Free Her Irresistible Troublemaker (A Town Named Eden Book 3) by Sonia Parin

the tea party a miss. But I wouldn’t say no to a shot glass of something.”
     
    * * *
     
    Jack looked at his watch and told himself to stop checking the time. Lexie would arrive when she arrived and not before, he thought as he pulled on a sweater.
    When his cell rang, he frowned and dragged his fingers through his still damp hair. No, she wouldn’t cancel at the last minute. Why would she? And how could he be so sure she wouldn’t? He’d actually had to work hard to get her to agree to spend the evening with him.
    He snatched the cell phone off the dresser. Not Lexie. “Aren’t you supposed to be partying?” he asked his brother.
    “We’re in limbo, between the wedding ceremony and the reception,” his brother answered. “Anyway, I’ve kept myself busy. I’ve booked the venue for dad’s party and lucky you, Rachel has a friend. She’s fun. She’s flirty. She has a bigger than life personality with a no strings attached attitude. She’s everything you need right now.”
    Lexie would be here any minute, and surprise, surprise, his brother was still harping on about their father’s wedding reception. He didn’t have time for this. “Who’s Rachel?”
    “Remember, the girl I went to the wedding with this afternoon. The one you wanted to borrow for dad’s wedding reception.”
    “That’s too many weddings in one breath, Mason. Cut to the chase.”
    “We’re on our way to the reception and anything could happen there. Her friend might meet someone and you’ll miss your chance. If you don’t nail Lexie down, then Rachel’s friend can bail you out. I can put a word in for you, but I have to act fast.”
    Nail Lexie? “Your lack of faith in me—”
    “I’m being practical. It’s been a while since you asked anyone to go out with you. Who knows what this dry spell’s done to your confidence?”
    “There’s nothing wrong with my confidence.”
    “But you have plenty of other issues and they’re getting in the way.”
    Jack brushed his hand across his face. If he had issues, he’d been too busy to dwell on them. And what issues was Mason referring to? True, he hadn’t been on a date in months but that had nothing to do with post relationship fallouts and general feelings of cynicism. Juliette hadn’t entirely warped his outlook on relationships. Or had she?
    “You have a week—”
    “Come again?”
    “There was a last minute cancellation. We were lucky to get this booking at such short notice. We can’t delay it any longer. Otherwise it might turn into a divorce party. So I went ahead and locked it in. You have a week to get yourself into gear.”
    Jack closed his eyes and threw his head back.
    “Why don’t I go ahead and tell Rachel’s friend—”
    “No, don’t do that. Lexie is on her way over to my place which means she’s happy to spend time with me.” Jack knew he’d made a huge assumption, but if it didn’t work out…
    He’d figure something out.
    “That doesn’t mean anything. You could still blow it. Besides, only a couple of days ago you were referring to her as trouble.”
    “That was then, this is—”
    “Rachel’s friend only wants to have fun. She’ll be a safe bet. Unlike Lexie. I get the feeling she’s wrapping you around her little finger.”
    “Mason?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Are you feeling okay?” He sounded agitated, which was extremely out of character for Mason who took everything in his stride.
    “Are you saying I don’t sound okay?”
    “The answer is either yes or no, buddy.”
    His brother sighed. “I don’t know.”
    “Sounds like we need to get together with a couple of six packs.”
    “Yeah, I’ll get back to you on that. Maybe tomorrow night. I probably need to decompress first.”
    “Thanks for the offer to set me up but I’m sure Lexie will be happy to be my date for the night.” Jack hoped they wouldn’t be his famous last words.
     
    * * *
     
    Lexie pressed the door buzzer to Jack’s apartment and stood back, her lips