Chapter Ten
As the pictureWill had showed him promised, Madison Harrow was a gorgeous redhead. Not auburn hair, like Jedidiah’s but red. Tall and slim, with perfect features, she was the picture of beauty. Why in the hell she should need a date—a blind date, no less—he had no idea.
Yeah, she was beautiful but to him Jedidiah was more so. But this wasn’t about Jedidiah. This was about him trying to get over his obsession with his assistant. Madison was as nice as she was pretty. Maybe a littletoonice.
Booze’s was packed as usual, but they got a booth in a corner where they could actually talk. They both ordered the special—no shock, tonight it was a bacon burger with cheese. The dinner special was often some kind of burger. The waitress brought Trevor a beer and Madison a white wine.
“Will says you’re an app designer. That sounds interesting.”
“I don’t know about interesting to others but I like it. What do you do, Madison?”
“I’m an attorney. Family law. I recently joined Gamble, Lannigan, and Ford,” she said, naming the most well-known law firm in Whiskey River. “I was solo until then, practicing in Fredericksburg mostly. But even though it’s not a long commute, it’s still a commute, so I was happy to join Gamble, Lannigan, and Ford.”
“I worked in Dallas before moving down here for good. Hell of a commute,” Trevor said. “I have to say I like the commute here much better.”
“Oh, where’s your office?”
“In my house,” he told her and they both laughed.
“I’ve got to ask you something,” Trevor said after they’d talked generalities for a while. “How did Will and Mel convince you to go on a blind date?”
She looked up, surprise in her expression. “There was no convincing. I’m not dating anyone. They asked and I said yes.” She took a sip of wine. “Your turn. How did they convince you?”
“That’s easy. Will showed me your picture.”
Madison laughed. “Thanks. I get the feeling you’re not a fan of blind dates.”
“Depends on who arranges it. But as a rule, no.”
“I’m not a fan of them either, but Will and Mel are good friends so I figured why not.”
After eating they played darts, which Madison won two out of three and pool, which Trevor won even though he tried his best to give her a chance. After the second game that she lost as badly as she had the first, Madison laughed. “I told you I was terrible. Let’s play darts again.”
Trevor laughed and agreed. They had another drink. After that Madison said she had an early start and needed to get home. He walked her to her car, kissed her on the cheek, and watched her drive off. He suspected she’d have been perfectly okay with a different kind of kiss but he liked her and didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. She was a nice woman and he’d enjoyed the date, but he knew he wouldn’t ask her out again.
Because, damn it, the date had done absolutely nothing to make him forget about Jedidiah.
*
There was nodoubt about it, Raleigh Douglas was a hunk. A great-looking guy who she was certain knew how to show a woman a good time. He took Jedidiah to Blue, one of Whiskey River’s newer restaurants, attached to Eli Lane’s winery. It was a beautiful restaurant she hadn’t been to before, not having been in town much since it had been built.
The grounds were gorgeous, with flowers and flowering shrubs in a garden with lots of pathways and benches for sitting. It was still hot, of course. Summer in Central Texas always was, but it wasn’t quite as humid as it had been so they’d gotten drinks and walked around the gardens first, getting to know each other.
“How long have you lived here?” Jedidiah asked him. She didn’t think he was local. He was a few years older than her but she’d have remembered him from high school before she’d left.
“About eight years now. Clint and I started the urgent care clinic here then. Tobi joined us later,” he said, speaking of his third partner who was married to Travis Sullivan, one of the owners and a pilot at Devil’s Rock Airport.
“You obviously like Whiskey River.”
“I do. As small towns go it’s a nice one. I understand you just recently came back to town from California. Gabe told me,” he added.
“Yes. I’d been living in big cities for so long I decided I wanted a change of pace.” She laughed. “I didn’t expect to wind up in Whiskey River, but here I am.”
“Do you plan on staying? Gabe seems to think you like moving around.”
“I used to. But I’m not so sure I do anymore.” She sipped her drink and he led her to a shady bench. “What kind of medicine do you practice?”
“Whatever comes in,” he told her with a grin. “Anything beyond our capabilities we send to Whiskey River Hospital.”
