Can't Hurry Love
Chapter 7

Hey, Doc. Wanna join us?"

Josh was only in the door of Bella's Diner when the voice called out to him.

He looked over to see Asher Wakefield waving him over to a booth that he was sharing with his twin Damon, and Grayson Carroway.

He had only been able to tell the twins apart in the last few months. Since everyone else around here had grown up with them, they weren't confused by the likeness. Josh had learned that the main difference was in their temperaments. Asher was more brooding and serious than his brother.

He walked over, reached out, and shook hands with the three ranchers.

Technically, he supposed, Damon wasn't a rancher. He owned a development company with a partner who worked out of Denver. But he spent most of his time on the Wakefield ranch.

It was still run by the twins' formidable father, but he knew Asher did a lot of the legwork in running the place. Damon to a lesser extent.

And then there was Grayson. Large and always serious-and Beth's big brother.

Beth... who he hadn't stopped thinking about all morning.

He slid into the seat beside Asher. "What has you all spruced up?" he asked Damon, eyeing the shirt and tie. Usually, Damon was in the uniform of the Rocky Valley locals-jeans, plaid, boots, and hat.

"My business partner is in town to look at a property. Figured it didn't hurt to scrub up a little while he's around. He should be here soon."

They all chatted for a while, talking about nothing and everything.

When Asher asked if Josh would be at that weekend's poker game, he couldn't help thinking of Beth's words about her date Saturday. Who was she going out with anyway? He hadn't noticed her taking an interest in anyone. Not that that meant anything. It wasn't as if he watched her every move. Although, he probably would, given the chance, like some creepy stalker.

He hoped the sudden spike of jealousy didn't show on his face. The last thing he needed was to be thinking about Beth Carroway when he was sitting across from Grayson. He looked over at the rancher, checking to see if he'd given anything away. Logically, Josh knew that he was being stupid, but... well, he'd been doing a lot of stupid things lately.

Grayson wasn't paying any attention to him, however. He was looking staring more like at Tara who'd come over to take their orders.

The redhead was definitely pretty in a girl-next-door kind of way. Josh had never paid much attention. Mostly because his attention had been well and truly caught by the blond baker when he'd first gotten here. But also because her red, poker-straight hair had reminded him of Elaine at a time when it had been way too raw.

Now that he knew Tara, knew she was the total opposite of Elaine in every way, he quite liked the bubbly waitress. Still not enough to distract him from Beth, however. Hopeless as that was.

"Hey, guys. What can I get you?"

"Hey, beautiful." Damon winked up at the waitress who rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "We're just waiting for-ah, here he is."

They all looked over to see Damon's business partner walk through the door.

"Wow." The whispered word had slipped out, if Tara's furious blush was anything to go by.

"I-ah-I'll let him get settled in and come back in a few," she stammered. Her hazel gaze darted to Grayson, who looked stonier than usual as his blue eyes, the exact color of Beth's, watched the new arrival. "Mason." Damon stood and shook the man's hand before making introductions. "Mason Decker, meet Grayson and Doc Larson. You already know Asher."

They all shook his hand before he pulled up a chair and sat at the end of the booth.

"It's not like you to be late," Damon said as Mason perused the menu.

"I went to the wrong place." Mason grinned. "I saw a sign for a bakery and figured I'd misheard the name you gave me. Although I gotta say, it worked out in my favor." "That's Beth's place," Damon said. "What do you mean, it worked out in your favor?"

"Got myself a free donut and a date for Saturday night." Decker gave a thumbs-up with one hand while the other set his menu down. "You didn't tell me how drop-dead gorgeous the ladies of Rocky Valley were." Josh stiffened at his words.

He couldn't be Beth's date since he'd only just arrived.

But still...

Damon was laughing.

"Yeah," he said, "cause this particular pond doesn't need another big fish."

"Who did you see?" Asher asked.

Mason frowned slightly. "Let me think. One of them was a real hard ass. Beautiful, but scary. Brooke, maybe? Then there was your sister, Jenna. I would have known her even if she hadn't introduced herself. You're all freakishly alike, you know that?"

Josh silently agreed. Obviously, the twins were identical, but their younger sister had the same black hair and light grey eyes. She was obviously a lot better looking than her brothers though.

"And two gorgeous blondes. One that made me feel like a big bad wolf for just looking at her. I think I scared her just being in the room. And one sassy one who could flirt in the Olympics. She's my date." Well, shit.

Sassy, flirty, gorgeous, and blond? That had to be Beth. But that meant she'd lied to him about already having a date. Why? To save face?

It also meant that she was so damned stubborn she'd gone out there and gotten herself one with the first man she'd met.

"The one you scared has to be Paige." Asher grinned. "She always makes me feel like I've kicked a puppy with those big, green eyes."

"That was it. Paige. Lucky for her, she didn't have to talk to me because the owner practically jumped me the second I walked in. Not that I'm complaining. I do like a woman who knows what she wants."

The atmosphere could have been cut with a knife at his words.

Josh didn't know how Grayson was feeling. Probably not good if his own feelings were anything to go by, because he wanted to reach over the table at Mason Decker and knock him the hell out.

"Ah - Beth, you mean?" Damon asked, a shit-eating grin on his face. "That would be the baby sister of Grayson here." Josh would have laughed at the comical expression on Decker's face after Damon's words, but he wasn't exactly in the mood to find anything funny right then.

"Oh, man." Mason gulped. "Look, I'm sorry I just-" Grayson just held a hand up. "Don't worry about it,"

he said, much to Josh's disgust. "Trust me, I know enough about my little sister to know she probably didn't give you much choice in the matter. Just maybe keep the details to yourself."

The camaraderie around the table was enough to put Josh in a foul mood. But he knew he had no right to feel that way. Especially after the way he'd bailed on her again this morning. Why had he even mentioned his feelings for her? He knew it wasn't fair to her. He just couldn't seem to stop himself.

And why was it that every time he felt on the cusp of just giving up and letting her in, something from his former life encroached on the moment and reminded him why he shouldn't. Ellen had been calling since early this morning. And Josh had no idea why.

He felt awful, but he just couldn't face hearing about another one of Elaine's problems.

He knew if it was anything serious, then he'd be told. He'd requested Ellen contact his lawyer if the worst should happen.

He just needed space, he reminded himself guiltily. Just some time to heal.

Ellen's timing was as bad as it had been a year ago, but it had served as a much-needed reminder. He couldn't drag Beth into the middle of this mess. He didn't want to. Letting her or anyone in would only lead to more hurt. More damage. Tara returned, and Josh gave his order without even knowing what he was asking for. The chat went on around him. He barely participated. And when the food arrived, he ate it mechanically, barely tasting it.

He was being ridiculous. He knew that. He wasn't interested in a long-term commitment. Beth wanted the big, over-the-top, movie love that Josh was sure didn't exist.

But if anyone could find it, she could.

So why was he sitting here feeling like his heart had just been stomped on? Was he so petty that he didn't want, her but he didn't want anyone else to have her, either? Surely, he was a better man than that.

"So, at the risk of pissing off her big brother, any suggestions of where to take the beautiful Beth on Saturday night?"

Mason's question penetrated Josh's fog of self-pity.

Well, he had his answer, if the sudden spurt of jealous rage was anything to go by.

He wasn't a better man at all.