“Oh, well, that’s wonderful!” Insincerity dripped from Nicola’s lips. “Reva has so much to offer.”
Nothing irked Reva more than being spoken of in the third person, as if she wasn’t standing right there hearing every word.
“Order up,” Pete called out, a little louder than normal.
Annie scooped up the bag of food and walked it to Reva. “Here’s your order, sweetie. I know you said you were in a hurry.”
Thankful, Reva reached for the food. “Yeah, I’ve got an appointment.” It wasn’t a lie. She had an appointment to get out of Nicola’s presence as quickly as possible.
Capri took the bag from her hands and opened it. “Hope you ordered enough to share.” She said it as she headed for the door, leaving Reva scrambling to follow.
“Thanks, Pete. Thanks, Annie,” she called over her shoulder.
Outside, she immediately scolded her good friend. “What were you thinking telling Nicola I have a date? Do you not believe she’ll camp out to see who it is?”
Capri grinned. “That’s why the girls and I talked after leaving your place last night. We decided we needed to take action.”
“Action?” The look on her friend’s face suggested sinister intent.
Reva’s expression shifted from surprise to disbelief as Capri unveiled their scheme. “We may have done something a bit…bold,” she admitted, her voice tinged with a hint of guilt. “We set up an online dating profile for you.”
Reva’s shock quickly turned to irritation. Her friends meddling in her love life without her consent was more intrusive than endearing. “That was not a good idea,” she insisted.
“No, listen. It’s perfect. The alternative is to continue to weather the Knit Wit prayer circles and Nicola Cavendish’s digs until something more interesting replaces their focus on you and Merritt.”
Capri pulled up her phone. Her thumbs worked quickly to pull up the profile they had concocted, showcasing a carefully chosen photo of Reva and a bio that was more their words than hers.
Reva’s discomfort grew as she looked over Capri’s shoulder. She couldn’t believe they would go this far without asking her. Despite Capri’s enthusiasm, she immediately put up a wave of resistance when she was shown the message from a guy who seemed like a great match. She shook her head vehemently. “I am not going out on a date with a stranger.”
A sense of disapproval crept over her, manifesting in a tight frown. The idea of going along with this charade felt dishonest, and it wasn’t her style.
“Oh, c’mon. What’s the worst that could happen? You might even have fun. I mean, when was the last time you went out on a date, Reva? No wonder speculation about you and Merritt is rampant.”
Reva took a deep breath. The girls had crossed a line. Still, Capri had a point. Word would spread quickly and might quash the notion that she was still in any way interested in Merritt Hardwick.
Yes, her heart was broken. On multiple levels after hearing what her former fiancé had done. Honesty was her hallmark, and this plan seemed deceitful.
“You don’t have much choice, do you?” Capri scrolled to the guy’s photo. “And he’s cute.” She shoved the phone into Reva’s hand so she could get a better look.
The guy wasn’t hard to look at. She’d give Capri that much.
She thumbed through his information. Bert Reilly. Recently moved to Jackson Hole and worked remotely as an insurance actuary. More, he was the director of actuarial services. He had to be fairly educated to have a position at that level. He enjoyed the outdoors. Had a dog. Divorced.
“It’s one date,” Capri urged. “Snap a few pics of the two of you together, post on social media and voilà. Problem solved.”
Problem solved.
She did like the sound of that.
7
Reva checked her reflection in the rearview mirror one last time before stepping from her Escalade onto the pavement. She shook her head, wondering again why she’d agreed to an online date, then drew a deep breath and headed for the entrance to the Gun Barrel Steak and Game House.
The drive to Jackson Hole had taken about forty-five minutes—time enough to conjure all the reasons why this ill-conceived date was a bad idea. First, Reva did not date—casually or otherwise. She didn’t see the point. No one had captured her attention in that way since Merritt. Perhaps she was as picky as her girlfriends suggested, but need she point out that Thunder Mountain did not have a smorgasbord of dating options?
In their brief text exchange, she’d learned Bert Reilly had recently relocated from Los Angeles. Like so many people moving to their area lately, she suspected he wanted to escape the big city to enjoy a serene life in the mountains. If that were the case, she certainly couldn’t blame him.
The Teton Mountains, with their dramatic peaks and pristine landscapes, called to the heart like a siren’s song. Anyone lucky enough to call this area home was embraced by an ever-changing tapestry of natural beauty and adventure.
