Operation Date Escape

admitted with a shake of his head.
    “So how was your date with Nanci last night? Besides being hot.”
    His friend’s smile widened. “I plan on asking her out a lot more if that tells you anything.”
    It said a lot seeing as how his best friend liked to play the field. Very few repeaters when it came to his past dates. “That good, huh?”
    “She’s something else. Says whatever’s on her mind. And, man, can that woman kiss.”
    “First base. Way to go, Joe.”
    “First base, hell. When ol’ Joe here is up to bat, I go for the home run.”
    Tossing his soiled uniform into the wash pile, Cole grabbed a clean pair of briefs and a towel from his dresser drawer. “Spare me the details.”
    “Who said I was going to give you any?”
    “You usually do.” But this was the first time the thought of hearing the details of Joe’s date didn’t sit right with him. Nanci was Kelsie’s best friend. Somehow discussing his best friend having sex with her best friend just seemed like an inappropriate thing to do.
    “A gentleman never tells.”
    That summoned a raised brow from Cole. “I’m impressed.” Joe liked to brag about his sexual conquests.
    “Hey, did I mention that Nanci said your little ‘Cupcake’ talks about you all the time?”
    “Yeah, well I wish Kelsie would talk to me instead. And last night’s call doesn’t count. It did, however, let me know that I’m not grasping at straws where my feelings for her are concerned.”
    Joe ran a hand back through his sweat-dampened hair. “So what are you going to do now? I mean since Kelsie refuses to go out with you again unless you do it on her terms.”
    “I don’t know.” He sighed in frustration. “I haven’t quite figured that part out yet.”
    “Why don’t you take the ‘cake lady’ up on her offer to help you out?”
    “Who?” Then it dawned on him who Joe was referring to. “Kelsie’s mother?”
    “Sure.” He shrugged. “Why not? She gave you her card, didn’t she?”
    “Yeah.”
    “And said for you to give her a call if she could help you in any way, right? Well...?”
    He considered Joe’s suggestion for a moment then shook his head. “I don’t think even her mother’s blessing will help get me a date with Kelsie. She’s too damn stubborn. I just have to find a way around that stubborn streak of hers.”
    “Then don’t ask her out.”
    “What?” How could Joe even suggest he just give up on the first woman to really turn his head in...forever? Not to mention the first woman he’d ever dated who had no hang up whatsoever about his chosen profession.
    “Kelsie’s mother is queen of the blind date fix-ups. So it’s simple. Have her mother fix the two of you up on one of those blind dates she’s so fond of setting up.”
    Joe came up with some off the wall schemes at times, but this was actually a great idea. It was the perfect plan. “Joe, I could kiss you.”
    His friend threw up a hand and took a step back into the hall. “Save it for your blind date. I don’t kiss men. Especially ugly ones like you.”
    “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t waste one on you anyhow,” Cole assured him, his laughter filling the room.
    Joe blew out an exaggerated breath and returned to leaning against the doorframe. “Phew ... Had me worried there for a moment.”
    The more Joe’s suggestion sank in, the more excited Cole was to set the plan in motion. Kelsie would rather suffer through one of her mother’s blind date fix-ups, at least until she came up with another clever escape plan, than tell her mother no. And he would use that small kink in her relationship-avoidance armor in his favor.
    “ Seriously, Joe, your idea of enlisting Kelsie’s mother to help me out is a brilliant one. I just need to come up with the perfect blind date.”
    “The station’s annual picnic is coming up. Maybe you could have your blind date meet you there. Nanci will be there with me.”
    The station’s picnic was held every summer. All the men on their crew and their families were invited. This year Lieutenant Calhoun was hosting the get together at his place.
    Cole thought that one over. It made sense. And he’d have a whole lot of backup on his side. “Nanci’s being there might help things once Kelsie finds out her mother and I tricked her into coming there.”
    “ You better hope so, because something tells me she’s not going to be too happy about being set up. Even if it is for her own good.”
    “She can’t know that I have