Can't Hurry Love
Chapter 13

"And that's how I became an actuary." Beth had never been so tempted to throw herself down a ravine in her entire life. She hoped that she managed to pull her expression into a semblance of interest, but honestly, she felt as if her entire soul had died during this conversation, and she wasn't even sure she had control over her features anymore.

It didn't help that the whole time she'd been listening to the man beside her drone on in the world's most painfully boring voice, Josh Larson had been there in the background, watching, listening, smirking. She'd love nothing more than to wipe that smug look of his face.

Her eyes travelled to him again since she apparently had no control over them either, and she felt a hot spurt of temper at his cocky wink.

He knew.

He knew there wasn't a single man among this group who could hold a candle to him.

None of them looked as good...

None of them were as funny... or charming... or drop-dead gorgeous...

It was so unfair.

The group had stopped for lunch at one of the many beauty spots that ran along the river. It had been an easy two-hour hike to get to it. Anything strenuous would have made easy conversation impossible.

At the time, Beth had felt like a genius for making that point. Now she wished she'd suggested abseiling, if only so John the actuary would have to shut up and concentrate on not dying.

She was being unreasonable. John was a perfectly nice man. Ok, so he didn't inspire any real emotion in her. But maybe that was a good thing. Maybe she needed steady, dependable. Not boring, as such but-solid. No surprises. "I did consider buying new, of course. I have a bit of a rebellious streak in me."

Beth frowned as John's voice penetrated her wandering thoughts. What was he talking about? She couldn't for the life of her remember what he'd been saying. She'd zoned out ages ago.

"But, of course, common sense won out. Do you know how much a car depreciates in value the second you drive it off the lot?"

Ok. She couldn't take any more. Beth jumped to her feet before he could subject her to the ins and outs of car purchasing. "I-ah-I just want to-to refill my water bottle," she lied.

She turned and practically ran down the short incline to the river before he could offer to join her. She didn't think her brain would recover from having to listen to any more of his fascinating conversation. "Enjoying yourself?"

Like clockwork, there was Josh.

But Beth was so relieved to have someone who wasn't John the actuary to talk to that she didn't even snap at him. "Do you know how much a car depreciates in value the second you drive it off the lot?" she blurted at him. He frowned in confusion. "Er-no," he said. "Good. Then you can stay."

"He wasn't actually talking about that, was he?"

"You should know," she answered, sitting on a large, flat rock and stretching her legs out to the water. "You were standing close enough to hear."

"Yes, but I zoned out around the Yale acceptance letter." Josh grimaced, earning himself a reluctant smile.

"So did I," Beth answered. "I just dipped in and out." "Well..." Josh sat beside her, his legs extending way farther than her own. "...I think you can safely speed past him on your speed date tonight.” "How do you know about the speed date?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.

His gaze stayed on the river. "It's hard to avoid," he answered with a shrug, but she thought there was a slight edge to his voice. "The whole town has been in a frenzy about this festival for weeks." "And let me guess, you still think it's stupid?"

He turned to look at her, his eyes like chips of ice in the bright sunlight.

"I think it's-naïve," he said carefully. Beth flinched slightly at his words.

Naïve. That was how he saw her. Some naïve, gullible country girl.

Josh had attended an Ivy League college. He'd worked as a doctor in a city hospital. His family, Zoe had said, were nearly royalty in Chicago. His mom was one of those ladies who lunched and sat on charity boards. She could just imagine how foolish he'd think something like this was.

Beth the baker, having to throw festivals just to get a date.

No wonder he doesn't want me, she thought miserably. "Well, we can't all be a sophisticated city slicker, can we?" she bit, her voice acerbic.

He blinked as if surprised by her words before he sighed, and that pain she'd seen on his face before flickered in his eyes.

"It's not sophistication, Beth," he said quietly. "It's cynicism."

"What has you so cynical?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

His mouth twisted with more bitterness than she'd ever seen there.

"Life experience," he answered with a hollow laugh. "But I wouldn't want to bore you with the details."

He made to move away, and without thinking it through, Beth reached out and grabbed his hand. The feeling of his warm skin beneath her own sent a crackle of electricity up her arm, and she knew that stuff like that didn't happen all the time. Just like she knew that he felt it, too. She could tell by the darkening of his eyes.

It was incredible. And real. So, why wasn't it enough for him?

"You won't bore me, Josh," she said. "I want to know." They stared at each other, trapped in exchanged gazes, everyone and everything else forgotten.

Beth didn't think he'd answer. Thought he'd reject her as he had so many times before.

Finally, he opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Paige called out that it was time to go, and the tentative connection between them shattered.

Beth took her hand from his, feeling strangely bereft. She felt like an idiot for being upset. And she'd hate it if he saw how much just holding his hand had affected her, so she pasted a bright smile on her face and jumped to her feet. "Let's go," she said with false brightness. "I'm gonna need all the time I can get to beautify myself for tonight."

She turned to walk away before he saw just how fake her smile surely looked, but she'd only gone a step or two before she stood on a stone and stumbled. A pain shot up her leg, and she gasped as she fell, coming down hard on her ankle. "Beth!" Josh's voice sounded above the general furor her fall had caused, and he was beside her in an instant, his eyes filled with concern that she didn't think was only professional. "Oh my gosh, Beth are you ok?" Only seconds later, Paige was hunkering down beside Josh.

Beth felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment at the fuss she was causing. "I'm good," she insisted. "I just tripped. But it's fine, honestly." Planting her hands on the rock, she tried to stand but the second she put weight on her ankle, the pain shot through her again, and she fell to her butt, gasping for air.

"Not fine then," Josh said, earning himself a scowl. "Isn't it lucky that there's a doctor on hand?"

She wanted to say something cutting, but she was in too much pain, so she just sat there seething.

"Should we call for help?" Paige asked.

"No!" Beth answered before Josh got the chance. "Honestly, I've just twisted my ankle. Please don't bother anyone."

"We don't know what you've done yet," Josh said with irritating calm. "I need to grab my bag. Stay here and don't move."

"Good thing you told me that," Beth said like a child. "I was just about to run a marathon."

Her little tantrum only seemed to amuse him, which only made her mood blacken. She was embarrassed and sore.

"Beth, oh dear. Have you sprained your ankle?" John the actuary popped up behind Paige, tsking and shaking his head. "You know, 25,000 Americans a day sprain an ankle. And interestingly-"

"Paige," Josh was back and interrupting John before Beth had a chance to tell him where he could shove his interesting facts. "Why don't you lead the group back to the parking lot. I'll fix up the patient here and get her home safely." Paige looked at Beth, raising her brows slightly.

Beth knew Paige was trying to gauge how she felt about it. She nodded slightly letting her friend know it was ok.

Not that she had much of a choice.

Within minutes, the group had packed up and were heading away.

"This really isn't necessary," Beth said, her cheeks scalding and her heart nearly slamming out of her chest. Josh ran a hand down her calf as he lifted her foot gently to examine it, and Beth thanked the Lord and every angel she could think of that she'd shaved her legs yesterday. "Why are you doing that?" She gulped as he began to unlace her boot.

"Because you can't walk," Josh said matter-of-factly.

"I can," she said sulkily. "Just give me a couple of pain pills, and I'll be on my way."

"No," he said firmly. "We'll stay here until I'm sure it's safe for you to move it."

"I don't have time for this. Why are you making such a big deal out of it, keeping me here against my will?" she snapped churlishly.

"Because I can't get enough of that sunny personality," he countered drily. "Now will you stop acting like a five-year-old long enough for me to examine you? I think I have some stickers I use to keep kids occupied if that'll help?"

Her rude hand gesture just seemed to amuse him further, so she sat there mutinously quiet while he examined her leg and tied her in even more knots than usual.