glanced at her. “But what?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I came here with wide eyes with Jazzy. She’s married and super busy now. I feel, well...” She didn’t want to say the rest.
Cecelia and her best friend, Jasmine “Jazzy” Cates, had come to Rust Creek Falls together to find romance—and, of course, help the town with the recovery efforts after the flood the previous summer. Along the way, Jazzy had taken a job with local vet Brooks Smith. Their working relationship soon led to wedding bells. Only Cecelia knew the truth—that their quick vows were really a marriage of convenience, so that Brooks could convince his ailing father to let him take over the practice. Soon though, true love won out, and Brooks and Jazzy were as much in love as could be.
“Don’t tell me you were hoping for a Rust Creek cowboy,” Nick said.
“I was hoping for a fresh start and maybe a relationship,” she said and took a sip of her water. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. Nothing,” he said and focused on the dartboard. He threw a dart that landed dead center and smiled. “Now that’s the way it should be.”
She scowled at him. “The game’s not over.”
“Good luck,” he said then shook his head. “I never thought you were one of the man-crazy women. You didn’t seem to be working hard at getting a guy.”
She shrugged. “No one likes to look desperate. But the truth is I haven’t clicked with any of the guys I’ve met. That makes me wonder if I should go back to Thunder Canyon. Maybe the pastures here aren’t as green as I’d thought they would be.”
“Whoa, whoa,” he said. “Are you gonna take your turn?”
Cecelia scowled again. “Okay, okay,” she said and sailed her dart dead center.
Nick cursed under his breath again.
“I think I’m ahead, now,” she said.
Nick frowned at her. “Maybe you haven’t given Rust Creek the full shot you should have.”
“I’ve been here for over a year,” she protested.
“Yeah, but you haven’t really—” He broke off. “Tried.”
“Tried?” she echoed. “I’ve gone out on a lot of dates. Trust me.”
“Yeah, but have you tried to sell yourself?”
“Sell myself?” she said, clearly appalled. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t mean selling yourself that way.” He paused. “I mean that, in general, women need to sell men.”
She looked at him skeptically. “This sounds shady.”
Nick shrugged. “The truth is, the man is...the customer. You need to sell him in order to lasso him in.”
“That’s disgusting,” she said. “Disgusting.”
“It’s not,” he protested. “It’s the truth. A lot of men need to be shown what they want. Once they learn that, they’re ready to surrender to the noose of marriage.”
“Noose?” she echoed.
“That’s my interpretation. My brothers got married and they’re no fun anymore,” he said.
“According to whom?” she asked.
“According to me,” he said. “They always want to stay home with their wives.”
“Doesn’t that mean they’re happy to be with their wives?” she asked.
“I guess,” he said. “I just know I don’t want to become as boring as they are.”
Cecelia shook her head. “I’m so glad I know what a playboy you are,” she said.
“I’m not a playboy,” he said, pointing to himself. “I’m just trying to make some money. That’s why I started my Maverick for Hire business. A lot of women have been interested in giving me a honey-do list, so it just makes sense for me to make a full-time job out of it. You know what I did—put an advertisement in the Rust Creek Rambler newspaper for my handyman services, and I’ve been busy ever since. But we’ve gotten off track. You’re the one with the problem. If you want a man, Cecelia, you need to treat him like he’s a customer. I can tell you how.”
Horrified, Cecelia blinked at him. “I’m telling you that sounds an awful lot like prostitution.”
He shook his head. “You know I don’t mean that.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Cece, you know I think you’re great the way you are, but other guys want a little—” he shrugged his shoulders “—glamour.”
“Glamour?” she echoed. “In Rust Creek Falls?”
“Yeah, well, we’re a simple lot,” he said and scrunched up his face. “Do you really want to leave Rust Creek Falls?”
“I don’t know,” she said, looking away from him. “I just haven’t felt like I belonged here lately. And the truth is I was hoping I’d meet someone special here. Kind of like Jazzy did.”
He sighed. “I’d hate to lose my best bud,” he said. “You’re the only woman I know who doesn’t want me for my amazing body,” he said, joking. “Or to fix something in her house.
Cecelia rolled her eyes. “That’s your own fault for being such a flirt.”
He leaned toward her. “It’s not my fault all these women want my handyman services.”
“You’re profiting from it. Stop complaining,” she said.
“But—”
“Hey there, Nick,” a pretty brunette said as she bumped into him. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you!”
Cecelia noticed the woman was slurring her words.
“Hey, Daphne, good to see you again. I’ve been working hard lately,” he said. “How about you?”
She pointed her index finger at his chest. “I think we could be good together.”
Nick sighed. “You seem a little wobbly. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said and batted her eyelashes.
“I’m thinking you need to go home. Where are you living now?”
She sifted her fingers through his hair. “I’m renting a trailer out by Route 46.”
“How about you let me take you home?” he asked.
“I would love that,” she said, batting her eyelashes.
