Single and Searching Read online

  Jenna waved to the customer. "If you need help, just holler. I'll be with you in a minute."

  The man winked. "I'm in no hurry. I'll just look around."

  Jenna accepted Zack's credit card, then carefully wrapped the robe in some sort of floral, scented paper before placing it neatly inside a box.

  Still rattled by his reaction to her, Zack's gaze dropped to a book on the counter. "How to Get Married Within a Year," he read aloud. "Do you sell these books in your store, too?"

  Jenna played with the end of her hair, her cheeks flushing. Then she snatched the book and shoved it under the counter. "Er, no. That's for a class I've signed up for."

  Zack picked up a small bottle of bubble bath. "You're taking a class on how to find a husband?"

  "I think it sounds like fun," Jenna said, jutting up her chin defiantly.

  Zack gave a sardonic chuckle. "Husband Hunting 101. It'll probably be packed."

  "It's not a husband hunting class," Jenna said, obviously recognizing the cynicism in his voice. "It's for people who're serious about finding a relationship, men and women looking for commitment."

  Zack dropped the bottle of bubblebath with a clink. The word commitment reverberated though his brain like a cannonball. "Well, good luck. As for me, I know marriage doesn't work—my old man tried it about half a dozen times."

  A hint of anger sparked in Jenna's eyes. "Just because your father wasn't successful doesn't mean marriage doesn't work. The gentleman that came in here earlier is celebrating his thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and my parents have been married forty- two years."

  "Well, that was the old days," Zack said. "Things have changed."

  Jenna sighed. "That's ridiculous. Just look at your brother—he certainly looked happy at his wedding to Colleen. And she looked positively ecstatic."

  Zack frowned. "Brides always do. Besides, they're still in the honeymoon stage. But once the honeymoon's over—" He drew a choppy line across his neck. "The fighting begins."

  Jenna shook her head, her voice resigned. "I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on that subject."

  Zack nodded. He strongly guessed he and Jenna were not going to have a casual fling either.

  His brother was right—Jenna Barrett had marriage on the mind.

  Jenna patted the box. "I think we'd better get down to business. Do you want this gift-wrapped?"

  Zack shrugged. He wanted her gift-wrapped, but he guessed the robe would have to do.

  "Zack, the gift-wrap?"

  He snapped his attention back to the matter at hand. "Yeah, might as well."

  She placed a small glossy looking card in front of him. "Go ahead and write what you want, then I'll put it in the box."

  The bell tinkled again, and two women entered. The smaller lady wore a navy knit dress while the taller one had on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that said Still Sexy at Sixty. They whispered like school girls.

  Jenna angled her head toward them. "Let me know if I can help you."

  The shorter woman waved a gnarled hand. "Okay, darlin'. We're out shopping for my niece's birthday. From the looks of this lovely shop, we won't have any trouble findin' something she'll like."

  "We won't have any trouble finding somethin' we like, too," the second woman said. The two ladies hooted with laughter, then the taller one picked up a full-length satin robe. "Erma, ain't this the prettiest thing you ever seen? Wish I was young enough to wear this slinky baby."

  "Why, Ruby Jean, you're as young as you feel." The lady patted her gray curls. "I'm goin' to treat myself to some fancy smellin' soaps and bubble bath. Homer will love it."

  Jenna pointed to the baskets of toiletries. "The rose-scented spray is on special."

  The lady named Ruby Jean picked it up and sniffed. "My, oh, my. Yes, Becky will like this."

  The yuppie who'd entered earlier cleared his throat, obviously ready for Jenna's assistance.

  "Let me help this gentleman while you write your card," Jenna told Zack.

  She turned her attention to the other man, while he scribbled a message on the card. "Congratulations. Hope you have many warm years together."

  A chuckle rumbled in his chest as he stuffed the note into the box.

  "That spray is my favorite," Jenna commented as she led the customer to the register. "We also have sachets for your drawers in the same scent."

  Zack made a mental note of the name of the fragrance. He'd smelled roses when Jenna had approached him. Now he knew why. Did she wear her other merchandise, too?

  He sneaked a peek at the black lacy bodystocking hanging in the window, then glanced back at Jenna. This job might be... very interesting after all.

  Jenna chatted with the man, finished the sale, and said good-bye. Then, she chose a foiled paper with silver wedding bells etched across and wrapped Zack's purchase. Finally, she added a big silver bow and handed him the eloquently wrapped present.

  "So, what do you have in mind for the ads?" Zack asked.

  "You know if you're not up to this... I mean, if it's a bad time for you with the break-up and all, I don't need the ads for several more weeks—"

  "I don't allow my personal life to interfere with work," Zack said sharply. "Now, let's discuss business."

  "Certainly," Jenna said, straightening her shoulders. "I didn't mean to pry."

  "You didn't. Now, what did you have in mind?"

  Jenna pulled out a catalog and opened it to a sketch of a lace covered window. Below the window the words Love 'N Lace were etched in fine gold lettering. A small candle glowed in the window. "We're listed in gift catalogs like this one. I want something tasteful, but a little more representative of the products I carry." She swept her arm across the room. "A few of the people who read this ad thought my store was a curtain shop."

  Zack chuckled, his earlier anger over the marriage debate fading. "I see. That would have been a shocker."

  Jenna shrugged, looking at him warily. "Well, I do carry a few lace coverlets for beds and some lace tablecloths, but I tend to stick with more personal items."

  "And that's working for you?"

  "Yes, so far." Jenna sighed nonchalantly. "I tried to combine it all when I started, but there's so many superstore linen shops, I just couldn't compete. I do keep some lace-covered bridal books, accessories, veils, picnic baskets, and occasionally I custom order products for people."

  "It's a classy place," Zack said sincerely. "And you have a good location so you probably get walk-in customers as well as return ones."

  "I manage," she said with a sly smile. "A couple of large companies have approached me about franchising, but I prefer a more personal, intimate atmosphere. It's more unique. And I think the customers enjoy the individual attention I give them."

  "If your shop's doing so well, why change your ad?"

  "Well, like I said, some people think I only sell window treatments, and a lot of people come in just to look." Jenna glanced around the store. "Besides, it's always nice to expand your clientele. Change is good."

  "That's what my dad always says about his wives. But at least he married them one at a time."

  Jenna rolled her eyes.

  "Uh, sorry," Zack mumbled, wondering what on earth made him bring that subject up again.

  "So, now that you've seen the store, are you still interested?" Jenna asked.

  Zack desperately tried to tamp down the urge to say yes, that he was interested. But not in her store, in her. "Yes, of course."

  He couldn't help but admire Jenna's business sense. She wasn't simply attractive, she was smart. Simone's idea of ambition had been to have her nails and hair done on the same day.

  A man who'd just come in pointed to a table filled with lotions and bubble baths. "Miss, I need some help over here."

  "I'll be right there." Jenna tapped the gift box. "Well, I hope Simone enjoys the robe, Zack. Just give me a call when you put together some ideas. Thanks for stopping by."

  Jenna dismissed him in a business-like voic
e, then rushed over to the dark-haired man. Zack watched her help the man select a jasmine fragrance, then a slinky blue silk gown—sophisticated but sexy. One of the gray-haired women held a basket filled with soaps and enough sprays to make her smell like a garden.

  Zack shoved his package under his arm and headed for the door. Jenna wanted to expand her clientele? It seemed like a pretty diverse group to him. He'd have to give some thought to the ads she wanted and to what she specifically had in mind. What would he draw?

  Something tasteful—hmm. That would be Jenna in one of those lacy bodystockings. Or maybe wearing nothing but that rose-scented spray. Now that would be tasty.

  Sighing, he rubbed his face with his hands and opened the door. He had to stop these errant thoughts. Jenna obviously wanted a husband, and he couldn't help her with that.

  But he could help her with an ad campaign. He'd concentrate on business and keep their relationship professional. No strings, no personal involvement.

  Let her find some sucker in her silly Husband Hunting class. He was one guy who wasn't giving up his bachelorhood—not for any woman.

  * * *

  Jenna fanned her face as the evening heat tilled the shop. In spite of the killer summers, she still loved Atlanta. Yet, even with the air conditioning running full blast, perspiration dampened her forehead. Laughing softly, she silently admitted her uncomfortable state had more to do with Zack West than the soaring temperature outside.

  He'd waltzed in, all six feet, four inches, and overpowered her little store. But that was nothing compared to how he'd looked standing next to all these fragile, silky underthings. Her imagination had gone berserk. She only hoped he hadn't noticed. Then again, why would he?

  He was broken-hearted over the woman who'd dumped him. The crazy female. Poor guy. He must really be taking it hard. Coupled with his past, he'd sworn off marriage completely. Just her luck.

  She'd been momentarily relieved to discover he and Simone had broken up. The woman had been stitched to his side at Mark's wedding like a too-tight shirt. Then Zack had made his announcement—I'm never getting married.

  A commitment-shy guy.

  Fiddlesticks.

  She finished clearing the cash register, yanked down the shade on her window, and switched the open sign to closed. She had to forget about Zachary West, except where business was concerned, because she was definitely getting married.

  She glanced at the bouquet she'd caught at Casey's wedding. It had been a sign that it was time for her to get serious about finding a serious relationship.

  At twenty-seven, her biological clock was ticking away like a hyperactive cuckoo clock. She had to find a husband before time wound down.

  Her best friend, Casey McIntyre had recently married a great guy and they were off on their honeymoon. And her friend and co-worker Angel Honeycutt, had found someone, and now she was pregnant.

  Jenna sighed, anxious for a family of her own.

  She'd been attracted to Zack the minute she'd seen him at Mark's wedding. Before the ceremony, Mark had told her stories about Zack going through women like some men went through socks. Jenna had imagined Zack looking like Mark, short and stocky with curly dark hair.

  But then Zack had walked up to her at the wedding and nearly knocked her off her high heels with his sexy eyes—eyes the color of caramel candy.

  His long, sandy-blond hair brushed the ends of his collar and made her want to run her hands through it. His smile had a mischievous glint to it that hinted of the devil. He also liked children. At Mark's reception, Zack had tossed someone's toddler over his shoulder and given him a piggyback ride across the lawn.

  Too bad the hunk had sworn off marriage.

  Her hand automatically flew to her hair. She pushed it behind her ear and felt her hearing aid. Slipping the small piece from her ear, she checked the batteries. She wanted to make sure the device didn't die on her in the middle of class—Husband Hunting 101, Zack had called it. Well, he could laugh all he wanted. She intended to go to the class, and she didn't want to miss anything important the instructor might say.

  This class would help her learn skills to seek out the right kind of man, the type of man who also wanted marriage. She might even meet someone interesting in the class.

  Quickly replacing the hearing aid, she grabbed her purse. Whomever she found would have to deal with her hearing loss. It would take someone special, but her father had always told her if she wanted something to go for it. And she wanted a family. There had to be someone out there for her.

  She stuffed a brand-new spiral notebook and a pencil under her arm and hurried out the door. She might not find a husband through the class, but at least it was a start. And it would keep her mind off the sexy man she'd just hired to write her ad campaign.

  The irresistible, unavailable, Zack West.

  Multi-published, award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. She has sold over sixty novels, worked for several major publishers, and loves writing romantic comedies as well as spinning dark romantic suspense tales filled with murder and mayhem.

  For more on Rita and her titles, visit her at www.ritaherron.com. You can also follow her on Facebook and twitter @ritaherron.

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Other Books by Rita Herron

  Excerpt from HUSBAND HUNTING 101 by Rita Herron

  Meet the Author