“Hmm, you have a point, Chelsea. Maybe I’ll just keep all the cupcakes for myself.”

   “Or maybe you should consider dating more,” Sam said.

   “Okay, there’s that. But even Chelsea can attest to the fact that the pickings are slim.”

   Loretta came over and sat on the edge of the sofa. “What are we picking?”

   Sam leaned her head back. “Dates for Megan.”

   “And I mentioned the prime pickings among men are slim,” Megan said.

   Loretta nodded her head. “I can see how it would be hard to date in a small town.”

   “You have a point there,” Chelsea said. “However, I think my problem was that I was extremely picky. Now that I’ve had an opportunity to take a step back and reflect, I can assure you that there are several good-looking and eligible men in Hope.”

   Megan wasn’t buying it. “Name three.”

   “Jeff Armstrong, Brady Conners, and Deacon Fox.”

   Leave it to Chelsea to rattle off three names without even hesitating. Jeff was a very attractive doctor, Brady worked at Carter Richards’s auto shop, and Deacon owned a construction company. Deacon had also been Loretta’s high school boyfriend. She tilted her gaze to Loretta, who seemed to show no emotion when Deacon’s name was mentioned. Though she wondered how Loretta felt about Deacon now after all these years.

   Sam laughed, then laid her hand on Megan’s shoulder. “She’s got you there.”

   “I tried dating Brady,” Megan said. “That didn’t work out.”

   Chelsea frowned. “You and Brady dated? When?”

   “Okay, so we didn’t actually date. We had a couple of fix-ups where we were sort of pushed together.”

   “Which is not at all like dating,” Sam said.

   “No, it’s not, but he never asked me out.”

   “I haven’t seen Brady go out with anyone since . . .” Molly let the sentence trail off.

   “Since his brother died,” Chelsea said. “Yes, I know. All that hot studliness going to waste. You should go after him, Megan. Are you interested?”

   “She’s definitely interested,” Sam said.

   Megan shot Sam a mind-your-own-business look.

   “Oh, I see. So it’s a lust thing,” Chelsea said. “Well, who wouldn’t lust after that man? If I wasn’t already taken by a hot guy of my own, I’d be all over Brady Conners. Tall, well-muscled, rides a motorcycle, and that man just exudes sex.”

   Megan looked over at Chelsea, who shrugged.

   “What? Just stating the facts. Come on, Megan, surely you agree.”

   She couldn’t deny it. “I do agree. But I don’t know. It seems like a waste of my time to chase after a man who isn’t interested.”

   “I’ve seen him around town,” Loretta said. “Chelsea does have a point. He is fine-looking.”

   “Maybe you’re not dangling the right carrot,” Chelsea said.

   “I don’t think many of Hope’s citizens would appreciate me showing up at Carter’s shop naked.”

   Sam snickered. Chelsea laughed. Loretta smiled over the rim of her wineglass. Molly and Emma smiled.

   “Not exactly what I meant, Megan,” Chelsea said. “You have to make yourself irresistible to him.”

   “I actually ran into him earlier today. Or, rather, he ran into me and my two boxes of cakes. I talked to him about baked goods.”

   “That would have gotten Reid’s attention,” Sam said. “Then again, he’s a sucker for a good cinnamon roll.”

   “All men love sweet things,” Emma said. “If you know what I mean.”

   Megan knew what she meant.

   “So bring him some baked goods. And while you’re at it, flash him some cleavage.”

   She looked down at her T-shirt and jeans. “Sexy is not my persona, Chelsea. That’s more up your alley.”

   Chelsea grinned. “Ooh, well thank you. But you don’t have to change your appearance, Megan. We love you just the way you are. Which, by the way, is absolutely beautiful.”

   Considering Chelsea was stunning, with her gorgeous red hair and stylish clothes and beautiful smile, Megan took that as a compliment. “Thank you.”

   “But how does he react around you?” Chelsea asked.

   “Like he’s interested. And annoyed about it.”

   “Hmm,” Loretta said.

   “That’s a very good sign,” Sam said.

   “I agree,” Molly said. “Men aren’t like women. They keep their emotions close.”

   “And you know, Loretta,” Chelsea said, “there are plenty of eligible men out there for you as well.”

   Loretta looked none too happy that the conversation had steered over to her.

   “Oh. Um, I’m not interested.”

   “In men?” Chelsea asked.

   Loretta laughed. “I like men very much. But after the divorce, I’m concentrating my efforts on the new business here, and on Hazel. I think that’s enough for now.”

   Megan’s gaze drifted to where Loretta’s nine-year-old daughter, Hazel, was reading on the floor in the corner of the bookstore, completely oblivious to their conversations. She was such a cute kid, with her jeans and her T-shirt and her ponytailed hair pulled through the back of her baseball cap.

   “She’s so adorable, Loretta,” Megan said.

   Loretta sighed, then smiled. “Thank you. I think so, too. Should we start?” She held up the book club selection, Shannon Stacey’s newest book. Megan was so excited about this one, since Ms. Stacey was one of her favorite authors. She loved everything she wrote.

   Megan poured another glass of wine, and Chelsea pulled her aside.

   “Seriously, Megan. You have nothing to lose with Brady, and everything to gain. The man sounds interested. So give him a little shove in the right direction.”

   She shrugged. “I’ll try, but I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to want to be shoved.”

   Chelsea laughed. “They never do. Then again, men can often surprise us.”

   If Brady even once asked her out, Megan would be more surprised than anyone. But she had promised to bring him coffee and something from the bakery tomorrow, so she’d start there and see if anything came from it. The man was hot and sexy and worth pursuing, so why not?

   She’d give it one shot—and one shot only—and then see what came of it.