He's So Fine Read online

  Last week, Lucille had set her fried chicken on fire and had nearly burned her house to the ground. Hence the “famous.” Which was really more like infamous. “I’m on a diet,” Callie fibbed.

  “That’s ridiculous,” Lucille said, obviously outraged. “You don’t need to go on a diet to catch a man. You look fantastic! I mean, you’re a little short, but your curves are all the rage right now. And sure, you can come off as a little standoffish, but I blame your parents and their inability to love anyone other than themselves for that, not you.”

  Callie choked back her laugh. It was true; she was the product of two college sweethearts who’d been so crazy in love with each other that nothing had ever really penetrated their inner circle—including their own child. They’d raised her kindly and warmly enough, but her quiet upbringing had left her introverted and preferring the company of a computer to that of people. “I’m not trying to catch a man,” she said.

  “Well, that’s a shame. And not to add any pressure, but you do know Eric’s around too, right?”

  Eric. Damn. Just the sound of her ex’s name made her stomach cramp. “Eric who?” she asked casually.

  Lucille cackled. “Attagirl. Perfectly normal tone. But next time, no hesitation. That was a dead giveaway. Just be forewarned that your ex-fiancé—may his soul turn black—has married and has a kid on the way.”

  Callie told herself she didn’t care that the man who’d left her at the altar due to a sudden severe allergy to commitment had apparently managed to overcome said allergy.

  “And I’m not sure how long you’re planning on staying in Lucky Harbor,” her grandma went on, “but I doubt you’ll be fortunate enough to avoid him. He’s the only dentist in town. So the question is, how are your teeth? In good condition? You flossing daily? You might want to make sure you are.”

  Callie thunked her head against the window, and when she looked up again, she was startled to realize that Tanner was back on the dock and looking right at her.

  For a minute, her heart stopped. “I’ve got to go, Grandma.” She needed to be alone to process things. Like the fact that Eric was in town. And also that her very first, very painful, very humiliating crush was as well, and he’d grown into the poster child for Hottest Guy Ever.

  “Wait,” Lucille said. “Bring salads, because you might be right about a diet. The one of us who is going to get lucky needs to stay hot and all that.”

  Oh, boy. “Salads it is.” Since there was no sign of recognition in Tanner’s gaze, she forced herself away from the window, heading directly to her refrigerator. More accurately, her freezer, where she had two choices.

  Ice cream.

  Or vodka.

  It was a tough decision, but as it was still early and she wasn’t the one trying to look hot, she passed over the vodka and reached for the ice cream. Breakfast of champions, right? She had a spoon out of the drawer and the lid off the ice cream when she remembered. Ice cream was sugar. Sugar was bad for her teeth. And bad teeth required a dentist. “Crap.”

  “What?” Lucille asked.

  Screw it, she needed this ice cream. “Nothing.”

  “Did you hear what I said about Eric?”

  “Yeah.” Callie took her first bite. “I’ll floss.” She was older and wiser now. No big deal. And her hefty armor of indifference and cynicism toward romance and happily-ever-after would help. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Do you want me to set you up with another hottie? ’Cause no offense, honey, but you could do a lot better than Eric anyway. Listen, I’ll start a poll for you on my Tumblr asking who people want to see you with—”

  “No!” Callie nearly went back to the freezer for the vodka. “No,” she said again, firmly. “No men.”

  “A woman, then?” Lucille asked. “Being a bisexual is in style.”

  Forget the vodka. She needed a new life. Maybe on Mars. “Grandma, I love you,” Callie said. “I love you madly, but I don’t want to discuss my love life with you.”

  “You mean your lack of?”

  She sighed. “Or that.”

  “Fair enough,” Lucille said. “But for the record, we can discuss mine anytime you want.”

  “Noted.”

  “I mean, it’s amazing what those little blue pills can do to a man, let me tell you. He can just keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny—”

  “Really gotta go,” Callie said quickly. “I’ll see you later.” She disconnected, and she and the ice cream made their way back to the window.

  Tanner was gone.

  Chapter 2

  The ice cream didn’t cut it. Needing caffeine, Callie went back to her kitchen before remembering her coffeemaker had died and gone to heaven the day before.

  Damn. This was going to require a trip into town. And possibly seeing people. Which in turn meant kicking off her slippers and shoving her feet into her fake Uggs. Quite the look, but she wasn’t planning on socializing; this was purely a medicinal trip.

  In light of that, she skipped the diner and hit the bakery, thinking she’d get in and out faster. What she hadn’t planned on was the amazing, mouthwatering scent of the place and the way it drew her straight to the doughnut display. A pretty brunette was serving behind the counter. “How can I help you?”

  “You Leah?” Callie asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Perfect. It’s rumored you make the best desserts on the planet.”

  “True story,” Leah said.

  “I’ll take two of those powdered sugar doughnuts, then,” Callie said, pointing to the display.

  “Excellent choice. They solve all problems.”

  “Yeah?” Callie asked.

  “Well, no. But they taste amazing.”

  “Good enough,” Callie said.

  Two minutes later, lost in a doughnut-lust haze, she’d forgotten her resolve to get in and get out. Instead, in a hurry to ingest the sugar, she looked for a seat in the crowded place. She finally snagged the last table and tried to look busy so that no one would ask to share it. But given the long line, the odds were against her. Which in turn meant she was going to have to be social.

  Damn.

  That should be in her game plan, she decided. Help out her grandma and also learn to be social with something other than her laptop and vibrator while she was at it. Shaking her head at herself, she dug in, taking a huge first bite and maybe, possibly moaning as the delicious goodness burst onto her tongue. Oh, yeah. Definitely the best powdered sugar doughnuts on the planet.

  She took another bite, eyeballed the place, and then nearly did a spit-take across the room when she caught sight of the man at the front of the line. His back was to her, but there was no mistaking those broad shoulders.

  Tanner had changed out of his wetsuit and now wore dark, sexy guy jeans and a light windbreaker that said LUCKY HARBOR CHARTERS across his back. He was talking to Leah, but he was also scanning the place as if by old military habit.

  Don’t look at me, she thought. Don’t look—

  He looked. In fact, those dark eyes lasered in and locked unerringly right on hers.

  Her first reaction was a rush of heat. Odd, as she hadn’t had one of those in relation to a man in a while—but not completely surprising, as Tanner was hotter than sin. An ice cube would’ve had a reaction to him.

  Self-awareness hit her, as did reality. She looked down at herself. Yep, still wearing capri yoga pants and fake Uggs. Perfect. She was dressed like she didn’t own a mirror. Even worse, she wore no makeup, and her hair…well, mostly the long, strawberry-blond waves had a serious mind of their own. The best that could be said this morning was that she’d piled them up on top of her head and they’d stayed. Thank God the messy topknot was in this year.

  Not that this knowledge helped, because when a woman faced her first crush, that woman wanted to look hot—not like a hot mess.

  “Is this chair taken?” Tanner asked.

  Callie promptly swallowed too fast. Sugar went down the wrong pipe and closed