The Accidental Encore Read online

  What a creep. His date must be his girlfriend as her dress perfectly matched his tie. She remembered how important it used to be for Nick that their outfits coordinate. What had she ever found appealing about him in the first place?

  She shook thoughts of him away and let the bombshell Craig had dropped try to settle in her head. How had he done it? How had he survived after discovering the worst thing about the person who’d sworn before God to love, honor, and cherish him when she wasn’t around to defend herself or explain?

  “You keep scowling into your food and people are going to think the stuff is bad.”

  Allie grinned up at Craig. “Sorry.”

  He lifted a shoulder and flashed her a dimple. “I’m not the caterer.”

  “It’s actually very good. Of course, I was starving, so that might factor in.”

  “Did you skip lunch again?”

  He paid too much attention. “Yes.”

  “Why do you do that? If you tell me you’re dieting, I’m going to punch you.”

  “I’m not dieting, I just forget to eat. By the time I realize I’m hungry, it’s too late to have a meal, so I wait for dinner.”

  “You need to take better care of yourself.”

  She pushed her plate away and rested a hand on her full stomach. “I could stand to lose a few pounds.”

  Craig punched her lightly in the arm. “Allie, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I am. Sort of.” She glanced at Nick as his hand sneaked around his size two date’s waist. “Nick used to encourage me to lose weight.”

  “If you believed him, I’m losing respect for you by the minute.”

  “It’s hard not to believe the person who sees you naked.”

  Allie watched as Craig shifted in his seat, scanning the room with his jaw clenched. She felt uncomfortable for revealing too much of herself to him, especially about Nick.

  “Since I haven’t seen you naked, I can’t really comment, but I’m more certain than ever the guy needs glasses. For you to spend a moment of your time second-guessing your looks is absurd. You’re the most beautiful woman in the room and that includes the pixie stick your ex is draped over.”

  She felt her cheeks heat. “I wasn’t fishing for compliments, Craig. I know my weight is fine. He just gets to me; he gets inside my head.” She rested her elbows on the table and set her chin in her palm. “How did you get through discovering your wife cheated? How were you able to move on and have normal relationships?”

  “Who said I have relationships?”

  “Well, you want a relationship, don't you? Isn't that why you signed up at LoveFinders?”

  “I signed up at LoveFinders to get Mark off my back. He's happy now, married and looking toward the future. He wants the same for me.”

  “Don't you want that for yourself?”

  “I had that, and look where it got me.” He sat up and looked around the room. “I'm better off on my own.”

  “Craig, you don't really mean that, do you? You don't really want to be alone forever?”

  “Allie. I don’t want to talk about this.” He flipped a napkin over and over on the table while staring at it as if he’d find the answer he was seeking underneath. “No one knows Julie cheated.”

  “You didn’t tell anyone?”

  He shook his head from side to side, daring her to question him.

  “Not even Mark?”

  “Julie and Becca were best friends. Becca had to have known and if she knew, chances are Mark knew too.”

  “But you don’t know for sure?”

  “Knowing won’t change anything.”

  “You might be able to figure out why.”

  “Do you know why Nick cheated on you?” he asked. “Does it help?”

  Allie felt the sting of his question like a slap, but she’d started this conversation and she owed it to him to be honest. “He said I was boring, and whether or not it’s true, it’s how I think of myself now. So I guess there might be some solace in not knowing.”

  “First of all, you’re not boring.” He sat back and linked his fingers in his lap. “And second of all, I’m pretty sure why she cheated.”

  “Okay,” she said, anxious for him to go on. He’d already told her more than he’d told anyone. Would it hurt to finish the story? “Why?”

  “I worked all the time. I told myself it was for her, for all the stuff she wanted—the house, the cars, the lifestyle, but my business was growing and I couldn’t let go of the reins. The bigger and faster it grew, the longer and harder I worked. I knew it was affecting her and our marriage, but I couldn’t give up the control.”

  “I wouldn’t call you a workaholic, Craig. You spend plenty of time with Leah.”

  “Some lessons are learned a little too late.”

  “Ben said you sold your company.”

  “Couple years ago. It was easy to let it go when it didn’t mean very much anymore.”

  “Much harder to let your wife go.”

  “It about killed me—the grief and regret. Until I found those emails and it didn’t mean very much anymore.”

  He was kidding himself about that, but she wasn’t going to argue with a man so obviously haunted by his demons. “Thank you for telling me, Craig. It puts this whole situation with Nick into perspective.”

  “I don’t want you thinking you’re boring, Allie. I’ve never been bored around you.”

  “Give me time,” she said to lighten the mood. “I’m not the most exciting person in the world, but I know he was wrong. It’s kind of like the dates I’ve gone on. Mostly I feel nothing towards the men I meet online. No interest, no spark, nothing. I would have settled for nothing before. I did with Nick.”

  Craig reached over and ran his hand down her back. “Life’s too short to feel nothing.”

  He may as well have scraped a match along her spine. She struggled not to shiver. Amazing how a simple touch could ignite her skin and send prickles of excitement through her body. He hadn’t meant to set her insides on fire, and she felt sure he’d be shocked if he knew what he’d done.

  “I know.” She reached over and rested her hand on his leg. “Look at you. I’ve never felt nothing around you.”

  She recognized the panic that crossed his face, the way he gaped at her in stunned silence. Because she had no intention of making a move on a man who clearly had zero interest in her, she threw her head back and laughed. “Don’t freak out, Craig. I was going to say that my irritation with you was worlds better than the nothing I usually feel for men.” She wished the only emotion she felt toward Craig were irritation. “Besides, look at the lovely friendship that blossomed out of irritation.”

  ***

  Craig wasn’t sure what possessed him to do it. It could have been the way she looked at him when he thought she’d meant more than irritation. It could have been the way she continued to touch him, a squeeze here, a tender graze there. It could have been the idea of waltzing her across the dance floor in front of her ex and watching him seethe in anger for what he’d given up. No matter what her ex had told her, no matter what she thought, any man who’d had a taste of Allie and walked away didn’t walk away unscathed.

  “Come on,” he said after hopping to his feet. “Let’s work off some of that food.”

  “You want to dance?” she asked.

  He pulled her to her feet. “Why not? Isn’t that what you do at weddings?”

  He’d forgotten how powerfully her scent could entice him with all the other smells that littered the air. When he had her in his arms, her sinful fragrance kicked him in the gut. He forgot they weren’t dating, he forgot he was doing her a favor, he forgot he didn’t want the woman in his arms to match him step for step, sway for sway. If they were this in tune on the dance floor, how good would it be if he took her to bed?

  “You’re full of surprises, Craig Archer.”

  “My mom teaches dance at the Y back home. Her boys know how to dance.”

  “I’ll say.”


  He expertly swung her around and back into his arms. He closed his eyes as her laughter filled his ears. “Ben told me you’re loaded.”

  “What?” He pulled back and recognized the smirk on her face.

  “He said you sold your company for several million.”

  “So?” he said when she continued to stare at him. “Does it matter?”

  “No, I just didn’t have a clue. I should have figured it out when I saw your house and that fantastic car we arrived in.”

  “Does it change the way you think of me?” he asked before he could stop himself. Now who was fishing for compliments? He'd lost his mind and was wading into dangerous territory.

  “Ummm,” she purred as his hand inched lower on her waist. “You’re more complex, which I suppose makes you more attractive.”

  They were too close; the music, some seductive song that had images of New Orleans and sweaty sex mingling through his head, was too intoxicating. That stupid challenge Melissa had wagered kept running through his head. He was the man for the job, all right, but the job just might kill him.

  Their gazes locked, and in Allie’s eyes, he saw fear and desire. He wasn’t so far out of the game that he couldn’t recognize a woman begging to be kissed. His gaze drifted to her mouth where the tip of her tongue wet her bottom lip.

  “Ouch,” Allie said as the couple behind them slammed into Craig's back, causing him to slap his forehead against Allie's.

  It was the douse of cold water he needed. Fate had stepped in and saved him from making a colossal mistake. A mistake that could have cost him a friendship and the very carefully erected walls he'd build around his heart. “Sorry.” He gave his head a rub to ease the sting.

  Did he really think he possessed enough self-control to stop with just a taste of Allie? He’d have gobbled her whole in a room full of her friends, embarrassing them both. It was better to never start something he had no intention of finishing. “I think that’s our cue to end the dance.”

  “Oh, look,” Allie said and pointed to the corner of the room. “They're cutting the cake.”

  “Are you going to cry again?”

  “No, but I think I'd like another glass of wine.”

  He didn't need her drunk and willing, that was for sure. “How about some cake to wash it down?” he suggested.

  “I'll get the cake,” she said. “You get the wine.”

  “Deal.”

  They met back at the table and ate, drank, and watched as the happy couple danced and mingled around the room. When the bride approached their table, Craig marveled at how the women hugged and preened as if the best of friends. If Allie hadn't told him she didn't like the bride, he would never have guessed.

  When the bride shifted to an adjacent table, Craig leaned over and asked, “So what is it you don't like about her again?”

  “I'm not sure anymore.” She played with the stem of her wineglass and pursed her lips in thought. “She was petty and jealous and sometimes mean.” She looked over her shoulder to where the bride hugged an older woman. “I think falling in love and being happy has changed her for the better.”

  “For a little while, at least.”

  “Come on, Craig,” she said. “I know you've been hurt in the worst possible way, but even you can't look at her, at them together, and think anything but the best for them.”

  “I wish them luck,” he said. “They're going to need it.”

  “My parents had a terrible marriage. To this day, my mother is bitter and angry. My father moved on and he's been married now for almost twenty years.” She looked him square in the eye. “Don't be like my mother, Craig. Don't choose to be unhappy.”

  “I'm not unhappy, Allie. Being alone doesn't mean I'm unhappy.”

  “Choosing to be alone forever may feel like the safe option, but being safe and being happy are two completely different things.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is that free advice, or do I owe you something for your analysis?”

  “Just keep your eyes open for the possibility of love. It's out there, Craig, for both of us. I, for one, am going to be ready when it arrives.”

  She would, Craig knew. She'd fall head over heels into the arms of some lucky bastard who could never appreciate all the fascinating aspects of Allie. He knew it would happen sooner rather than later and would bring an abrupt end to their friendship. Damn shame, he thought, because he'd never had a friend quite like Allie.

  Chapter 24

  Craig used one hand to balance on the ladder and used his other to retrieve his ringing cell phone. He was going to turn it off and continue spackling the drywall when he saw Mark's name on the display.

  “Hey,” he said, dropping the trowel and carefully descending the rungs. “What's up?”

  “You're a hard man to get in touch with,” Mark said. “I called you on Saturday and you didn't answer. Big date?”

  He knew he should lie, tell Mark he'd gone out with some woman he'd met online, but he'd never felt comfortable lying to his little brother. They'd been through too much, shared too many things for him to be so callous. “I had a wedding.”

  “A wedding? Whose?”

  Mark had always been nosey. “No one you know.”

  “You put on a suit and went to a wedding and all for someone I don't know? Now I'm not just curious, but intrigued. What gives?”

  Damn it, did the man have any responsibilities at work? “Fine, I'll tell you, but I don't want you giving me any grief.” He sighed and gritted his teeth before saying, “I went to a wedding with Allie. She needed a date. End of story.”

  “End of story? Sounds like the beginning of the story to me.”

  “Look, you were friends with Allie for years, so I'm not sure why you have such a hard time believing the two of us are just friends.”

  “I was friends with Allie because I was in love with Carolyn. Which is actually why I'm calling, but you don't have an excuse to be just friends with Allie.”

  “Sure I do. She's a woman in the classic sense of the word. She's bossy and nosey and full of opinions.” And beautiful and vulnerable and so damn multilayered that she kept him on his toes every time they were together. When he'd dropped her off at her house, she'd kissed him on the cheek and he'd almost—almost—turned his head and discovered her exact flavor. His last thread of sanity and the offhand remark she'd made on the ride home about going to church the next morning were the only things that had kept him from giving in.

  “And beautiful, and available, and probably hoping for a little Archer love. I don't know what happened to you, man, but you never used to try so hard to hide your conquests.”

  “Allie's not a conquest, you ass, she's a friend. Why is that so hard to believe?”

  “Because I've known you all my life and I'm not stupid. The more you deny it, Craig, the more I know there's something going on. Just admit it. Do you think I'd have a problem with it?”

  “There's nothing to admit other than the fact that you're wrong. Why are you calling me?”

  Mark huffed out an impatient breath. “Carolyn and I could use a night alone. Any chance Leah can hang out with you on Saturday night, maybe have a sleepover?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Of course. I'm meeting a potential client Saturday afternoon in Buckhead at three. I could pick her up on my way back, say five or so?”

  “Perfect. She'll be excited. She wants to see that Katherine Heigl movie and Carolyn doesn't think it's appropriate.”

  “Are you warning me or telling me to let her watch it?”

  “It's your call.”

  “But I'll catch hell from Carolyn if I let her watch it?”

  “Not if she doesn't find out.”

  “You think Leah will keep her mouth shut? Not a chance.”

  “That's why it's your call,” Mark said. “Listen, I've got a meeting. I'll have her ready on Saturday.”

  ***

  Allie reluctantly answered an email from LoveFinders when half the week had gone by and Craig h
adn't called. She needed to get over her fascination with him and move on with her life. Greg Wallace, a six-foot-three, brown hair, brown-eyed environmental engineer seemed as a good a way as any to stop obsessing about Craig.

  Why wouldn't he call? The better question, the one she knew she didn't want to answer, was why she wanted him to call. He'd been so compassionate with her at the wedding, admitting his most tortured secret to ease her embarrassment and pain. He was alone by choice and, if the circumstances were reversed, she might very well have chosen the same. Their circumstances weren't the same, and she wasn't about to turn her back on the possibility of love. Suffering through bad and mediocre dates was a small price to pay for finding love at the end of her rainbow. Her date with Greg, so far, hovered somewhere around the vicinity of mediocre.

  “So what does an environmental engineer do, exactly?” she asked over a late afternoon coffee.

  “I'm basically a consultant. I mainly work with the oil and gas industry and help them navigate the myriad of governmental regulations.” He took a sip of his black coffee and chuckled as he set the cup on the table. “I don't know how you lean politically, but the current administration has been a boon to our business.”

  Allie cringed. A disagreement about politics could end the afternoon fast. “I try not to discuss politics on first dates.”

  “That's probably smart. I'm all about saving the environment—obviously—but some of these regulations are down right crazy. The oil industry in particular is getting hammered. If I didn't have family in Louisiana who worked off shore and know first hand how the oil and gas industry supports entire towns and regions of the country, it'd be easy to shake my fist at the big corporations. As it stands, I just keep my head down and try to do my job the best I can. I figure, hey, I'm not the one writing the regulations, I'm just trying to help companies operate within their boundaries. I wish my family felt the same.”

  “That's got to be tough, Greg. Do they give you a hard time?”

  “Yeah, but then I come home in my new Mercedes and suddenly saving the planet is cool again.”

  Oh, goodness. That was the second time he'd mentioned his car. Not another one of those guys. “So you're from Louisiana?”