Page 65 of One Sweet Match Up

Wait a minute.He leaned forward. He’d seen that smile before. Grabbing the remote, he hit stop and rewind, pausing on the pretty brunette.

Who had the brightest blue eyes he’d stared into only a couple of hours ago.

Holy shit. It was Zoe.

He sat back on the bed, stunned. No. It couldn’t be.

But the evidence was right there on the screen, and the more he studied the woman’s features, the more he was confident that she was in fact Zoe. Same build, same wide smile, same blue eyes.

All that was different was her hair color.

He’d thought she looked familiar when he met her the night of the blizzard. How did she end up in Buttermilk Falls?

His eyes narrowed. And why did she move from a major city to a town in the middle of nowhere that happened to be his hometown?

Was she here for revenge? He jumped off the bed and began pacing, his thoughts spinning out of control. Was this all a game? Was he dealing with a crazy woman hell-bent on getting even? Was her throwing herself on him today part of her plan?

“But she didn’t even want anything to do with me at first,” he said out loud.

He stopped pacing, raking his hand through his hair. Even if this wasn’t some act of revenge, the fact was Zoe Mathews had been lying to him.

He needed some answers, but would Zoe even tell him the truth? Bending down, he retrieved the lavender purse from under the bed, holding it in the air. “Did you know about this?” he asked it, or rather Mary.

Frustrated, he plunged his hand in. His pulse quickened at the feel of something flat and glossy. A beat later, he pulled out a red and white playing card and flicked it over.

A jester in a three-pointed hat, holding a white rose, smiled up at him. The word “Joker” on the bottom right corner.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He threw the purse on the bed and shoved the playing card in his back pocket, storming out of his room.

The hell he’d be played for a fool by his former line cook.

Zoe walkeddown the hill toward the Lakeside Inn, sliding her tongue over her top teeth, hoping she didn’t have red lipstick on them. She hadn’t had a lot of time to get ready for the impromptu engagement party, rushing around her apartment and throwing on the only party dress she owned, a black dress with a low neckline.

Overdressed for this gathering or not, she secretly hoped Donovan would enjoy removing it later.

With only that thought in mind, her cheeks heated before she even got inside.

Today was amazing. She’d gone after exactly what she wanted—and got it!

Being with Donovan had been every fantasy come true. The sex had been hot and fast, but even still, she’d felt their incredible connection. She hoped he did, too.

Stepping onto the porch, she entered the inn. Excited to congratulate the happy couple, yes, but seeing Donovan was the reason her heart beat hard.

She moved through the foyer, taking in the beautiful furnishings, including the deep mahogany half-twist staircase. She hadn’t been here since opening the old hope chest with Rachel, Bethany, and Adam.

One point to Mary for getting it right. It was way too early to know if Donovan was her soul mate, but she hoped they were going in the right direction. “Thank you, Mary, for the grease,” she whispered.

“Zoe!” Abby came up to her, dressed in a modest green sheath dress.

Okay, so her deep-cut party dress might be a little too fancy. She made no move to take off her coat. “I’m so happy to be here to celebrate with everyone. Thank you for inviting me.” She meant that. Yeah, she couldn’t wait to see Donovan, but it also felt amazing to be included. These wonderful townspeople were becoming her friends. It had taken months, but she finally didn’t feel so alone. Moving to Buttermilk Falls had been the best decision she ever made.

She smiled inwardly. This afternoon proved it.

“We’re glad you’re here.” Abby touched Zoe’s coat. “Let me take that for you.”

“Don’t bother. She’s not staying.”

Zoe glanced to the side to see Donovan approach, holding a beer bottle to his lips.

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