If the Stick Turns Pink... Read Free Page A

somebody else’s fiancé. I do have my standards.”
    She tossed her head and flounced toward the front door. She pulled on the door, then turned back to face him with a sly smile. “I hope you won’t hold this against me in the pageant. I meant it when I said I’ve always found you attractive, Bailey.” Her smile widened. “And now I know for sure just how attractive you are.”
    Bailey felt the heat of a blush sweep over his features. Thankfully she apparently didn’t expect a reply, with a waggle of her fingers, she disappeared out the door.
    Instantly Bailey dropped to the sofa and waited for his heart to stop pounding so frantically. He’d been joking with Melanie when he told her he was afraid some contestant would be in his bed. It hadn’t crossedhis mind that the oversexed, attractive SueEllen might be waiting for him naked in his shower.
    Thinking of showers…he pulled himself up off the sofa, carefully locked both the front and back doors, then headed for the shower once again.
    It wasn’t until he was standing beneath the hot spray of water that he realized what he had just done. SueEllen and her mother were two of the biggest gossips in the town of Foxrun, and he’d just told SueEllen that he was engaged to Mellie.
    He quickly shut off the faucets and, still dripping water, grabbed jeans and a shirt. He had to get hold of Mellie. He had to tell her what had happened before she heard it through Foxrun’s prolific grapevine.

Chapter Two
    T he Foxrun Elementary School was a charming two-story brick building a block off Main Street. For nine months of the year Melanie taught second-graders on the second floor, and during that time the old brick building felt like home.
    Her classroom welcomed her with bright colors on the bulletin boards and the familiar scent of chalk and children. As she slid into the chair behind her desk, she marveled that in less than a week’s time the school year would be over and the decorations on the bulletin boards would be taken down until next year.
    The teachers held two parent-teacher conferences each year. The first was held just before Christmas to discuss what improvements needed to be made and any areas of weakness the child displayed. This conference at the end of the school year was to talk aboutwhat improvements had been made and what the parents might want to do to help the child prepare for their next year of school.
    Melanie checked her watch, then pulled out the folder for Becky Altenburg. Becky’s parents would be here at any minute and they would be happy with Becky’s progress. She was a delightful little girl, both bright and cheerful.
    With her paperwork ready before her, Melanie leaned back in her chair and tried not to think about Bailey. From the moment she’d left his place, she’d been kicking herself for speaking aloud the nutty idea that had momentarily taken possession of her brain.
    The very last thing she would ever want was to do something that would destroy the precious friendship they shared. They’d even gone to the same college together in Kansas City. The only time they’d really been apart was when he’d met and married the beautiful Stephanie.
    After college he’d returned to Foxrun with his bride. She’d lasted two months in the small town before hightailing it out of here. But the time Melanie had been apart from Bailey had been the most miserable time in her life.
    Still, she couldn’t seem to get her idea out of her head. Was it really so crazy? There wasn’t a man in Foxrun she was even vaguely romantically interested in, and she hadn’t been lying when she’d told Bailey that she wanted children while her mother was still around to share the joy.
    The more she thought about it, the more she thought it was a perfect solution for both of them. She trusted Bailey more than she trusted anyone, and she was absolutely confident their