Page 15 of Always You (A Lilac Bay Novel)

“Maybe because she spends all her free time obsessing over a TV presenter,” Andrew offered.

“Alright, that’s enough input on my love life from the Powell twins, okay?”

Andrew only shot me that cheeky grin of his. Bastard.

“I know!” Posey cried, loud enough to make David rub at his ear. “We should set you up!”

“I don’t think—” I started to protest.

“Well, I think it’s a fantastic idea!” I turned to see Libby Johnson approaching our table, a pitcher of beer in her hand. “Who needs a refill?”

“You joining us, Libbs?” Iris asked.

Libby looked around at our full table and the distinct lack of chairs. “One sec.” She disappeared into the crowd for a moment before reappearing with a chair in her hand. “Move it,” she instructed me, and I slid down a few inches to make room for her.

“Where’d you get that chair in this throng?” David asked. “You bossed someone into giving it to you, didn’t you?”

“I charmed them,” she corrected, grinning at him. I couldn’t help grinning as well—where Libby Johnson was concerned, charming and bossy went hand in hand.

Libby was the owner of her own little shop in town, the kind of place that sold a little bit of everything. Jewelry, artwork, knick-knacks for the house, the ubiquitous island fudge. In addition to selling things to islanders and tourists alike, Libby’s store hosted a weekly wine tasting—and a bi-monthly meeting of the Libbies club, a pseudo book group that meet weekly to drink and gossip. I had been a member since its inception, as were most of the female population of the island.

“So.” Libby turned to me. “I think we were about to discuss getting you a man.”

“We were not,” I told her.

“Oh, come on, Riley. It’s been ages since you were in a relationship. Who’s the last guy you were with, anyhow?”

Before I could inform her that it was none of her damn business, Jenny spoke up in a thoughtful tone. “I think it was Mike, wasn’t it, Ri?”

“Mike?” Edward cried, leaning around Zane apparently to better gape at me. “He’s half your age.”

“I’m thirty, Eddie,” I snarled. “Mike is not half my age.”

“When did you go out with Mike?” Andrew asked, frowning. I rolled my eyes. Just like him to get annoyed when he found out there might be things about me that he didn’t know. As if he shared all his conquests with me. I gave an involuntary shudder. On second thought, that was definitely a good thing.

“I didn’t go out with Mike,” I told him.

“No, shehooked upwith him,” Libby said, grinning. “There wasn’t muchgoing outinvolved, if I remember correctly. You mostly stayed in.” Of course that got a lot of laughs from the table.

“I’d just like to make it known that I hate all of you,” I told them.

“Oh, come on,” Libby said. “We just want to help. I’m sure between the lot of us we can find you a nice guy.”

“I do not need you to find me a nice guy,” I snapped, feeling more than a little embarrassed. What did they think I was—a charity case? Did I really seem that hopeless when it came to men?

“That’s right,” Andrew said, and I felt a rush of gratitude towards him. It was short lived. “Riley doesn’t need a guy. Dating isn’t her thing.”

Hang on a second. What was that supposed to mean?

“Of course she doesn’tneeda guy,” Libby said. “But that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have one. She’s a fun, beautiful, intelligent woman. Any guy would be lucky to have her. She’s a catch.”

“Riley?” Andrew practically howled. “What would Riley do with a guy? She’d chase him away by challenging him to arm wrestle or something.”

I glared at him. “Shut up, Andrew.”

“Hey, I’m just saying—”

“No one is interested in what you’re saying,” Libby said. Then she turned to me. “He’s an idiot.”