Page 13 of Love Under Review

“I look forward to our article. Do you have a topic in mind?”

For once, her face softened, and he was surprised at how soft her skin looked. Shaking her head, she said, “Let me think about it. We can discuss it at the wedding.”

“You want to discuss writing an article at your best friend’s wedding?” Liam had thought she was a bit intense, but he hadn’t realized she was that devoted to her work.

Frowning, she shrugged. “You’re right. I’ll probably be running errands all day for Becca. We can meet at the diner on Sunday.”

He tried to hold in a chuckle, but her ears perked up, and she turned to look at him. “What’s so funny?”

“The diner is closed on Sundays.” He wondered how long it had been since she’d actually been home. But it seemed like the diner had always had the same hours of operation. Maybe she just wasn’t thinking clearly.

She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it with a humbled expression. “Okay, the park, then. Bring your own lunch.”

“Sounds good. See you then.”

For some reason, Liam couldn’t wait. This was going to be more fun than he’d thought when he walked into the newspaper office that morning. With Cari around, he wasn’t bored often, but a little teasing of the town reporter could make things even more interesting.

Chapter 8

The next evening, Danielle was more than ready for this bridal shower to be over. At the suggestion of her mother, she’d spent most of the night before coming up with games to entertain the guests. Thank goodness for Clip Board so she could keep a bunch of her ideas online and go through them after. She’d settled all the food with Velda after leaving the newspaper office.

The newspaper. She replayed the interaction she’d had with Liam and the giddy look he gave her when they’d agreed to have lunch. For some reason, his flashy smile and perfect teeth pushed several of her buttons.

She needed to forget about him, needed to focus on the task at hand, which was pulling off a shower for her best friend.

She’d spent the morning with her mother and Dottie Watkins, decorating the gazebo in the park. They’d ordered several dozen flowers from Becca under the guise that it would be used for an event at the city offices. The three of them had worked the flowers into the table decorations and around the poles of the gazebo.

“How can I help?” a deep voice asked from behind her.

Danielle turned, still holding the napkins she’d been arranging on the table, to find the guy she’d been trying to forget.

“Umm,” she tried to stall, glancing around the park to see what still needed to be done. “You could get out the Jenga game if you want. Just set it on the table right over there.” She pointed to a small rectangular table to her left.

Liam stepped over to the table, picking up the box. “Jenga, huh? I haven’t played this game in a while. What are you using it for tonight?”

Danielle finished with the napkins and grabbed a handful of forks from the box, placing them in the wire holder she’d borrowed from her mom. With the white tablecloths and the bits of purple, the park didn’t look half bad considering she’d begun most of it twenty-four hours before.

She pointed to the game Liam had unboxed and was steadily trying to keep in a single tower. “That is for Doubles Jenga.”

He laughed, knocking over a few of the pieces as he tried to add more. “What other games did you have in mind?”

Danielle sank into a folding chair next to one of the tables. It had been a long day, and she needed a rest.

“Bingo based on what gifts you think will be given, bride and groom trivia,” she said, pulling out a piece of paper from her back pocket. She scanned her writing, trying to remember the last of it. “There is also a ‘guess how much candy is in the jar’ and sharing favorite date ideas for the couple.”

With one eyebrow raised, Liam smirked. “Is this what most bridal showers are like?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to any, let alone one where the guys are invited. I just went with some ideas I found online.” She folded her paper back up and pulled out her phone. Fifteen minutes. “Where is Cari?”

“Playing at the neighbor’s. She asked about you earlier, wondering if you could come help build a sandcastle.”

“What did you say?” Danielle tilted her head to one side, curious to hear his answer.

Liam’s bright teeth shined through his smile. “I just said we’d have to ask you the next time we saw you.”

Talking floated to her ears, and she turned, seeing several of the ladies of Sage Creek walking in their direction. The sooner everyone showed up, the faster this thing would be done.

“Was this a surprise for the happy couple?” Liam asked, reminding her that he was behind her.

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