, it looks just like home. But then I look toward the west, and omigod, how can a person not fall under the spell of those mountains?”
Gunnar smiled, and she felt like she’d scored ten good-tourist points. He slid out of the truck and came around to open her door.
“Come on. Let’s walk around a little. If I can get one of Jenny’s cupcakes and a cup of Mac’s coffee into you, you might never want to leave.”
As she stepped onto the sidewalk, she felt Gunnar’s hand at the small of her back—just the lightest of touches, and probably an automatic move he considered polite, but damn. It sent tiny flickers zinging around her body, and she felt more than a little pathetic that the breath of a touch could do that to her.
Tristan’s had done that, back at the beginning.
Hadn’t it?
He pulled his hand back as they strolled into the bakery, where Lexi stopped in front of the glass cases and gaped at the sweet, frothy sugar-filled display. There were cupcakes, donuts, cookies in every shape and size…and her favorite—brownies. Be still her saturated fat-loving heart.
Jenny came bustling in from a backroom, tying on a pink apron as she hip-checked her way through the swinging counter by the register. Once she’d fashioned a sloppy bow with her apron ties, she reached out a hand toward Lexi.
“Jenny Dubuque. It’s nice to properly meet you.” She smiled, and Lexi was reminded of Katie. Jenny’s smile was huge and unaffected, set off by sparkly, bright blue eyes and light brown hair. No wonder Gunnar was probably smitten.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Lexi shook her hand. “I hear this is the best place in town.”
“Well, that’s because you have Gunnar as your tour guide.” She laughed as she headed back through the swinging counter. “Now, what can I get you?”
Lexi practically drooled as she looked through the glass. “Everything looks divine. I’m not sure how I could possibly choose.”
Jenny grinned as she got a pink bakery box from behind her and set it
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