Crazy in Love (Blue Lake #3)(56)

“How could I?” She tossed the towels in the laundry basket on her way down the hall. “The inn is full for the next week and I’ve got to finish the rooms in the other building.”

Lucy followed a few steps behind, her heels clacking over the hardwood. “I could run the inn for you for awhile. I’d stay here and play goodie-goodie Rachael McCoy while you ran off with the rock star. If duty calls, I can always send my assistant Skylie to fill in. She’s really sweet and always eager to help with whatever I need.”

“For how long?” Rachael spat, turning into her room. She snatched her robe off the back of her door and draped it over her arm. “Two days? Three? And then what? Don’t you think I’ve gone over every scenario in my head? There’s no possible way we’d work. Even if I went to Lake Tahoe to be with him and let you or Skylie stay here taking care of the inn, it would end the same way. He’d go back to Hollywood when his tour ended and I’d stay here. Whatever happened this weekend is over.”

“Fine,” Lucy said as Rachael pushed by and charged back into the bathroom. “So in the meantime you’re going to settle for Joey?”

Tossing the robe on the vanity, Rachael started the water for the shower. “No, I’m going to move on with my life. I’m going to go out to dinner with a sweetheart, a guy who’s going to be here for the next twenty years.”

“Is that all you’re looking for? Someone who’s going to stick around Blue Lake? Gee,” Lucy squawked. “If that’s the case, Dom is available. Hell, if you head down to the saloon there’s bound to be a handful of losers who’ll—”

“Okay!” Rachael said, folding her arms over her chest. “I get your point. But Joey isn’t a loser, and I’m not canceling tonight.”

“And you shouldn’t.” Lucy leaned against the door. “You deserve the best, Rachael, and nothing less. If you end up with Joey, great. But don’t settle for anything less than electric.”

Rachael leveled her with a stare. “Electric?”

“Yup.” Lucy nodded. “If Joey doesn’t singe the clothes off your body, he’s not the one for you.”

Rachael’s thoughts shot to Cole. He barely had to look at her and her insides trembled with anticipation.

“Thanks for the advice,” Rachael said, checking the water temperature. “But if you stand here much longer, you’re going to get a peep show.”

With a laugh, Lucy stepped out of the bathroom and locked the door before closing it behind her. She was a great friend. One of the best. Rachael was blessed to have someone like that in her life, someone who would hold down the inn for a night so she could go on a date with a hot fireman.

If only she could find the great love of her life.

Now that she thought about it, Joey was stable, shared the same dreams of raising a family and growing old in this town. He was good looking and a total gentleman. More than that, he was safe.

But there’d never been a spark with him.

Was the spark missing with Joey because she’d been too distracted by Cole?

Now that he was out of the picture, it was time to find out.





Chapter Seventeen





It took two and a half hours to drive from Blue Lake to South Lake Tahoe.

Every mile, every hour, Rachael consumed Cole’s thoughts.

Sprawled out on the bench seat with his guitar in his lap, he didn’t mean to write a song about what happened between them. But he did. The chords came naturally, and the words followed after. By the time the SUV pulled into Harrah’s underground parking garage, Cole had finished Run to Him and was halfway through another song he hadn’t named yet. At this rate, he would finish the songs for his next album by the time the tour ended.