He checked his watch and rose to his feet, sliding the chair back to the table he’d taken it from.

“Gotta run. Thanks for the entertaining company.”

As he walked away, the women were listing the things they did and did not want a man around for in their lives.

ZOEY HEARD THE laughter before she’d even opened the door to The Spot. Her godmother and some of her book club pals were having a grand time in their booth along the left wall. The counter stretched down the right side of the narrow diner, where Evie Hudson and her mom, Evelyn Rosales, were serving customers and passing each other in the limited space as if they’d done it forever. And they basically had.

Evie’s parents had run the diner together, bringing up their daughter in the business. The diner hadn’t originally been part of Evie’s dream, but after her father died unexpectedly, she’d stepped up to help her mom run the place. It wasn’t long before she’d realized this little diner was the virtual heart of Rendezvous Falls, and she needed to keep it going.

“Zoey!” Evie waved from the far end of the counter, where she’d been talking with a good-looking man with perfectly coifed golden hair. “Hey, come meet this guy—he sells appliances!”

“Ohh, yes, Zoey,” Vickie said in a low, suggestive voice as Zoey walked by. “Go meet that drop-dead-gorgeous man...”

“Hush, Vickie. You sound like you’re pimping me out.”

“You just missed Mike,” Cecile said, leaning forward and lowering her voice. “He’s off to Geneva for a meeting, and he’s got a dinner date after that.”

“A date? Are you sure?” He hadn’t mentioned anything about going on a date. “Is it someone you set him up with?”

“Nope.” Cecile shook her head. “This is someone he’s known for years.”

Years? Who the hell was Mike dating, and why hadn’t he told her? Maybe he’d decided to step right over that threshold his grandmother talked about. Well...good for him. Iris glanced over her shoulder then back to Zoey.

“Don’t leave that blond Adonis waiting, dear.”

Zoey rolled her eyes. “I’m here to fix the dishwasher, not meet a man.”

But he was handsome, and got even better looking the closer she got. He stood and extended his hand. “Mason Fontino. Evie was just telling me about her friend who repairs commercial dishwashers. That’s pretty impressive.”

He had denim-blue eyes and a great smile. Zoey didn’t feel any bonfire starting inside her chest or anything, but he was a good-looking man who was smiling right at her and telling her she was impressive. She wasn’t mad about it.

“Actually...” Evie started, “Zoey can repair just about anything, from commercial products to my grandmother’s music box collection. Your boss should put her on retainer.”