Can't Hurry Love
Chapter 12

"Morning, sunshine."

Beth jumped at the voice behind her, and she turned to glare up at Josh Larson. A waste of time since he couldn't see the daggers she was shooting him behind her very dark, very much needed sunglasses.

She'd barely gotten a wink of sleep last night, and it had taken a monumental effort and about six gallons of caffeine to get her here this morning.

"Don't you have patients to see? Lives to save?" she asked by way of greeting. "For a doctor, you sure do seem to have a lot of spare time to annoy me. And," she continued, in her stride now, "to pop up and scare the crap out of me." His dimpled grin made her heart flip, which only made her mood darken.

All night, she'd alternated between giving herself pep talks, convincing herself that the speed dating event would turn up some fabulous boyfriend, and wondering how she'd ever be able to fall for someone else when she couldn't stop thinking about the Adonis smirking down at her now.

"I come in peace," he said, holding out a coffee cup from her bakery. "Triple shot skinny latte with sweetener." "Jenna told you my coffee order?" she asked as she took the cup. "I hope she charged you full price."

His laugh did funny things to her insides, so she tried to ignore it.

"I didn't need her to tell me, and yes, I paid full price.

Even left money in the tip jar."

Despite herself, she smiled at how pleased with himself he sounded.

Why did he have to be so charming? And so ridiculously handsome?

If he'd looked like the back of a horse with a personality to match, she wouldn't be desperately trying to find a match at this thing. She'd still feel as if she had time to find someone perfect if he hadn't come along and been perfect. "So, is Prince Charming joining us this morning? Or is he grounded for staying out too late last night?"

And just like that, he was a little less perfect.

"Did you come here just to torment me? Or are you here to fall in love?"

Her question seemed to freeze the air around them for a second, but then that easy grin made another appearance and the moment passed.

"To answer your first question, it's my day off, and I'm here in my capacity as town doctor out of the goodness of my heart. All sorts of things can happen on a hike." He paused before the grin became wolfish. "Tormenting you is just as added bonus."

"Bite me,” she whispered, just as Paige called the group to attention.

His bark of laughter rang out around the parking lot at the start of the trail they'd be taking, causing everyone to turn and look at them.

To Beth's relief, Gerald hadn't made an appearance this morning. She was already feeling guilty about the way his face had fallen when she'd let him down as gently as she could. If he'd turned up this morning, she'd probably have felt bad enough to spend the day with him.

Paige and Sheriff Callahan started talking the group through the trail, the health and safety briefings that Beth knew like the back of her hand, as did most of Rocky Valley's residents, so she let her eye wander around the group. It was another good turn-out. She recognised plenty of faces from last night. She also noticed that others were missing. Namely her brothers, the Wakefield twins, and some of the women they'd been talking to last night.

Wasn't it just typical that her brothers, who had never shown an interest in relationships, could swoop in and treat the festival like a hunting ground, yet there were men here who were clearly taking it seriously being left partnerless? Nobody in the group particularly caught her eye, but she refused to let that put her off. Her soulmate could be standing right here right now. And just because she wasn't immediately attracted to any of the participants didn't mean that a conversation by the river or a chat at tonight's speed dating event couldn't change all that, couldn't reveal the man she was meant to be with, right under her nose.

"You ready?"

Beth blinked as Josh's voice interrupted her over-active imaginings, and she realized that the group had started out.

He held a hand out to her, but she ignored it and brushed past him.

What if the man she was meant to be with was right under her nose and he didn't want her?

It wasn't the best feeling in the world having Beth stomp away from him, but he couldn't complain about the view. This desire for her was getting out of hand. He knew it, but he couldn't stop it. Why did he find everything about her fascinating or sexy as hell?

She was so tiny that even with her nose stuck in the air, she barely reached his shoulder.

He laughed to himself as she stumbled over a rock in her rush to reach the group and leave him behind.

Josh had spent his whole life surrounded by women who spent a year's salary on looking perfectly put together. Yet Beth Carroway in denim cut-offs and a white t-shirt, with her curls bundled into a messy ponytail, left them all in the shade. She was rattier than usual this morning, her natural bubbliness a little subdued, and he found himself desperate to bring it back. Even though nine times out of ten he'd been the reason for it. He'd hoped that the coffee would be a peace offering after he'd laughed at her disastrous date last night. But how could he confess the jealousy that ate at him every time she talked about this damned matchmaking festival? How could he explain the relief when that kid had shown up with his daisies, instead of someone who stood a chance with her?

He couldn't.

First, because it was unfair to her. And second, because he didn't fully understand it himself.

Last night Josh had sat at his window staring at the darkened bakery, thinking about her. About how good she'd looked in that little black dress... about how her eyes deepened to a winter ocean when she was angry with him... about how she'd felt in his arms...

And he knew, terrifying as the thought was, that if he'd never met Elaine, if he'd never experienced the horror of his first marriage, nothing would have stopped him falling head over heels in love with the feisty bundle of blond.

But he had met Elaine, and he had gone through what he had, and whether it made sense or not, it had changed him too much to allow him jump headlong into anything. Even knowing that didn't stop him from turning up to these things just to torture them both, though.

The guilt that always slithered under the surface suddenly slammed into him. What was he playing at? Why couldn't he just let her find happiness and be happy for her? Be the bigger man and walk away?

He looked up to see that Beth had caught up with the group, watched as one of the men dressed up like an overgrown Boy Scout sidled over to her side, practically drooling as he neared. And all thoughts of being the bigger man and doing the decent thing disappeared.

He would be able to walk away, he told himself as he picked up the pace, as soon as someone worthy of her came along.

But she wasn't going to find what she was looking for in this group.

He'd hang around a bit longer just to make sure she didn't fall for the wrong sort of man.