Page 23 of The One You Want

Chapter 6

Icould feel the heat of Bradford’s glare, feel the confusion radiating off of Grant next to me, but I couldn’t look at either of them. All my shocked system seemed capable of in that moment was to stare at Libby in disbelief. What in the hell was shedoing?

The silence seemed to stretch on forever, as Libby smiled at Bradford as if nothing unusual had happened. Finally, he cleared his throat and I managed to drag my eyes from her face to look at him. He lookedpissed.

“I have to say, I’m pretty surprised by this,” he said. “Why didn’t you say anythingbefore?”

I opened my mouth to blurt out that Libby was nuts but Cora spoke up before I could get a word out. “It’s still pretty new,” she said, and I snapped my head in her direction to stare at her. What in the hell were they doing? “And you know how this island is. Everyone just loves to talk. That puts a lot of pressure on a new relationship, don’t you think?” She smiled at him sweetly and then tilted her head. “Sorry, maybe you don’t know what it’s like around here. You don’t live on Lilac Bay, doyou?”

Bradford had managed to iron out the anger on his face into a more neutral expression but I could still see the way he was gritting his teeth. “No,” he muttered. “I don’t. I live in TraverseCity.”

“Hmm,” Iris murmured, a world of judgment in the little sound. “It seems pretty late for a mainlander to be hanging around town. Doesn’t the last ferry leave in just a fewminutes?”

This time when Bradford spoke, the words sounded distinctly annoyed. “I occasionally stay over at the hotel,” he said. “When I have to worklate.”

“Or when you want to stalk Jenny in a bar,” Iris muttered next to me, too low for him to make out. His head snapped in her direction, eyes narrowed, but she just smiled and said in a louder voice, “how convenient for you.” She nodded back towards the two men he had left at the bar. “Gives you a chance to hang out with your friends,huh?”

Her tone was entirely innocent, just as Libby and Cora’s had been. But I could still read exactly what she was intending with her words—maybe it’s time you went back to those friends and left usalone.

Bradford must have gotten the message too, because he shot me one last annoyed glance before muttering a hurried goodnight and heading back across thebar.

It was silent for a moment, everyone watching him walk away. When he reached his friends at the bar, I finally managed to wake up my brain enough to whirl on Libby. “What in the hell wasthat?”

“What?” she asked, expression the picture of innocence. “I was just trying tohelp.”

“How did thathelp?” I practicallyshouted.

“It got him away from our table, didn’t it? I bet he won’t bother youanymore.”

I gaped at her, incredulous. “He’s just going to go back and tell my grandfather and I’ll never hear the end ofit!”

“You need to stand up to your—” Riley started again, but I ignored her, turning to Grant who was looking around the table inbemusement.

“I am so sorry,” I said in a low voice. “Libby never should have brought you intoit.”

Grant held out his hands. “I actually have no clue what’s going on right now,” he said in his easygoing voice. “Does anyone want to fill me in? What’s the deal with that guy? And did you say his name was Bradford Rutherford? Forreal?”

It was actually Bradford Rutherfordthe thirdbut I didn’t want to give them moreammunition.

Cora snorted into her wine glass and I shot a glare at her, too. She’d been just as bad asLibby.

“That,” Riley began, “was the guy who’s been stalkingJenny.”

Grant’s head snapped in my direction, his gaze immediately going wary. “He’sstalkingyou?”

“Jesus,” I muttered, burying my head in my hands. “No, he’s not stalking me. He’sjust—”

“He’s showed up where you are how many times this week?” Rileyasked.

“Places he really had no reason to be in,” Iris added. “Considering the fact that he doesn’t livehere.”

I opened my mouth to argue that, and Riley cut in. “The grocery store, Jen? Cora’s? Come on. He’s obviously going to those places foryou.”

“And it’s more than a little creepy that he knew when you’d be at all of them,” Libbyadded.

I made the mistake of looking at Grant. He looked really concerned. Like, I hadn’t seen those worry lines on his face since the time an unexpected flash thunderstorm hit the Artisan Market and his entire stock of roses gotwilted.

“My grandfather is trying to set us up,” I explained. “He’s obviously the kind of guy who wants to impress his employer. It’s really not a big deal.” I glared at Libby. “Definitely not something that you needed to be dragged into. I’m really sorry,Grant.”