Fixed up in February (Spring River Valley Book 2) by Clarice Wynter Read Free Book Online Page A

pick up a new battery. Want to go for a drive with me?”
    “Is this the second date? You take me to the garage to buy a battery for your car?”
    “I’d include dinner.”
    She rolled her eyes. Dead Battery Guy now had two stories, two mementos. She scrunched up the wet note from the sink and threw it back in the trash. “I can’t. I’m on duty at the hospital.” Why was she qualifying her refusal? She didn’t need to make up an excuse for not wanting to ride shotgun while he ran errands.
    “Too bad. It might have been fun.”
    “Yes, I usually get a big kick out of shopping for batteries.”
    “Prickly.”
    Ooh, she had a response for that, but she caught herself. No use playing his game. “Maybe you should go before you get jabbed.”
    “I will. But we’ll talk again soon, right?”
    “What for?”
    “So we can work out your problems with men. Don’t you want some expert advice on how to get over this slump you’re in?”
    “That’s what I have girlfriends for.”
    “And what advice have they given you?”
    “Stay away from axe murderers.”
    “Touché. Bye, Iron Audrey. It was nice hearing your voice.” He hung up and Audrey glared at the phone. Her nerves were shot from that short, annoying conversation. She wanted to scream, but what good would it do? Even if Max was here, he’d probably just calmly ask her how she planned to solve her problem. He was right on one count, though. She needed a new approach, and her first order of business was to get rid of all her mementos of bad dates and start new. No more talk about Appendix Guy, Goat Guy, Intestine Guy, Brain Guy…she would dump them all in the trash with Max’s note and never speak of them again.
     
    * * * *
     
    “So you talked to her?” Max balanced the studio phone on his shoulder while he uploaded digital pictures to his computer. He’d spent Tuesday at the lake taking some art shots of the ice on the water and wanted to get them cropped and onto the stock photo site as soon as possible. The phone slipped off his shoulder and clattered to the desk. “Sorry about that, what did you say?” he asked after scooping it up.
    “I said, yes, she finally did take my call.” Cassandra sounded exasperated, but to be fair, that was her usual tone.
    “And?”
    “Apparently you called her too. And she’s even madder at you.”
    He smirked. No she wasn’t. He’d put a bee in her bonnet, and he would have bet money Iron Audrey was more eager than ever to prove she could handle a second date. “So I got her hot under the collar, huh?”
    “Not in a good way. She thinks you’re arrogant and full of yourself, and sadly, I couldn’t dispute that, having grown up with you.”
    “Ah, but I’m not boring.”
    “She’s desperate for boring. In fact, I talked to John, and he’s feeling better.”
    Max grabbed the phone and pursed his lips. “She agreed to see that guy again?”
    “Again? She never saw him the first time.”
    “You know what I mean.”
    “Well, no. She didn’t agree. She mentioned something about joining a convent, but I’m pretty sure she was kidding. You’ve singlehandedly turned the girl off men.”
    “I doubt that. She’s feisty. She won’t give up the challenge for long.”
    “Well, regardless, I got her to forgive me for this whole fiasco, but she’s not ready to date anyone else, so you’re out. I can’t convince her to let me fix her up again.”
    “Keep working on her.”
    “Max, what’s wrong with you? You weren’t even looking for a date, and now you can’t stop talking about this girl. Is it just because you can’t deal with the idea of someone not thinking you’re great?”
    Maybe it was. He’d wrestled with that for the past few days. Max was a likable guy, and all this conflict with Audrey really wasn’t either of their faults. He wanted to show her that given the right circumstances they could have hit it off. And he wanted to smell her perfume again and watch her lips move and her hair