Read Online Asking for Trouble by Jannine Gallant - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jannine Gallant
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bug to roll down the drive.
Miranda lifted Jackson from his car seat and stood close to the bumper while the baby waved toward the departing moose and screamed. Based on the fire in her eyes, she’d passed irritated and gone straight to furious some time ago. Cole pasted on his most endearing smile, the one that almost always worked with women when he’d done something stupid, and stepped forward.
“I can explain.”
“Don’t bother.” She wiped tears off Jackson’s cheeks with her thumb and shushed him. “Don’t cry. Your uncle will make you a new moose.”
“Bears. Next up is a trio of bears.”
She held out his nephew, and Cole took him. At least the crying had stopped.
“I really am sorry. Time got away from me. It’s been one of those days.”
“Imagine if all my parents used that excuse.”
A surge of annoyance stiffened his spine. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a parent.”
Her lips tightened before she turned on her heel. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
All the fight drained out of him. It really had been a miserable day, starting with a carton of milk spilled across the kitchen floor and ending with the incompetent haulers. The only bright spot was the woman pulling open her car door.
“Don’t go yet. I have a couple of steaks I can throw on the grill. My way of apologizing for your time and trouble.”
Slowly, she turned to face him. “That’s probably not such a great idea.”
“Why not? We both have to eat. Unless you have other plans…” His stomach knotted as he waited for her answer.
“I think we’ve reached the saturation point in time spent together these last few days.”
He resettled the hat on his head and raised a brow. “Sick of me?”
“No, but—”
Swiveling on his boot heel, he headed toward the house, hoping against hope she’d follow. “You can make a salad while I start the grill.”
“Cole…”
The scuff of her shoe against gravel produced a satisfied grin. He picked up his pace, drawing her further away from the car and escape. If he could just get her inside…
“You act like we’re dating, and we’re not.” Her voice was breathless as she climbed the steps behind him.
The boy kicked and squirmed to get down, and he lowered Jackson to the porch floor next to Tucker’s bed. The dog gave him a long suffering look, but put up with a big, clumsy hug.
Turning with a hand on the screen door, Cole faced Miranda. “Did I say anything about a date?”
“No, but—”
“It’s six o’clock. Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes, but—”
“So, we’ll have a meal. By the time you go to the store, drive home and cook, it’ll be late. Seems kind of pointless when I have two T-bones in the refrigerator.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Fine.”
Guilt ate at him as he headed through the house and out to the back yard where the barbeque sat beside a glass topped table and a pair of wrought iron chairs with faded red, corduroy cushions. The evening breeze still held the day’s warmth. Eating outside with the smell of honeysuckle in the air from the tangled patch climbing the side of the cabin might put Miranda at ease. She was strung tighter than a bale of alfalfa, and he knew he was to blame. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her again, and he wasn’t sure exactly what he hoped to accomplish with his current persistence.
Shaking briquettes into the barbeque, he squirted on lighter fluid and frowned. Maybe he was lying to himself. He wanted Miranda in his life. Period. Missing her was a constant ache in his heart, one that wouldn’t go away despite his best efforts to move on. There had to be a way to work things out between them. When he struck a match and tossed it on the grill, the briquettes lit with an explosion of flame.
“You’re lucky you didn’t lose your eyebrows.”
He turned and smiled. “I may have gotten carried away with the lighter fluid.”
With her long, auburn hair flowing over the shoulder of a blue
Miranda lifted Jackson from his car seat and stood close to the bumper while the baby waved toward the departing moose and screamed. Based on the fire in her eyes, she’d passed irritated and gone straight to furious some time ago. Cole pasted on his most endearing smile, the one that almost always worked with women when he’d done something stupid, and stepped forward.
“I can explain.”
“Don’t bother.” She wiped tears off Jackson’s cheeks with her thumb and shushed him. “Don’t cry. Your uncle will make you a new moose.”
“Bears. Next up is a trio of bears.”
She held out his nephew, and Cole took him. At least the crying had stopped.
“I really am sorry. Time got away from me. It’s been one of those days.”
“Imagine if all my parents used that excuse.”
A surge of annoyance stiffened his spine. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a parent.”
Her lips tightened before she turned on her heel. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
All the fight drained out of him. It really had been a miserable day, starting with a carton of milk spilled across the kitchen floor and ending with the incompetent haulers. The only bright spot was the woman pulling open her car door.
“Don’t go yet. I have a couple of steaks I can throw on the grill. My way of apologizing for your time and trouble.”
Slowly, she turned to face him. “That’s probably not such a great idea.”
“Why not? We both have to eat. Unless you have other plans…” His stomach knotted as he waited for her answer.
“I think we’ve reached the saturation point in time spent together these last few days.”
He resettled the hat on his head and raised a brow. “Sick of me?”
“No, but—”
Swiveling on his boot heel, he headed toward the house, hoping against hope she’d follow. “You can make a salad while I start the grill.”
“Cole…”
The scuff of her shoe against gravel produced a satisfied grin. He picked up his pace, drawing her further away from the car and escape. If he could just get her inside…
“You act like we’re dating, and we’re not.” Her voice was breathless as she climbed the steps behind him.
The boy kicked and squirmed to get down, and he lowered Jackson to the porch floor next to Tucker’s bed. The dog gave him a long suffering look, but put up with a big, clumsy hug.
Turning with a hand on the screen door, Cole faced Miranda. “Did I say anything about a date?”
“No, but—”
“It’s six o’clock. Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes, but—”
“So, we’ll have a meal. By the time you go to the store, drive home and cook, it’ll be late. Seems kind of pointless when I have two T-bones in the refrigerator.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Fine.”
Guilt ate at him as he headed through the house and out to the back yard where the barbeque sat beside a glass topped table and a pair of wrought iron chairs with faded red, corduroy cushions. The evening breeze still held the day’s warmth. Eating outside with the smell of honeysuckle in the air from the tangled patch climbing the side of the cabin might put Miranda at ease. She was strung tighter than a bale of alfalfa, and he knew he was to blame. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her again, and he wasn’t sure exactly what he hoped to accomplish with his current persistence.
Shaking briquettes into the barbeque, he squirted on lighter fluid and frowned. Maybe he was lying to himself. He wanted Miranda in his life. Period. Missing her was a constant ache in his heart, one that wouldn’t go away despite his best efforts to move on. There had to be a way to work things out between them. When he struck a match and tossed it on the grill, the briquettes lit with an explosion of flame.
“You’re lucky you didn’t lose your eyebrows.”
He turned and smiled. “I may have gotten carried away with the lighter fluid.”
With her long, auburn hair flowing over the shoulder of a blue
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