“Or not,” Stacey said. “It was sort of terrible.”
“I liked it,” Isobel insisted.
“Nerd,” Stacey said, blowing her best friend a kiss.
Conversation shifted back to the book, most of the group indeed agreeing that it was at least boring if not downright awful.
Jordan tried to pay attention, but it was hard to care when she hadn’t read the book. Even harder to focus when her mind kept going to Luke Elliott, for reasons that had nothing to do with why she was in Montana in the first place.
And then, as though the Universe was keeping an eye on her, maybe judging her a little bit, Jordan’s phone buzzed.
She winced. It was her boss.
“Excuse me a moment,” she murmured to the group, before walking back toward the front door, where she’d spotted a small office nook.
“Raven, hi!” she said, answering the phone and injecting enthusiasm into her voice.
“Hey, babe. Sorry to be bugging you on a weekend night, but it’s been a crazy week; this is the first free minute I’ve gotten.”
“No prob; what’s up?”
“So, I tried to get approval on the increased salary for your guy.”
“And?”
“No can do. I t
hink they’re open to spending more, but not until they know the guy’s even interested in negotiations, you know? You get him to that point yet?”
Not even close.
Jordan blew out a breath and leaned against the desk. Decided to face the music. “Honestly, Raven? No. He hasn’t given me the slightest indication that he’s even considering it. I think he might be a lost cause.”
“But you think he’s the one?”
Jordan opened her mouth. Closed it, considered, then answered more carefully. “He’s exactly the type of reluctant sex appeal that could make this a hit.”
“I hear a but,” her boss said moodily.
“The problem is, the reluctant part is genuine. He’s got no interest in this. Truly. He’s a simple guy who drives a truck and drinks black coffee from a chipped mug.”
Expensive coffee, but still.
“He’s not playing coy when he says he doesn’t want to be on TV,” Jordan continued. “I don’t think there’s a single thing I can say to make the idea appeal to him.”
“Shit,” Raven muttered. “Thinking. I’m thinking….So he’s a good guy, right?”
Jordan blinked. “Yeah. Definitely.” Annoyingly stubborn but good. Good kisser…
“Then what happened with the three brides? Good guys don’t leave one woman at the altar, much less three.”
“Ah—”
Raven groaned. “Jordan. Tell me you got the scoop there.”
She ran a hand over her hair, not wanting to say out loud that she hadn’t gotten the scoop, because she was finding she liked these people too much to pry.
“Jordie,” Raven said, sounding exasperated. “Find out. There’s got to be dirt there.”