One minute Violet was listening to her newest audiobook; the next she was staring in horror at the busted grille and sagging bumper of a pearly-white Land Rover.
“I’m so sorry,” she said to the serious-looking man walking toward her. “I can’t think how it happened.”
“Can’t you?” his deep voice drawled. “Maybe I can help you figure it out. Were you texting your boyfriend?”
She couldn’t help smiling at his question. The fact that she didn’t have a boyfriend had been a popular topic over the Memorial Day weekend. If she hadn’t been aware of the direness of this situation before, she had no doubts about it now. “No, I wasn’t. Would you like to check my phone?”
He ignored her attempt at humor, choosing instead to inspect the damage to their respective vehicles. The situation reminded her of a show she’d seen recently where a dating expert illustrated different ways to meet men. Running into their car had been one of the more humorous examples. Violet couldn’t have executed this plan any better if she tried, nor could she complain about the result.
The man crouching next to her ten-year-old Fiat was tall enough to make even her feel short. That didn’t happen often when you were five-eleven. His striped polo shirt and jeans fit his wide shoulders and narrow hips like a glove. Costa sunglasses rested in his light brown hair, and his eyes were the color of polished steel. In the words of her Aunt Anita, he was the cat’s meow.
He rose to his feet, dusting off his hands. “This isn’t your first rodeo, is it?”
“Actually, it is. With the exception of today, the rest of those scratches and dents were there when I inherited Leonie.”
For the first time since he stepped out of his vehicle something close to humor entered his handsome face. “In other words, you probably won’t bother to have it, I mean Leonie, repaired.”
Her lips twitched at the correction. “That’s right. Shouldn’t we be calling the police?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. I’ve got a friend who owns a body shop.”
She reached into her purse. “Let me give you my insurance information.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, turning to walk away.
“But it’s my fault. I should have been paying attention.”
He stopped and glanced over his shoulder, an attractive grin forming on his lips. “I agree, but there’s no point in raising your insurance rates over what amounts to a fender bender. Just watch where you’re going from now on. The owner of the next car you back into might not be so distracted by that pretty smile of yours.”
Distracted by her pretty smile? Where had that come from? He’d gone from ice cold to oozing charm in ten seconds. Some people just couldn’t make up their minds.
After giving him a decent head start, Violet left the rest area. Her clean accident record was still intact, but only because of Mr. Wonderful’s kindness. If she hadn’t been so tired from three days of nonstop activity, she might not have done such a stupid thing.
From the moment she arrived at Millicent’s house in Chattanooga on Friday afternoon, she’d been swept up in all the activities of a reunion weekend with a few of her college friends. This included several late-night sessions where everyone provided details about the current man in their life. Violet’s contribution had been sadly lacking.
A quick glance at her phone confirmed that she wouldn’t roll into Columbus until almost ten. She would have been further along if she hadn’t stopped in Dalton. The sight of a Carter’s outlet store had been too much of atemptation to pass up. She’d spent a happy hour browsing the racks and shelves buying baby clothes for her nephew Micah and her friend Holly’s daughter Rebecca.
Hopefully Rachel remembered to feed Bluebell. Her best friend and roommate had become increasingly absentminded since she met Pierre, an exchange student from France. Not that Violet could blame her. If she hada guy whispering sweet nothings in French into her ear, she’d walk around with her head in the clouds, too.
A sigh escaped her lips. Her own Prince Charming didn’t seem to be in any hurry to make an appearance. Her dating life had gone from a dribble to a dry creek bed. She hadn’t given up on finding love, but she was starting to wonder if love had given up on her.
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My books are sweet romances set in both contemporary and regency settings featuring stories about the journey to love, from that first meeting to the point where two people know their hearts are no longer their own. My characters aren’t perfect. They make mistakes and have faults like the rest of us. They learn the sometimes painful truth that the path to love isn’t always smooth, but it’s a road worth traveling.
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