Orange Blossom Brides Read Online Free Page A

a surprising spark of interest ignited.
    No. No way. He had to put her out of his mind. They might be connected by this historical society project, but he didn’t have to like it.

CHAPTER TWO
    O F ALL THE rotten luck.
    Why did the one guy she needed to convince to attend the benefit end up being the guy she met on the beach twelve years ago? One night. One night she goes all crazy and sneaks out of the house, only to end up in police custody.
    See, that’s what happens when you try to be something you’re not. You end up flirting with a cute boy who grows into an even more attractive man. At least now she was smart enough not to end up in a police car at the end of the night.
    She hoped so, anyway.
    She entered the historical society office, still shaking her head over her meeting with Max.
    “How did it go, dear?” Mrs. Rumpold asked before Lilli made it all the way through the door.
    “He refused.”
    “Oh, no. Your mother won’t be happy.”
    Yeah. Lilli already knew that.
    “Didn’t you use your feminine charms to convince Max? It’s my experience that no man alive can resist a woman if she sends out the right signals.”
    Okay. First, female charms had nothing to do with it. Max didn’t want to be a groom, as he’d so adamantly let her know. Now she had to figure out what to do, because knowing her mother, his refusal would definitely upset her well-organized life. Even, if she didn’t factor in the old anger at how that night had ended, he’d made it clear he would only attend Tie the Knot in a security capacity. She rubbed her temples.
    And second, right signals? Lilli regarded the older woman with surprise. She hardly seemed the type of woman with...experiences. Not that Lilli would ask.
    “Oh, I know what you’re thinking,” Mrs. Rumpold said. The historical society secretary had to be seventy if she was a day. “I may be a bit worn around the edges, but there are a few tried-and-true tricks to catch a man’s eye.” At least five inches shorter than Lilli and two times as wide with a halo of short, curly gray hair, there was clearly more to Mrs. Rumpold than met the eye.
    “Mrs. Rumpold, what are you suggesting?”
    “Please, call me Mrs. R.” The older woman gave a saucy grin, as if she were about to reveal some truly juicy secrets. “And I’m not suggesting anything. I’m saying. First of all, there’s the eye wink. Make sure you wear lots of mascara to make a statement. Next, the finger wave.” She demonstrated, and Lilli suppressed a groan.
    “And the hair flip,” Mrs. R. continued. “Shows your fun, flirtatious side.” With a flick of the wrist she tossed her silvery curls. Since they were permed tight, not much happened, but Lilli got the idea.
    “It works every time,” Mrs. R. intoned with sage wisdom.
    Lilli held back a smile. Maybe in the nineteen-fifties, but not today. Today if she did that, people would think she had serious problems. And besides, she had no interest in catching a man’s eye right now.
    “I can’t imagine any single men able to resist a lovely young woman such as you.”
    Yeah, Lilli knew that by the oodles of men lined up at her door. Right now she only concentrated on her job. The promotion. The added headache of the charity event. She had enough on her plate—she didn’t need Max Sanders. He’d directed his smoky gaze at her once before, and she’d melted on the spot. Look where that had gotten her. She wouldn’t let it happen again.
    But for a split second she’d wondered if he would find her attractive after all these years. Would he even want to flirt with her again? No. Not after the way she’d turned him in that night at the beach. She couldn’t change the past any more than he could, but his reaction when he’d recognized her said he definitely didn’t want anything to do with her.
    “The display wedding dresses will be arriving this weekend.” Mrs. R. changed the subject as she rambled on. Her wrinkled face beamed with pleasure.