One Hundred Mistakes (Aspen Cove #16) - Kelly Collins Page 0,2

then, she mostly kept her distance, but she noticed him looking at her. She knew the flowers on her doorstep last week were from him. There weren’t many single men in Aspen Cove. There was Gray, the guitarist, but he was more like a brother. Then there was Merrick, who probably didn’t know she existed until she accosted him. The flowers were from Red, but why had he dropped them off? Were they a sign of attraction or an apology? She hadn’t considered the motive, only that they arrived.

“I want Red. Better the devil you know, right?”

Both Katie and Sage frowned, but only Katie spoke. “The best way to get a man is to pretend you don’t want him. Rejection is a hard pill to swallow.”

Sage finished her last bite of bran muffin. “You deserve better than what he’s giving you. If you want him, make him work for it. Merrick is the perfect decoy. Just make sure he knows where he stands. It would be awful to lead him on when you don’t have any intention of pursuing a relationship.” She stood. “Kind of sounds like what Red did to you.” She covered her mouth and gasped. “Oh, did I say that out loud?” She moved toward the door. “I swear I have no filter anymore. It must be the hormones.”

Katie laughed so hard, she snorted. “You never had a filter. You want an honest answer?” She pointed at Sage. “That girl has it.”

“I’m out of here. I think the bran is working.” Sage walked out the door, leaving Katie and Deanna alone.

“Do you think I’m being silly?”

Katie waved her hand through the air. “Girl, I fell in love with Bowie. He didn’t know he wanted me until I convinced him of the truth, and that was he couldn’t live without me. Love wants what love wants.”

Deanna looked up and pointed to The Wishing Wall. “What are the chances it works?”

Katie grabbed a pen and a yellow sticky note from the board. “It can’t work if you don’t try.” She placed them on the table in front of Deanna.

“There’s been so much change in my life lately, and I just want a constant. I want to be loved by someone besides my poodle, Sherman.”

“Sherman?”

“Don’t laugh, but while I was hugging him in the pet store, deciding if he was the one, I swear he said, ‘My name is Sherman.’ Who was I to argue?” She plopped the last bite into her mouth, and after she savored and swallowed, she continued. “No one was more surprised than me to walk out with a poodle named Sherman. I didn’t even like that breed. I went in to get a Yorkie.”

Katie rose and walked behind the display case. “I’ve found that sometimes we don’t get a choice in who we end up with. You’d think you do, but if it’s not right, it won’t ever work.” She packed six beautiful gooey brownies and placed the box on the counter. “My contribution to your journey to love.” She pointed to the sticky note. “Put your wish on the board. You never know who’s watching or listening. Maybe you have a guardian angel, or the universe wants to shine on you.”

Deanna picked up the box and tucked a twenty into the tip jar. She knew the money never went to the staff. It was donated to whoever needed something, and that was fine by her. When she turned to leave, she stopped and wrote on the sticky note before pinning it to the wall. There had to be at least a dozen wishes already in place. It felt silly wishing for something as fundamental as love, but a person always wanted what they didn’t have.

Right now, she had a half dozen brownies and a fake date with Merrick Buchanan. Could her life get any more complicated?

Chapter Two

Merrick walked out baffled. He’d gone to the Corner Store for a frozen meal and walked out with a date. How did that happen?

Outside, Red stood staring at the bakery. Just inside the window, Merrick could see Deanna.

“Hey man, if she’s your girl, I can call off the pizza and beer.”

Red swung around to face him. His muscles tensed, and his eyes narrowed to slits. “She’s not mine. Do what you want, but let me warn you,” he glanced over his shoulder at the bakery. “That girl is clingy. If you kiss her, she’ll want a ring and house with a white picket fence.”

Merrick laughed. “Then I better