Page 14 of Rumors in Bayberry
She chose to ignore the way his words brought a smile to her lips.Maybe he needed a nudge.“I suppose if you’re afraid of losing…”
“Wait.I didn’t say I was afraid of losing.I just hadn’t come up with what I want when I win.”
“Oh, you’re gonna win, huh?”She grinned at him.
He puffed up his broad chest as he grinned back at her.“Yes, I am.Looks like I better take you up on this bet before your head swells any further.So, if I win, you go out with me.”
She wasn’t sure she was hearing him correctly.“As in a date?”
He smiled like a Cheshire cat.“Exactly.”
She paused.She hadn’t expected their haggling to move to this level, but he was awfully cute.And it appeared both of them were single, so what could it hurt?Besides, she was going to win.She was very good at mazes.
“Okay.You have a deal.Well, come on.We have to hurry.”
She didn’t know why she was so intent on spending time with Reed.It wasn’t like she knew much about him.Then again, maybe that was the draw.The reporter in her wanted to learn his life story or at least the interesting bits.It was so tempting to lose on purpose just so she could have dinner with him.
Chapter Five
Ahaybalemaze.
Really?If only his business partner could see him now.
Still, it sounded fun.Perhaps he needed more of that in his life.
Reed smiled as they moved toward the entrance of the maze.Normally, he’d be back at his room at the Bayberry B&B, researching the lead Brad had given him about the Rosehill paper.He always had to stay a step or two ahead of the current paper he was evaluating.There wasn’t time to focus solely on one paper at a time.
Still, it was a sunny Saturday.Work could wait a little bit.After all, how long did it take to go through a maze?
He stood next to the beautiful Sadie.Her long brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her bangs framed her face.He found it much too easy to stare into green eyes.In fact, if he wasn’t careful, he would get lost in them.
He checked out the starting point and found there were four different entrances to the maze.“I take it I’m supposed to go in the opposite direction of you?”
She smiled and shrugged.“Go any direction you want.”
He narrowed his gaze on her.“Do you know something I don’t?”
“I was totally honest when I said I didn’t pay attention to the direction of the maze.”
He arched a brow.“And you wouldn’t fib just to get some free help for the weekend, would you?”
She crossed her heart with her finger.“Cross my heart.”
He supposed he’d have to take her word for it.“So, you might be going in the wrong direction?”
“I might be.We will see.So, you can follow me and see if I picked the right way to start.Or you can go in your own direction.”
“What way are you going?”
She pointed to the entrance farthest to the left.
He studied each of the four entrances.There was no sign that one entrance was any better than the other.This was all guesswork.He didn’t like working with a bunch of unknowns.But that was in his professional work.This was a maze just for fun and a possible date.
He pointed to the entrance that was two spots over from where Sadie was going to enter it.“Okay.Then I think I’ll go this way.”
“Are you ready?”When he nodded, she said, “On your mark, ready, set, go!”
And she was off and out of sight two seconds later.Part of him wanted to follow her, but the other part wanted to strike out on his own.Right or wrong, he entered the maze.
