Page 45 of Chasing After You
But I don’t care about the Danishes right now. Or the muffins.
I’m far more interested in what just happened between him and Renee that’s got him gawking at her like she’s magic come to life.
NESSA
“Oliver, meet Renee,” I make the introduction when both parties seem too tongue-tied to say much of anything. “Renee, meet Oliver.”
When they still don’t break from the trance they’ve been under ever since they locked eyes, I take the tray of pastries from Oliver and give him a gentle shove in her direction. “Use your words, Oliver. You’re a surgeon for shit’s sake. You can make small talk.”
Renee’s eyes about plop out of her head at the mention of his credentials, like her wildest dreams just came to life. Clearly, nerdy does it for her the way musician does for me.
I hook my arm in Matti’s and veer him away. “Come on. Maybe if we leave, they’ll be forced to remember their social skills.”
“You realize they’re having a sort of romantic connection there, yes?” Matti hisses, less confounded by my willingness to let it all unfold and more just smug.
“That was pretty hard to miss, Matti.”
“So,” he pauses, grinning from ear to ear as we slow to a stop near the barn’s aisleway leading to the stalls, “we’re officially admitting it now? That you’re not actually here with Oliver?”
I take a big bite of my second muffin. They’re blueberry banana and delicious. I think. I can’t tell. Nerves are making me scarf them down so fast my tastebuds barely have a chance to assess them. “Matti,” I say, gulping down the big bite I took, wholly preparing to avoid admitting to anything outright. “If Iwere here with Oliver, why on earth would I be spending all this time with you?”
“That is a terrific question.” Roni practically thrusts herself between us, dragging Clark with her at such force, he pretty much smacks into her when she comes to a sudden standstill. “Where’s the doctor? You know, handsome man, yay high, sweet disposition, stable, secure -”
“And making googly eyes at another woman,” Matti finishes her sentence for her.
Her face falls. “I don’t believe you.”
“Babe.” Clark nudges her side. “Look.” He points across the room.
Where Oliver and Renee could barely utter a word three minutes ago, now their exchange is so spirited their connection has become a living, breathing thing. They’re so lit up in each other, the rest of the world appears to have dimmed around them.
“No!” my sister whines. “How did this happen?”
Then she turns, accusing finger stabbing Matti right in the chest. “You!” She scowls at him. “You just had to show up here and screw up our plans. Do you know how hard it was to pull this off? To hide all the reservations and tickets and plans required to accommodate four other people from Nessa for seven whole months? Let alone find a man who was not only good enough for her, but willing to go on a blind date vacation?”
“Isn’t there a reality show like that?” Matti asks, clearly attempting to derail her.
“It’s not a blind date vacation,” she huffs, unwittingly taking the bait. “Two strangers get stranded on a tropical island.”
“Kind of like Survivor meets the bachelor, huh?”
“Yeah,” she agrees, though obviously annoyed by the analogy. “Kind of.” Then she seems to remember she was pissed, and her mouth flies open again. Presumably, to rant some more.
We’ll never know.
Because the rest of our party joins us, Vale leading the pack. “There you are. Come on,” he hooks his arm, gesturing for all of us to follow him. “I’ve had enough of people. I booked us a private tour of the barn and horses. And then a trail ride for eight immediately after.”
“I guess I’ll catch up with you later,” Matti rumbles near my ear.
I just watch as he starts to split off from the group.
“Whoa, where are you going?” Vale stops him. “I just said I booked it for a group of eight. Why are you messing up my numbers.”
Matti casts a sideways glance in Oliver’s direction. “Your number eight is over there.”
“Nah.” Vale waves his hand, dismissing him. “He’s hanging back to take Renee out for lunch when she goes on break.”
“Are you serious?” Tori apparently only just now caught up to current events. “Oliver already ditched Nessa?”
