Read Online Second Chance by Angela Verdenius - Free Book Online

queried.
    Not going to touch that topic. 
Hell no.  “I’m a boring subject,” Tam replied.  “How about you?  Are you the
same Elissa who I hear sometimes sings here and gets everyone going wild?”
    Elissa glanced at Simon, who
smiled lazily.  “That’s my woman, all right.”
    Taking the hint from her husband, she
turned back to Tam.  “I don’t know about going wild, but yes, that’d be me.”
    “No aspirations to make a career
of it?  I hear you’re really good.”
    “Other’s had the aspirations.  I
have everything I want right here.”  Elissa smiled up at Simon.
    The redheaded firie gave her a
resounding kiss.
    Moz made a gagging sound.  “Sister.  Sister .”
    “I’m sorry.”  Simon fluttered his
eyelashes at his brother-in-law.  “I forgot about your sensitive
sensibilities.”
    “Never mind numb nuts,” Ryder
said.  “I’m starving.  Are we eating?”
    “My exact question,” Simon
agreed.  “Let’s order.”
    “I’m surprised you didn’t start
moaning before this.” Scott placed his empty glass down.
    “I had a little snack before we
left home.”
    “A little snack, huh?  What was
it?  Half a cow?”
    “A little snack, dipstick.”
    “Half a dish of lasagne,” Elissa
supplied.  “Two pieces of garlic bread and a biscuit.”
    “Like I said, a little snack.”
    “Jesus, you’re a walking stomach,”
Ryder said.  “You’re unbelievable.  It’s like being in the company of a human
pantry and fridge rolled into one.  Frightening.”
    “This from the man who fire blanks
like a box of defective bullets.  Laughable.”
    Settling back to enjoy the volley
of insults firing between the two friends, Tam couldn’t help but feel Grant’s
steady regard, and she risked a quick peek at him.  Sipping on his Coke, the
man was studying her thoughtfully. What was he thinking?
    He surprised her suddenly by sliding
across a menu from the small stack in the centre of the table.  “Most of us
know what we want, but you might like to check out the selection.”
    “Thanks.”  At least he wasn’t just
looking at her like he’d just discovered something interesting - or
disturbing.  Taking the reading glasses from her purse, she slid them onto her
nose, pushed them up with one finger and studied the selection.  “It all looks
good.”
    “It all tastes good.”
    “Mmm.”
    By the time she’d decided, the men
were already getting up from the table.  She made to join them, only to have
Grant shake his head.
    “I’ll get what you want.”
    “Oh. Okay.”  She reached for her
purse again.  “Thanks.”
    “On me.”
    That had her head shooting up. 
“Grant, I can’t-”
    “On me,” he interrupted easily.
    Oh, she didn’t like that.  “This
isn’t a-”
    “You can owe him.” Simon actually
patted her head as he moved past.
    A gleam entered Grant’s eyes.  “I’ll
collect, don’t worry.”  With that, he walked away in the company of his
friends.
    Okay, she really had to sort him
out.  Him paying for her meal, one she hadn’t expected to actually have at the
pub, had not been agreed upon.  It wasn’t a date.  She didn’t want him feeling
he had to pay because the other blokes had their wives and fiancée with them.
    Taking a deep breath, she calmed
herself.  It was okay, she was overreacting.  She’d pay him back later, all was
good.
    “So,” Dee commented, “you must
have made quite an impression on Grant back in the day.”
    “I think he made more of an
impression on me,” Tam replied.  “It was a long time ago.”
    “Uh huh.”
    Not about to poke that sentence to
see what it provoked, Tam switched her attention to Ash.  “So where are you
from, Ash?”
    Ash smiled.  “Other side of Australia.”
    “What made you leave?”
    “I wasn’t happy there. How about
you?  Where are you from?”
    “Originally I was from a big town,
moved to the city, and then came here to have a break and help out Aunt