Read Online A Ring for Cinderella by Judy Christenberry - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Judy Christenberry
Ads: Link
thought.
“We’d better hurry. I need to be back at work.”
“A half hour for lunch is ridiculous.”
“No, I requested it. That way I get home earlier for Paul. I like to have as much time as possible with him.”
“Say, I forgot, but after I visit with Gramp, can I pick Paul up? I’ve got a few things to do that I think he’d enjoy.” He waited for her response, unsure whether she’d trust him with her beloved little brother.
“There’s no need—”
“Susan, I want to. In fact, we might even invite Manuel along, too. Paul seems to enjoy his friend.”
“Yes, they’re like brothers. If you’re sure you want both of them, I’ll give Rosa a call.”
“Yeah, do that.”
Pete Lowery was sitting up in bed when Zach got to the hospital. “Gramp, you’re looking good”
“Yep. I’ve surprised the doctors. They thought I was a goner.” He beamed at his grandson.
Zach muttered beneath his breath. “Me, too.” fortunately, while Gramp’s heart may have recovered, his hearing was still slightly off. “Glad to hear it,” Zach added.
“You enjoyed the hotel suite?”
“You bet. Susan loved it.”
“She’s a sweet thing. How did you find her?”
Zach drew a deep breath. “Well, I stopped off at this diner one day, when I’d come to town to check with our banker, and she served me coffee.”
“She’s a waitress.?”
“Nope. She works in public relations for the diner, and when she gets coffee for herself, she sometimes helps the waitress out by refilling everyone else’s cups.”
“Public relations? I bet she draws a lot of attention.”
“Yeah.”
“Where is she?”
“At work.”
Pete glared at him. “You gonna make your bride a slave? She shouldn’t have to work the day after her wedding.”
Zach decided to let Susan bear the blame for this one. “I told her that, but since we hadn’t planned on marrying this soon, she said she couldn’t leave them in the lurch. She’s very responsible.”
“The minute she starts a baby, you make sure she stays at home and is taken care of. We don’t want anything to go wrong.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “Gramp, I know how to take care of what’s mine. Susan and I are coming back to see you tonight, after we have dinner with more of her family that I just met. But I have to go now. I’m taking Paul shopping.” He leaned over and patted his grandfather’s shoulder.
Then he remembered something else he’d better straighten out while he had a chance. “Oh, by the
way, Paul is her brother, not her son. And she has an eighteen-year-old sister named Megan. She’s been trying to support them the last four years.”
“She’s a good girl,” Pete said simply, still beaming at Zach.
He nodded and left the hospital room. He hoped Gramp was right. But he still wasn’t sure.
The next few hours, he had more fun than he’d had in a long time. After picking up Paul and Manuel, he headed for the stores. The two little boys were astounded when they discovered they were to be treated to new clothes.
Zach did run into a little trouble when he suggested Paul and Manuel each choose several shirts.
“I don’t think we should buy more than one shirt,” Paul said, his blue eyes serious.
“Why not, buddy?”
“I don’t think Susan would want me to.”
Zach frowned. “Why not? Doesn’t she like you to have nice clothes?”
“Yeah, but when Aunt Kate or Aunt Maggie want to buy me lots of things, Susan says just one, please.”
Zach wanted to dismiss Paul’s worry, but the little boy’s serious face made him reconsider. “Okay, how about I buy you one pair of jeans and a shirt and shoes and, uh, maybe a cowboy hat for when you come out to the ranch, and Gramp buys you the other stuff.”
Paul thought Zach’s idea was a brilliant one, but then they had to deal with Manuel’s concerns about strangers buying him things, too. Zach couldn’t remember working so hard to spend money. Once he’d
satisfied both boys’
“We’d better hurry. I need to be back at work.”
“A half hour for lunch is ridiculous.”
“No, I requested it. That way I get home earlier for Paul. I like to have as much time as possible with him.”
“Say, I forgot, but after I visit with Gramp, can I pick Paul up? I’ve got a few things to do that I think he’d enjoy.” He waited for her response, unsure whether she’d trust him with her beloved little brother.
“There’s no need—”
“Susan, I want to. In fact, we might even invite Manuel along, too. Paul seems to enjoy his friend.”
“Yes, they’re like brothers. If you’re sure you want both of them, I’ll give Rosa a call.”
“Yeah, do that.”
Pete Lowery was sitting up in bed when Zach got to the hospital. “Gramp, you’re looking good”
“Yep. I’ve surprised the doctors. They thought I was a goner.” He beamed at his grandson.
Zach muttered beneath his breath. “Me, too.” fortunately, while Gramp’s heart may have recovered, his hearing was still slightly off. “Glad to hear it,” Zach added.
“You enjoyed the hotel suite?”
“You bet. Susan loved it.”
“She’s a sweet thing. How did you find her?”
Zach drew a deep breath. “Well, I stopped off at this diner one day, when I’d come to town to check with our banker, and she served me coffee.”
“She’s a waitress.?”
“Nope. She works in public relations for the diner, and when she gets coffee for herself, she sometimes helps the waitress out by refilling everyone else’s cups.”
“Public relations? I bet she draws a lot of attention.”
“Yeah.”
“Where is she?”
“At work.”
Pete glared at him. “You gonna make your bride a slave? She shouldn’t have to work the day after her wedding.”
Zach decided to let Susan bear the blame for this one. “I told her that, but since we hadn’t planned on marrying this soon, she said she couldn’t leave them in the lurch. She’s very responsible.”
“The minute she starts a baby, you make sure she stays at home and is taken care of. We don’t want anything to go wrong.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “Gramp, I know how to take care of what’s mine. Susan and I are coming back to see you tonight, after we have dinner with more of her family that I just met. But I have to go now. I’m taking Paul shopping.” He leaned over and patted his grandfather’s shoulder.
Then he remembered something else he’d better straighten out while he had a chance. “Oh, by the
way, Paul is her brother, not her son. And she has an eighteen-year-old sister named Megan. She’s been trying to support them the last four years.”
“She’s a good girl,” Pete said simply, still beaming at Zach.
He nodded and left the hospital room. He hoped Gramp was right. But he still wasn’t sure.
The next few hours, he had more fun than he’d had in a long time. After picking up Paul and Manuel, he headed for the stores. The two little boys were astounded when they discovered they were to be treated to new clothes.
Zach did run into a little trouble when he suggested Paul and Manuel each choose several shirts.
“I don’t think we should buy more than one shirt,” Paul said, his blue eyes serious.
“Why not, buddy?”
“I don’t think Susan would want me to.”
Zach frowned. “Why not? Doesn’t she like you to have nice clothes?”
“Yeah, but when Aunt Kate or Aunt Maggie want to buy me lots of things, Susan says just one, please.”
Zach wanted to dismiss Paul’s worry, but the little boy’s serious face made him reconsider. “Okay, how about I buy you one pair of jeans and a shirt and shoes and, uh, maybe a cowboy hat for when you come out to the ranch, and Gramp buys you the other stuff.”
Paul thought Zach’s idea was a brilliant one, but then they had to deal with Manuel’s concerns about strangers buying him things, too. Zach couldn’t remember working so hard to spend money. Once he’d
satisfied both boys’
Similar Books
