Read Online Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Megan Hart
Ads: Link
patter of feet and nodded. “My girls are the most important thing in the world to me right now. You know that.”
It was Bev’s turn to look surprised. “I didn’t think otherwise. I was telling you to be careful about yourself, Arden. I know you’d never do anything that would harm the girls.”
Then they had no more time to talk because Aislin and Maeve had come back into the shop in a whirlwind of chatter, two long pieces of net draped around their heads like turbans, identical grins making it impossible for her to get irritated.
“Hugs and kisses.” Arden squeezed them both to her. “Have fun with Gran and Grampa.”
Bev winked. “We’ll have a great time. And you have a great time, too. Don’t worry about us. We’re going to stay up—”
“All night!” The girls chorused, giggling.
“All night,” Bev repeated with another eye roll and began to herd them out the door.
Arden stopped her. “Bev…thanks for everything. For keeping the girls…for everything.”
Bev reached out to push a piece of Arden’s hair behind her ear. “You’re welcome, honey. Believe me, it’s my pleasure. Have fun tonight.”
The shop seemed extremely empty after they’d gone, but Arden stayed only long enough to turn out the lights and lock the doors. Then she was out to the street, in her car and heading home to get ready for her big night.
Chapter Six
Philip was absolutely, positively gorgeous. Blond hair, bright blue eyes, smile as white as pure mountain snow. He was tall and fit, and a very snappy dresser. In short, he was everything Lida had promised and more.
Arden had underdressed in an ankle-length black skirt and a striped top, a cardigan thrown over her shoulders in case the restaurant’s air-conditioning was too high. She’d applied her makeup carefully and pulled her hair into a pretty braid, but still felt dowdy in comparison to the godlike man before her.
Philip didn’t seem to be put off at her non-goddess-level looks. He smiled and got up from the car he’d been leaning on. A dark blue Lexus—nice car, just like Lida had said. “Hi, Arden?”
She nodded and held out her hand, then almost pulled it back. Was it appropriate to shake hands with a man she was supposed to be propositioning? Philip took her fingers and gave them a squeeze. For one heart-stopping moment, Arden thought he meant to kiss her fingers. Relief flooded her when he didn’t.
“Should we go inside?”
She nodded, then cleared her throat. She didn’t want to come off like an idiot, but afraid of sounding overeager, she just said, “Okay.”
Philip held the door for her, pulled out her chair and opened her menu for her with aplomb. And he managed to do all of that without making her feel awkward. Bonus points for that, she thought, trying not to stare.
He was an easy man to get caught up in watching to the exclusion of all else. Kind of like looking at a perfect painting, like he was too pretty to be real. Arden blinked and forced herself to look down at the plate in front of her. A single, lonely dinner roll squatted on the plain white china. Tiny pats of butter shaped like roses tempted her to take one. By the time she’d buttered the roll, she was staring at him again.
“Lida tells me you’ve only been back in Annville for a couple of months.”
Arden nodded and washed down her miniscule bite of roll with a swig of iced tea. “Six months actually.”
“You have a shop? Bridal shop?”
“I’m a seamstress,” she explained. “My store’s right down the street. Across from the Allen Theater. I do bridal gowns, special occasion dresses, costumes for the Renaissance Faire. Stuff like that.”
He made an impressed face she didn’t assume was faked. Either he really was impressed, or he was very, very good. “You made the dresses in the window?”
“Yep. That was me.”
“Wow.” Philip chewed his own roll for a moment. “I’m in banking.”
Arden nodded, not sure of what to say. Small talk should
It was Bev’s turn to look surprised. “I didn’t think otherwise. I was telling you to be careful about yourself, Arden. I know you’d never do anything that would harm the girls.”
Then they had no more time to talk because Aislin and Maeve had come back into the shop in a whirlwind of chatter, two long pieces of net draped around their heads like turbans, identical grins making it impossible for her to get irritated.
“Hugs and kisses.” Arden squeezed them both to her. “Have fun with Gran and Grampa.”
Bev winked. “We’ll have a great time. And you have a great time, too. Don’t worry about us. We’re going to stay up—”
“All night!” The girls chorused, giggling.
“All night,” Bev repeated with another eye roll and began to herd them out the door.
Arden stopped her. “Bev…thanks for everything. For keeping the girls…for everything.”
Bev reached out to push a piece of Arden’s hair behind her ear. “You’re welcome, honey. Believe me, it’s my pleasure. Have fun tonight.”
The shop seemed extremely empty after they’d gone, but Arden stayed only long enough to turn out the lights and lock the doors. Then she was out to the street, in her car and heading home to get ready for her big night.
Chapter Six
Philip was absolutely, positively gorgeous. Blond hair, bright blue eyes, smile as white as pure mountain snow. He was tall and fit, and a very snappy dresser. In short, he was everything Lida had promised and more.
Arden had underdressed in an ankle-length black skirt and a striped top, a cardigan thrown over her shoulders in case the restaurant’s air-conditioning was too high. She’d applied her makeup carefully and pulled her hair into a pretty braid, but still felt dowdy in comparison to the godlike man before her.
Philip didn’t seem to be put off at her non-goddess-level looks. He smiled and got up from the car he’d been leaning on. A dark blue Lexus—nice car, just like Lida had said. “Hi, Arden?”
She nodded and held out her hand, then almost pulled it back. Was it appropriate to shake hands with a man she was supposed to be propositioning? Philip took her fingers and gave them a squeeze. For one heart-stopping moment, Arden thought he meant to kiss her fingers. Relief flooded her when he didn’t.
“Should we go inside?”
She nodded, then cleared her throat. She didn’t want to come off like an idiot, but afraid of sounding overeager, she just said, “Okay.”
Philip held the door for her, pulled out her chair and opened her menu for her with aplomb. And he managed to do all of that without making her feel awkward. Bonus points for that, she thought, trying not to stare.
He was an easy man to get caught up in watching to the exclusion of all else. Kind of like looking at a perfect painting, like he was too pretty to be real. Arden blinked and forced herself to look down at the plate in front of her. A single, lonely dinner roll squatted on the plain white china. Tiny pats of butter shaped like roses tempted her to take one. By the time she’d buttered the roll, she was staring at him again.
“Lida tells me you’ve only been back in Annville for a couple of months.”
Arden nodded and washed down her miniscule bite of roll with a swig of iced tea. “Six months actually.”
“You have a shop? Bridal shop?”
“I’m a seamstress,” she explained. “My store’s right down the street. Across from the Allen Theater. I do bridal gowns, special occasion dresses, costumes for the Renaissance Faire. Stuff like that.”
He made an impressed face she didn’t assume was faked. Either he really was impressed, or he was very, very good. “You made the dresses in the window?”
“Yep. That was me.”
“Wow.” Philip chewed his own roll for a moment. “I’m in banking.”
Arden nodded, not sure of what to say. Small talk should
Similar Books
