This Can't Be Love (Whispering Bay Romance 5)

His smile faded.

Win a date with Luke Powers?

Was this for real?

He must be in the middle of some kind of bad dream. Or maybe he’d just misunderstood them. Sarah was right. He wasn’t getting enough sleep.

Stacey handed him what looked like an invitation. “I’m in charge of the silent auction, but don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything. Just show up the night of the auction looking fabulous, which won’t be a problem, and, of course, go on a date with the winner.”

He glanced down at the card in his hand. The Sunny Day Preschool Program invites you to a night of Dinner, Dancing and Fun! Join us Saturday the 10th at six pm. Please bring a covered dish and remember, all proceeds will go toward the purchase of new playground equipment.

“You look surprised,” Stacey said, noting his reaction. “Your mom did tell you about this, right?”

Shit. So this was no dream.

“Of course, she did,” he lied. “Happy to help out, but, uh, can’t I just make a contribution instead? I mean, how much money could a date with me really raise?”

> The women all laughed like it was the funniest thing they’d ever heard. Luke tried to tamp down his irritation. Obviously, he was providing his hometown with some much-needed entertainment.

Jody stopped laughing long enough to say, “That is just so darn sweet of you! And, of course, we won’t say no to your money, so contribute away. But we expect to make a lot of money off you on this date. Plus, we’ve already included you in the silent auction brochure. It goes to the printing press this afternoon, and we don’t want to disappoint the single women of Whispering Bay!” She glanced at her watch. “Ladies! It’s almost time for morning yoga class. We’d better get moving.”

They all took turns hugging him goodbye before they walked out the door.

“Luke Powers!” came a familiar male voice.

Now what?

Luke turned to find Rusty Newton, a good ol’ local boy and one of Zeke’s deputies, grinning at him. The two men shook hands. “Hey, Rusty.”

“Haven’t seen you in ages,” Rusty said. “What you been up to?”

Luke made nice with Rusty and before he knew it, half the café had surrounded him, all shaking his hand and asking a myriad of questions. Where had he been all this time? What did he think of his little sister being mayor? And his personal favorite, Why wasn’t he married already?

He answered them all as best he could, deftly avoiding the last question.

A woman wearing a Gray Flamingos T-shirt and a Boston Red Sox baseball cap stared him up and down like he was a prize hog at the local fair. “You’re the Luke Powers everyone is talking about? Mimi’s brother?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, wondering if he’d ever met her before. He didn’t think he had, but then, he didn’t know everyone in town. Just most everyone.

She slapped her hands together in glee. “Betty Jean Collins here. You’ve probably already heard of me. I moved to town a couple of years ago. Retired from Boston. Divorced three times. But even in their primes, none of my husbands were ever as hot as you.” She winked at him.

Before he could respond to that (as if he could) Grandma Cougar linked her arm through his. “Come with us!” she said, leading him to a table where a couple of other senior citizens were seated. One was his former sixth grade teacher, Viola Pantini, and the other was an older gentleman named Roger Van Cleave.

“Luke!” Mrs. Pantini said, giving him a hug. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you!”

“How are you, Mrs. Pantini?”

“Oh, please, call me Viola. It’s been years since we’ve been in the classroom. Sit down and tell us what you’ve been up to.”

He tried to turn the conversation back to them, discovering in the process that Viola’s niece Jenna was the newly hired city manager, and that Roger had taken over part ownership of the local paper, the Whispering Bay Gazette, something he vaguely remembered hearing about from Mimi, since the other owner was Zeke’s sister, Allie.

“I understand your business is going fabulously,” Viola said. “Your mother is always bragging on you, but then, who wouldn’t? A smart, handsome and successful man like yourself. It’s a shame that you can’t say the same for your sex life.”

Good thing he didn’t have his coffee yet, or he would have choked on it. “Excuse me?” He must have heard her wrong, because he could have sworn—”

“I play bridge with your mother,” Viola said. “We always know what’s going on with you.” She sighed. “My poor Jenna is just like you, hardworking, always on top of whatever she does, but she can never seem to find the right man. Now don’t get me wrong. The whole family is proud of her, but she needs to slow down and smell the coffee.”

“You mean smell the testosterone, don’t you?” Betty Jean said. “Because what does coffee have to do with her not finding a man?”