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out of me. I really don’t want this
responsibility.
    If I take it off, though, she’ll be upset.
    “Just give this guy a chance, okay?”
Her voice is soft and serious and when I look up at her, her eyes are
fixed to my face. “That’s all I’m asking.”
    My stomach fills with a nervous wave of energy. Is
it so obvious that I’m closed off to every guy who isn’t
Mason?
    The doorbell rings and I take a deep breath. I
really hope this guy isn’t a troll. Or a coin collector.
    Our butler, Jameson, opens the door and I turn as
Braxton walks inside.
    Definitely not a troll.
    He’s tall and handsome with broad shoulders.
He’s dressed in a pair of jeans with a crisp white shirt and a
tailored black blazer. He smiles as I walk toward him.
    “Penny?” he says as I give him a quick
hug. “It’s so great to meet you. You’re even more
beautiful than the pictures your mom sent.”
    I glance back at my mom. “Thanks.” She
just smiles, but I make a mental note to drill her later about which
pictures she’s sending to people without my permission.
    “Braxton, this is my mom, Lucy.”
    She steps forward and he reaches for her hand.
    “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,”
he says. “My parents say such great things about you and your
husband.”
    She practically swoons at him. “You are too
sweet,” she says. “I’m so glad we could finally get
you and Penelope together.”
    I cringe when she uses my full name.
    “We better get going,” I say, slipping
my arm inside Braxton’s. “We have reservations.”
    “I actually canceled the reservations you
made,” he says, surprising me. “I hope you don’t
mind, but I wanted to take you someplace a little different tonight.”
    Mom raises an eyebrow and gives me a look that
says this one’s different. I have to restrain myself from
kicking her, inching toward the front door instead.
    “Sounds fun,” I say, praying he’s
not going to try to make me eat sushi or something. “Goodnight,
Mom.”
    “Goodnight, sweetheart,” she says.
She’s practically giggling, she’s so excited. “Call
me if you’re planning to stay out too late.”
    I don’t respond to that, but I know the
implication is that maybe, for the first time since she started
trying to set me up with one of her friend’s kids, she finally
hit the jackpot. Maybe this is the one who will finally break through
to me.
    I feel everything inside me rebelling against the
idea as we walk toward his car together.
    Yes, he’s good looking and rich and probably
perfect for me on the outside, but there’s something about him
that’s too perfect. Too rehearsed. Definitely too good to be
true.
    Besides, my heart has belonged to someone else for
so long, I can’t even imagine falling in love with another guy.
No matter how great he is.
    He opens the door for me and as I climb inside and
wait for him to step around to the driver’s side, I think about
how crazy I am to be thinking about Mason right now. He flat-out told
me he didn’t want to be with me. That he didn’t love me.
Why am I still holding on? If he really, truly doesn’t want me,
there’s nothing I can do about it. Am I going to spend the rest
of my life heartbroken and alone?
    God, I hope not.
    As Braxton slips behind the wheel and drives off
toward some mystery destination, I wonder if it’s even possible
for me to open my heart to someone new.

Chapter Nine
    “Where are we going?” I ask as Braxton
pulls onto the main highway.
    He flashes a smile. “You’ll see,”
he says. “I figure if you’re anything like me, you’re
sick of these kinds of blind dates. And even sicker of always going
to the same boring place for dinner each time.”
    I study him, but don’t admit that he’s
right.
    “Your mom sets you up on blind dates a lot?”
    He sits back against the seat, one hand high on
the steering wheel. “All the time,” he says. “After
the last one, I told her I was done for good.”
    I can’t decide if he’s