had in her body. “How about I show you a few?”
THE END
And in February 2013
After a string of disappointing first dates, Audrey Desmond figures she has nothing to lose by letting the town matchmaker fix her up with the perfect guy.
Max Shannon isn’t looking for romance when his cousin Cassie ropes him into one of her matchmaking schemes as a stand-in for a last minute cancellation.
Fire and ice conspire to make their first date a disaster, but Max decides he can melt Audrey’s chilly exterior if she’ll give him a second chance. Together they discover a slow burn can ignite flames of passion even during the coldest month of the year.
FIXED UP IN FEBRUARY
Chapter One
“I just want you to know, I’ve never done this before.” Audrey Desmond met the steady gaze of her lunch companion and tried to hide her nervousness with a lighthearted laugh. “I wouldn’t be doing this at all except I’m…desperate. Not desperate, that sounds lame. I mean, just desperate to meet someone who isn’t a creep.”
Cassandra Hall sipped her coffee and smiled. “I totally get it. I’ve had my share of…less than memorable first dates too. It’s hard to meet people, and those dating sites on the Internet are—”
“A craps shoot. I tried that, and it was a disaster. In fact, every date I went on last year, and the two I’ve been on this year, were unmitigated disasters. I don’t want to sound like a whiner, but really, I’m starting to think there’s something wrong with me. My friend Harper says I’m too picky, but when a guy wants to show you his scar where he had a ballpoint pen removed from his duodenum, you have to ask yourself—”
“Duodenum?”
“Small intestine. I’m sorry I even brought that up. See? It’s me. Maybe working at the hospital has turned me into a weirdo magnet. When men find out I’m a nurse, they seem to want to show me things I’d rather not see without a doctor and an IV sedative on hand. Can you help me?”
“I think I can. Tell me exactly what you’re looking for in a guy, deep down. The real thing, not just tall, dark, and handsome.”
Audrey frowned. “So tall, dark, and handsome is off the table?”
Cassie laughed. “I’ll consider those a given. But beyond that. Describe your perfect man.”
At this point, Audrey really wasn’t sure what she wanted in a man, but she could quote chapter and verse on what she didn’t want. She thought for a moment, contemplating the rich swirl of cream she poured into her own coffee. At the moment, she knew one perfect couple. Her best friend Harper Shaw had been left only steps away from the altar barely a month ago, and in the interim had found Grant Addison, the smart, hunky, romantic, gorgeous business manager of the catering hall where Harper’s wedding reception was to have been held. Audrey was thrilled that her friend had traded her wishy-washy ex-fiancé for a man like Grant. Unfortunately, as much as Audrey might have hoped, Grant didn’t have any brothers.
After careful consideration, she met Cassie’s expectant gaze. “I want a man with character, someone who’ll stand up for himself and for me, someone who knows who he is and what he wants and doesn’t let anything get in his way. I’m not a candy-and-flowers kind of girl, but I definitely need a man who can handle a serious relationship. He doesn’t have to be sentimental, but he has to be solid and dependable and…is that too much? Because at this point I’ll settle for someone who’s never been admitted to the psych ward.”
Cassie tucked a strand of long blond hair behind one year and made a few notes on a small pad of paper she’d brought with her. She looked up, squinting her blue eye—the other was brown—as though sizing Audrey up. “You strike me as a no-nonsense type. You want someone who’s straightforward so you don’t have to wonder where you stand with him. Am I right?”
Audrey examined her
THE END
And in February 2013
After a string of disappointing first dates, Audrey Desmond figures she has nothing to lose by letting the town matchmaker fix her up with the perfect guy.
Max Shannon isn’t looking for romance when his cousin Cassie ropes him into one of her matchmaking schemes as a stand-in for a last minute cancellation.
Fire and ice conspire to make their first date a disaster, but Max decides he can melt Audrey’s chilly exterior if she’ll give him a second chance. Together they discover a slow burn can ignite flames of passion even during the coldest month of the year.
FIXED UP IN FEBRUARY
Chapter One
“I just want you to know, I’ve never done this before.” Audrey Desmond met the steady gaze of her lunch companion and tried to hide her nervousness with a lighthearted laugh. “I wouldn’t be doing this at all except I’m…desperate. Not desperate, that sounds lame. I mean, just desperate to meet someone who isn’t a creep.”
Cassandra Hall sipped her coffee and smiled. “I totally get it. I’ve had my share of…less than memorable first dates too. It’s hard to meet people, and those dating sites on the Internet are—”
“A craps shoot. I tried that, and it was a disaster. In fact, every date I went on last year, and the two I’ve been on this year, were unmitigated disasters. I don’t want to sound like a whiner, but really, I’m starting to think there’s something wrong with me. My friend Harper says I’m too picky, but when a guy wants to show you his scar where he had a ballpoint pen removed from his duodenum, you have to ask yourself—”
“Duodenum?”
“Small intestine. I’m sorry I even brought that up. See? It’s me. Maybe working at the hospital has turned me into a weirdo magnet. When men find out I’m a nurse, they seem to want to show me things I’d rather not see without a doctor and an IV sedative on hand. Can you help me?”
“I think I can. Tell me exactly what you’re looking for in a guy, deep down. The real thing, not just tall, dark, and handsome.”
Audrey frowned. “So tall, dark, and handsome is off the table?”
Cassie laughed. “I’ll consider those a given. But beyond that. Describe your perfect man.”
At this point, Audrey really wasn’t sure what she wanted in a man, but she could quote chapter and verse on what she didn’t want. She thought for a moment, contemplating the rich swirl of cream she poured into her own coffee. At the moment, she knew one perfect couple. Her best friend Harper Shaw had been left only steps away from the altar barely a month ago, and in the interim had found Grant Addison, the smart, hunky, romantic, gorgeous business manager of the catering hall where Harper’s wedding reception was to have been held. Audrey was thrilled that her friend had traded her wishy-washy ex-fiancé for a man like Grant. Unfortunately, as much as Audrey might have hoped, Grant didn’t have any brothers.
After careful consideration, she met Cassie’s expectant gaze. “I want a man with character, someone who’ll stand up for himself and for me, someone who knows who he is and what he wants and doesn’t let anything get in his way. I’m not a candy-and-flowers kind of girl, but I definitely need a man who can handle a serious relationship. He doesn’t have to be sentimental, but he has to be solid and dependable and…is that too much? Because at this point I’ll settle for someone who’s never been admitted to the psych ward.”
Cassie tucked a strand of long blond hair behind one year and made a few notes on a small pad of paper she’d brought with her. She looked up, squinting her blue eye—the other was brown—as though sizing Audrey up. “You strike me as a no-nonsense type. You want someone who’s straightforward so you don’t have to wonder where you stand with him. Am I right?”
Audrey examined her
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