Free Stacey Joy Netzel Boxed Set by Stacey Joy Netzel

dress and silver jewelry. I
turned the gaffe into a careless wave that clinked my bracelets
together. “Barely noticed you were gone. So, is it just you
here?”
    The moment the words were out, my cheeks
warmed. Might as well have asked him outright if he was available.
I avoided looking at him and headed for the kitchen.
    “Yep, just me.”
    The hint of a smirk in his voice made me
cringe because I didn’t want to know if he was available. I
didn’t. I forced a teasing smile once I reached the door to the
garage. “Cleaner around here than I’d expect for a bachelor.”
    Oh, crap, that still sounded like I was
fishing. His smile widened. “My older sister Meg cleans houses for
a living.”
    “Lucky you.”
    “Not really. She’s not cheap.”
    “No family discount?”
    “Nope.”
    “Well, you get what you pay for,” I advised
as he beat me to the passenger side door and held it open. “I’d say
she’s worth it.”
    “She’d love to hear that, but it won’t be
from me.”
    We shared a laugh as he played the gentlemen
act to the hilt and helped me up into the cab. Hmm. Did he remember
what he’d done that night over eleven years ago? If he did, did he
have any clue how much it’d hurt me back then? We hadn’t spoken
since that night, not during the rest of junior year, or all of
senior year.
    Now here I sat in his truck, on the way to
our ten year class reunion, feeling like I was on that date all
over again.
    We dropped off my keys at Dave Bensen’s
garage, and then continued to the supper club. Jenna spotted me the
instant Josh held the door open and we walked in together. While he
hung up our coats, she rushed forward to give me a tight hug and
whispered in my ear, “Tell me you didn’t come with him .”
    I glanced over my shoulder and whispered
back, “Relax. My car went in the ditch and he gave me a ride. It’s
no big deal.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Seriously, my rental’s being towed here
when they get to it.”
    “If you say so.” Jenna didn’t sound
convinced but as Josh joined us, she flipped her switch to chipper.
“Gosh, Summer, I’m so glad you came! You look amazing in that
dress! How’s Brad—you two set a date for the wedding yet?”
    I rolled my eyes and refused to look at
Josh. “Considering I gave him the ring back six months ago, no, we
didn’t set a date.”
    “Oh, I’d hoped the two of you would patch
things up,” Jenna said with a mock pout. “I was looking forward to
heading to Florida for your wedding.”
    “You’re always welcome to visit,” I reminded
her as we headed toward the bar where I spotted other friends and
classmates. I appreciated the thought behind her efforts to let
Josh know I was happy and in love and completely over our one
disastrous date, but I wasn’t prepared to pretend I was still
engaged. Not to mention, I also didn’t want to highlight the fact
that I had a failed engagement in my past, no matter whose decision
it had been to part ways.
    Josh asked me what I’d like to drink and I
received another raised-eyebrow look from Jenna. I stuck with soda.
Despite her cynicism where Josh was concerned, the next couple
hours were great and I was glad I’d made the trip. She and I caught
up on our lives in person instead of via the phone or email, and it
was also nice to here what my former classmates were doing these
days.
    Not that they’d all made the reunion, but
our small class of seventy-six students had produced a commercial
airline pilot, military men and women, teachers, secretaries,
stay-at-home mothers, two published authors, accountants, business
managers and owners, and a host of other professions.
    Some people hadn’t changed a bit, either in
looks or in attitude. Others changed, whether they’d gained or lost
weight, were starting to lose their hair, became friendlier, more
outgoing, or even more judgmental. I had a wonderful time meeting
spouses, fawning over pictures of cute kids, and laughing and
joking with people I hadn’t