Bachelor at Her Bidding (Bachelor Auction Book 2)(24)

By the time Rachel let herself into her own apartment, her phone was ringing and it looked as if there were several messages already on the answer machine.

She picked up the phone, recognizing her best friend’s number.

“Hey, Rach. I hear the windows got pretty steamed up in the pharmacy this afternoon,” Lizzy said.

Rachel had known that the gossip would spread, but she’d had no idea that it would happen this fast. No doubt the rest of the answer machine messages were all on the same subject, then. She rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t quite like that, Lizzy.”

“No? Ryan Henderson bent you back over his arm and kissed you in the middle of the pharmacy. Is that steamy, or is that steamy?”

“It was just for show,” Rachel explained. “Carol Bingley made one of her bitchy comments, and Ry overheard her.”

“A bitchy comment about you?” Lizzie’s voice sharpened from teasing to anger. “Oh, for pity’s sake. Who does that woman think she is?”

“If you heard about the kiss, then you probably heard about the rest of it,” Rachel pointed out.

“Something about Ryan telling her to think before she opened her mouth in future,” Lizzy agreed. “I wish I’d been there to hear it.”

“I think most of Marietta will have heard about it by now,” Rachel said wryly.

“If it makes that woman mind her manners in future, then that’s a good thing.” Lizzy said. “Are you okay? What did she actually say?”

“I’m fine, and it doesn’t really matter what she said.” It had hurt at the time, ripping off the top layer of the scars that Nick had left, but Ryan’s actions had taken away much of the sting. “It’s over now.”

“If it made Ryan kiss you in front of the whole town, it must have been something personal – and, knowing her, mean-spirited.”

“It was a typical Carol Bingley comment, but I’m not going to make this into a witch hunt. It’s forgotten.”

“You’re a better woman than I am. I’d want her groveling on the steps of the Town Hall in front of everyone,” Lizzy said. “So if that kiss was just for show, does this mean you’re not seeing Ryan, after all?”

Not exactly, but Rachel wasn’t going to admit to their agreement. Their fling was going to be just between the two of them. “We’re just good friends,” she said lightly.

Her phone was red hot for the rest of the evening, with all her family and friends calling to check she was okay – to the point where Rachel actually considered making a recorded message explaining everything, because she had to repeat herself so much. It was good to know that people cared about her, but at the same time she hated being the subject of gossip. Even if it was substantially kinder than the gossip had been when her marriage had imploded.

*

“Rachel Cassidy. From what I remember, she was very quiet and shy at school,” Phyllis said. “Nice girl, though. From a nice family – they’re all kind-hearted.”

“Uh-huh.” Where was his grandmother going with this? Ryan wondered.

“At the day center, someone was saying you were kissing her at the counter in the pharmacy.”

News really did travel fast. “I did. Purely to make a point to Carol Bingley.”

“Oh, her.” Phyllis rolled her eyes. “The most mean-spirited person in Marietta.”

Which just went to prove how bad Carol was, Ryan thought, because his grandmother wasn’t known for saying harsh words about anyone.

“I, um, said if she’d been one of your pupils, you would’ve taught her to keep her mouth shut if what she was about to say wasn’t true, helpful, necessary or kind.”

“It’s a good principle. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” Phyllis agreed. “I know nowadays there are people who claim it’s oppressing you if you can’t say exactly what you want – but I’ve always found it makes the world a kinder place if you think about what you say and how it’s going to make someone feel before you actually open your mouth.”

“Me, too.” He smiled at her. “What would you like for dinner tonight, Gram?”

“Whatever’s easy for you.” She looked slightly anxious. “I really should take my share of the cooking.”

Had she forgotten that she’d promised not to use the stove again? He tried to keep the worry out of his voice. Maybe if he tried a different tack, she might take it in. “Think about it this way – you spent a lot of years looking after me, and now it’s my turn to repay the favor and look after you,” he said. “So please don’t worry, Gram. I don’t mind fixing dinner.” Even though he spent all day cookng for other people. He loved his job.

“You’re a good man, Ry,” she said softly. “So are you dating Rachel?”

He suppressed an inward sigh. How ironic that the one topic he’d like his grandmother to forget was the one she remembered – even though he’d changed the subject. “No. We’re just good friends,” he said.

“Pity. She’s a nice girl.” She looked at him. “And you need a life of your own.”

“I’m perfectly happy with my life as it is,” he said gently. “I’ll make you a cup of coffee and I’ll see what we have in the fridge for dinner.”