Free The Secret Agent's Surprises (Harlequin American Romance) by Tina Leonard Page B

Priscilla helped herself to a sugar cookie. “So Suzy tried to pull a fast one on your father by inviting me.”
    “Pop was amused by it,” Pete said.
    “I feel a bit awkward.”
    “Don’t,” he said, meaning it.
    “What if we’d shown up when the party was still in full swing?”
    He smiled at her. “You would have swung with the rest of us.”
    She put the plate on the table. “I shouldn’t have come.” Standing, she grabbed her purse. Pete realizedshe was about to make a run for the door and slipped his hand over her wrist.
    “Hey,” he said, “if you leave, I’ll be stuck here with a bunch of desserts I can’t eat.”
    “I really must go. I feel like a party crasher.”
    He tried to be reassuring. “My father has theories, you know, but they have nothing to do with anything other than his own grandiose plans. I am my own man.”
    “Josiah reminds me of the king in Cinderella who brought all the beautiful single noblewomen to the castle so his son could choose a bride from among them.”
    Pete blinked. “Wasn’t that a French fairy tale? Pop’s just returned from France. He was probably sitting over there swilling the happily-ever-after wine.”
    “So tonight you were the prince,” Priscilla said, and Pete glanced around him.
    “See any glass slippers lying around? Shoes of any kind?” he asked.
    “Just your boots.” Priscilla sat back down. “Maybe I will have a piece of cake.”
     
    “I’ VE FIGURED OUT a way to save my business,” Priscilla told Cricket as they drove back to Fort Wylie a few hours later. She could feel Cricket’s curious glance on her, despite the darkness of the surrounding countryside. Occasional lights from oncoming traffic on the two-lane road bounced into the car.The bitter cold at this hour—nearly midnight—was enough to make a girl shiver. “I need a partner.”
    “Named Pete Morgan?”
    “No!” Priscilla shook her head. “It’s a bad idea to mix finances and friendship. I was thinking more of asking you to go into business with me.”
    “You just said it was a bad idea to mix finance and friendship,” Cricket pointed out.
    “Among people who have kissed,” Priscilla explained. “Then it is a bad idea, I’m sure of it.”
    “I don’t think you mentioned any kissing to me.”
    “Well,” Priscilla said, turning onto the highway outside of Union Junction, “it was so brief I wasn’t certain of the meaning.”
    “I hate those,” Cricket said. “I prefer big, juicy smackeroos. Not that I’ve had any of those lately, but that’s what I want when I get one.”
    “Well,” Priscilla said, “I would have been totally shocked if that had happened between Pete and me. It was totally genteel and respectable and possibly a bit boring. Is that my cell phone ringing?”
    “I think so. Do you want me to look?”
    “Can you? I don’t want to scramble for my phone while I’m driving. I can’t imagine who’d be calling me at this hour.” It was well past the time she’d normally be getting phone calls. She thought of her parents, hoping everything was all right. “Will you answer it for me? If it’s Mom, tell her I’m driving and see if everything’s okay at home, please.”
    “Hello?” Cricket said into Priscilla’s phone. “Yes, this is Cricket. She’s driving right now. Can I give her a message, Pete?” She listened for a minute. “He just wants to thank us for coming out, and asks you to drive safely.” Cricket covered the phone. “What do you want me to say?”
    Priscilla’s heart warmed at the kind words. “Thank you?”
    “Lame, but okay.” Cricket uncovered the phone. “She says she had a wonderful time, and when’s the next matchmaking party?”
    Priscilla gasped. “Cricket!”
    Cricket covered the phone again. “What? I’m a deacon. No one ever tells the deacon to mind their own business.” She held the phone to Priscilla’s ear. “He wants to tell you something.”
    Priscilla listened.
    “Hey,” Pete