“Not that hair.” Grace glanced down at her crotch and raised one eyebrow. “Things are definitely changing colors.”
“Oh.” Joy placed a hand over her mouth, unable to control her giggles. “I, um, haven’t had that issue just yet.”
“That’s because you’re a blonde,” Hope said, laughing with her. This was what she loved most in her life. The time she spent with her girlfriends filled her soul. Who needed ex-boyfriends when she had this in her life?
“Grace?” a man called from a few tables away.
Hope turned and spotted a tall handsome man with silver hair and green eyes holding a cup of coffee. Matt something. He was the man who’d purchased one of the haunted houses Grace sold earlier in the year. And damn, was he sexy. She couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to skinny dip in his hot tub. Lucas immediately popped into her mind, making guilt wash over her, and she wanted to scream. She had nothing to feel guilty about. Lucas was not her boyfriend.
Not now. But how long until he is? she asked herself.
She gritted her teeth against the thought and put Lucas out of her mind. Nothing good would come from considering getting back together with him.
“Matt!” Grace jumped out of her seat and rushed over to him, giving him a quick hug. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. What have you been up to?”
“Oh, you know. Spending time at the beach with my kids and their families. But they’ve left now and it’s just me. I’ve been working remotely. Can’t beat sitting on the deck during conference calls, right?”
“Sounds fabulous.” She turned back to the table. “Joy, Hope, you remember Matt Dahl, right?”
“Sure,” Joy said.
“Who could forget Matt?” Hope said, smiling at him. “He’s the most eligible bachelor in town.”
He chuckled. “Grace didn’t think so.”
Grace’s face turned pink as she flushed. “Hey now. I was and still am dating someone else.”
“My loss.” Matt turned his attention back to Hope and eyed her. Now that’s who I should’ve asked out. All those gorgeous black curls would look fantastic splayed over my pillow.
Hope was momentarily speechless. Holy shit. Was this her life now? Hearing Matt’s unguarded thoughts was unsettling. What would he have done if he’d heard her first thoughts about him? Drag her off to his beach house? There was a reason people didn’t just blurt out every thought they had. It wasn’t civilized.
“Did you want to join us?” Grace asked.
Hope shot her a glare, but she was too busy focusing on Matt to notice.
“Sure.” He took the empty seat next to Hope and placed his coffee cup on the table. “How’ve you been, Hope?”
“Good.” She took a sip of her coffee and stared out the window at the incredible view.
“I heard the open house at Against the Grain was a huge hit,” he added. “It’s all anyone is talking about this morning.”
She turned to stare at him. “It is?”
“Sure. A couple members of the bird watcher’s club were out front talking about it, and earlier when I stopped at the post office, the lady in front of me was raving about the new woodworker in town.”
Hope snorted. She just bet she was. “The bird watcher’s club? None of those ladies were there last night.”
“They were reading the glowing writeup about it in the Premonition Perspective.”
That was the gossip rag in town that came out once a week. “At least it was positive.”
“Oh, our bestie is the talk of the town,” Grace said. “Hope, I bet your voicemail is going to be overflowing with new clients later today.”
“We’ll see,” Hope said, brushing off the prediction. She was still certain that most everyone was just wagging their tongues about Lucas moving back to town.
“I hope you’re not too busy for dinner,” Matt said, giving her a sexy half smile.
A vision of Matt pressing her up against the wall and devouring her mouth flashed in her mind, and for the life of her, she had no idea if that was her thought or his. “I—”
“Of course she does,” Joy said. “In fact, she’s been dying to go to that new place on Ocean. Abalone? Right, Hope?”
“Right.” Hope shook her head, already knowing there was no backing out of this without looking like a complete jackass.
“So have I,” Matt said, grinning at her. “What do you say, Hope? Are you free for dinner Friday night? I could get us reservations at Abalone and then we could take a drive up the coast to watch the sunset.”
“Yes,” Grace and Joy said at the same time.
Hope rolled her eyes. “I think my social directors have spoken.”
Matt nodded. “Yeah, I heard them. But I’m a lot more interested in your answer.”
The playfulness was gone, and his sincerity touched her. How could she say no to that? He was sexy and fun and not Lucas. “Yes. I’d love to.”
The scene of him pressing her up against the wall flashed in her mind again just as something that looked a lot like desire flashed in his eyes. Then he said, “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me, too.” But as soon as she said the words, she knew it was a lie. All she felt was anxiety.
He handed her his phone. “Mind putting your info in there? I’ll call you to confirm the time.”
She did as he asked, and a moment later he was saying his goodbyes and walking away. After the café door closed behind him, she turned on her friends. “What is wrong with you two?”
“What?” Grace asked, but Joy at least had the decency to look ashamed of herself.
“You guys left me no way of backing out of that gracefully. Now I have to have dinner with him on Friday, and then I have a date with Benji on Saturday.”
“And you’re complaining, why?” Joy asked with both eyebrows raised. She has no idea what I’d do for a date with just one hot guy, much less two.
Hope sighed. How could she sit there and complain about a robust dating life when one of her besties was having such a hard time getting her husband to pay attention to her. She forced a smile and said, “Not complaining. Just a little surprised. It’s been a while since I’ve juggled dating two men.”
Grace placed her fist to her mouth and pretended to cough as she said, “Three.”
“Not three,” Hope insisted. “Just Matt and Benji. Lucas doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Sure. If you say so,” Grace said, winking at her. “But we’ll see.”
Chapter Seven
“I’m out,” Grace said. “I have a house showing in ten.” She got up and held her arms out, waiting for her hug.
Hope reluctantly got to her feet, still annoyed at her friend. Grace was in a happy relationship, with a younger guy no less. She wasn’t having any problems in the bedroom department. If Joy hadn’t been there, Hope would’ve let her have it for pushing her into a date with Matt. She leaned in, gave Grace a hug, and said, “We’ll be discussing this later. You know that, right?”
Grace chuckled and whispered back, “I had no doubt. Just go easy on Joy.”