Secrets of the World's Worst Matchmaker (The Baileys Book 7), стр. 30

“Cami.”

“Well, Cami, this is Juno. She’s my granddaughter and a real matchmaker. It’s been in her mother’s blood for generations, so you should trust her with who you should be matched with tonight.”

“Grandma, it’s a speed dating thing.” I kiss Grandma Dori on the cheek with the hopes it gets her out of here.

Colton is still sipping his beer.

“You took another sip,” Ethel says like a sibling who wants to get their other sibling in trouble.

“Just let her drive?” I say to him, trying to pull him to the door.

“But my truck?” he says as if I’m crazy.

I probably am, but I really need to get Dori out of here and tell Stella to leave before Kingston shows up, otherwise, my entire blind speeding date thing is gonna be a bust and I’m never going to be able to pay my bills. “What harm can it do?”

“Are you seriously asking me that right now?” Colton says.

“I need Dori out,” I whisper.

She’s busy naming off my qualifications to Cami, Stella’s friend.

“I get it, but it’s my truck, Juno.”

Ethel watches like a hawk to see if Colton has another sip of beer. I know that the only way they’re leaving is if Colton gives her the keys. Eventually, Colton realizes it too.

“You so owe me for this, and I mean huge.” Colton stands, downs the rest of his beer, but right before Ethel is about to say something, he drops the keys in her hand. “Bigger than that time you accidentally kneed me in the nuts when we were wrestling.”

I giggle, remembering how his face turned blue. I felt so bad. I hope he can still have children. I rise up on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “I owe you big. Promise. Name it and I’ll deliver.”

He wraps his arm around my waist and turns his face to me. We’re millimeters apart and my heart pounds.

“No take-backs,” he says.

“No take-backs. I promise.”

Then he kisses my cheek and releases me. Now I’m not so sure I want him to go.

“Let’s go, Golden Girls,” Colton says. “We will be driving five over the speed limit.”

“I can’t lose my license, Colton Stone,” Ethel says.

He winks at me one more time before the three of them leave the room.

“It’s safe now,” I say to Stella, who peeks up over the partition.

“Thank you. I do not want to be in Buzz Wheel again.” Stella sips her drink that’s halfway gone now. “So are you and Colton finally together?”

I shake my head. “No, he’s actually getting married next week.”

Her eyes widen. “Really?” She looks at her friend. “They were, like, the best friends you always thought would get married.”

“You’re one to talk. What about my brother?”

Her friend sips her wine. “Do tell? Stella’s like a vault. I’ve yet to figure out the combination to get her to talk about her life.”

Stella sips her drink and her eyes plead for me not to say anything.

My head rears back when I remember who else is supposed to be here tonight. “I forgot! Kingston and his firefighter buddies are coming tonight.”

This time the drink does fall from Stella’s hands. There’s no time to react because I hear a gaggle of men walking down the hall. I’m guessing they’re firefighter because they’re loud and boisterous, razzing one another about something.

“Um. Just stay here,” I say.

This is not what I had planned when I came here.

Walking out the door of our private room, I shut it behind me and see one of Kingston’s buddies who’s been to the apartment a few times.

“Juno.” Lou hugs me so my feet lift off the floor. “Kingston said we had to come tonight. Plus, you know I like the ladies.” He sets me back down and winks. “This here is Cory, Shawn, and Jorge.”

I say hello to them all. “Where’s Kingston?”

“Oh. He’s running late and then there’s the paperwork, so I wouldn’t expect him.”

Just as Lou tells me, my phone dings. I pull it out to see it from Kingston.

Kingston: Sorry, I can’t make it tonight. Next time, I swear. But I sent some guys over for you. ;)

I can’t be upset with him. Work is work and he’s done more than enough already by arranging this room. The anxiety squeezing my body eases a little.

“Well, boys, just give me a minute to get all the ladies set up.” I smile and rush back into the private room, shooting Stella a look to say no worries.

After I get all the women situated at their tables behind the cardboard partitions, I pop my head back in the hallway. “Come on in.” I open the door for them, and they file in.

A few more people come through the door and I position everyone in a seat.

After the speed dating is over, some couples go into the other bar area to continue their conversations. I’m packing up my stuff when Stella approaches me.

“Hey, it was a great event.”

“You didn’t find anyone, right? My brother might kill me.”

We both giggle nervously. Kingston’s always an awkward conversational topic between us.

“About him,” she says. “I don’t want to put you in this position, but could you keep it to yourself that you saw me here? I mean, I’m not ready to see him just yet.”

“Sure.” I hate that I’m keeping a secret from Kingston, but he’s better off not knowing until I’m sure Stella can deal with the ramifications of seeing my brother.

“Thank you. I promise I’ll come out from the shadows eventually. I wasn’t really planning on coming home at all, but…”

I stop putting paperwork in my bag. “Are you okay?”

She sighs, looking crestfallen. “I don’t want to burden you with yet another secret, but it’s hard being back and not telling anyone. It’s like I’m alone on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean. Cami’s great, but we haven’t really gotten to the ‘call me if you’re in jail and I’ll bail you out, no questions asked’ stage yet.”

“What’s going on?”

“My mom is sick and she’s being stubborn,