Walking on Sunshine by Luann McLane Page A

worry.”
    â€œDon’t be so hard on yourself. My brothers were a bit on the wild side too. Trust me, country boys work hard but play harder.”
    â€œIt just took me a bit longer than most to grow up.”He pointed to the sofa. “All right, then. Have a seat and let’s put a schedule and game plan together. A week or so from now or whenever you’re ready, we can make our debut somewhere in town.”
    â€œYou mean when you’re ready.”
    â€œThat too.”
    â€œI’m a note taker. I need a pen and paper.” Mattie rubbed her hands together. “Let’s get this party started.”
    â€œI have a desk in my bedroom with a printer. Grab some of that paper and there should be a pen there too.”
    Mattie headed back into his bedroom and flipped on the light. She spotted his desk in the corner and hurried over to get the paper and pen, but before leaving his room she took a little nosy quick glance around. The bed was made but done up a little bit crooked as if dressing a bed wasn’t something Garret was used to doing. For some reason the thought made her smile. Just the barest hint of his aftershave lingered in the air. The blue shirt he’d worn earlier was tossed onto the bedspread and she had the odd urge to pick up the shirt and hold it to her nose. “Okay, that would be weird,” she whispered, but almost did it anyway.
    Mattie shook her head and backed away. While there was no denying that she found Garret charming and attractive . . . and, okay, downright sexy, he’d just made it abundantly clear that he wanted to be friends.
    He’s far too worldly for the likes of me,
Mattie thought as she walked over to turn off the light. And besides, Colby Campbell was the man she’d dreamed of and wanted for as long as she could remember. Garret Ruleman was her ticket to getting Colby, nothing more except for friendship, and she’d best remember that fact or she just might chase the man away.
    With a smile on her face she walked into the living room and picked up a
Rolling Stone
magazine from the coffee table. Placing the paper over the glossy cover, she clicked the pen and then looked over at Garret. “Ready?”
    â€œYeah, baby,” he replied with a grin.
    While Mattie knew he’d just used the endearment in a joking Austin Powers accent, she still liked being called baby. Shaking that off, Mattie wrote her name and date at the top of the page and then added categories. With a lift of her chin she mustered up a businesslike tone of voice and said, “Well, then, let the lessons begin.”
    â€œOkay, so, what do you usually wear when you go out?”
    â€œGo out?”
    â€œYes, like on the town. Happy hour or a concert or whatever.”
    â€œOh . . .” The question made Mattie realize that she didn’t go out all that much anymore, but she didn’t want him to know that sad little fact. The last concert she’d been to was Reid Greenfield and South Street Riot when they’d opened for Shane McCray last summer. “Um, you know, blue jeans and some sort of top.” Mostly T-shirts, but she was too embarrassed to divulge that boring little detail. “No wonder I’m still single. I need to step up my game.”
    â€œAnd that’s what we shall do.” Garret scooted up against the pillows. “Now, don’t get me wrong, you wear jeans quite well, but a cute skirt would turn some heads. Show off your shapely legs.”
    Mattie wrote
cute skirts
under the wardrobe category. The thought that he found her short legs shapely made her feel a bit warm. She plucked at the shirt, hoping that he didn’t notice her flushed face. Some girls never seemed to break a sweat. She wasn’t one of them.
    â€œAnd while cowboy boots are your personal style, you need to get some sandals and show off your pretty feet.”
    â€œMy feet? Really?”
    â€œMen find feet