Read Online Before I Do Amazon by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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crisp. "I think this café was an excellent investment for you."
"Contrary to popular opinion," he said.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing. Let's just eat."
She was happy to go along with that suggestion—at least for the moment. But when they'd finished off most of the plates, she decided it was only fair that Nick share a little personal information. "What did you mean before when you said investing in this café went against popular opinion?"
"My father thought it was a bad idea. Joanie had originally approached his firm. But when he said no, she came to me."
"Because you two knew each other?" she ventured, sensing that Joanie hadn't just been a stranger on the street.
"We did know each other. Joanie was my nanny when I was nine years old. She was with my family until I was fourteen. Then she took another job with some younger kids and eventually fell in love, got married, and decided to open a restaurant."
She was more than a little surprised to learn that Joanie had been Nick's nanny. It was hard to think of Nick as a child.
"She still tries to mother me," Nick said. "But I let her get away with it, because in reality she spent more time with me than either of my parents. My mom was a sweetheart, but when my dad said jump, she jumped. That usually meant she was with him and not with me. But Joanie was there." He sat back as the waiter cleared their table. "Do you want anything else?"
"No, I'm stuffed. It was all really good. I like that you helped out your former nanny, Nick. It's sweet."
He grimaced. "No one has ever described me as sweet."
She laughed at his disgruntled expression. "Well, in this instance, you were. Before you told me about Joanie, I didn't think you had any soft edges."
"I really don't, Isabella. Joanie was the exception."
She wondered if that were true. Before five minutes ago, she would have said yes, but now she wasn't so sure that Nick didn't have a side that very few people got to see.
Chapter Seven
After breakfast, they decided to take a walk instead of going straight back to the car. The path in front of the restaurant took them along the harbor, and as Nick looked out at the sailboats, he felt an odd, yearning desire to get on one of those boats and sail into the horizon with Isabella at his side.
It wasn't the kind of dream he had often or ever. In fact, he rarely dreamed at all anymore. Every day was about meeting whatever goal he had set the day before. He'd been running at a dead sprint for the past decade. He'd been happy in his ambition and mostly satisfied with his success, but today he felt restless.
He worked most nights and weekends. Self-made men didn't take days off. But today he didn't feel like going back to his office, and part of that reluctance had to do with Isabella. She was interesting and different, not at all like the women he usually spent time with, and he was intrigued. He also couldn't get their impulsive but passionate kiss the night before out of his head. And having her story about her bad love affair and her horrific injury, he felt an even stronger connection to her.
Isabella was a survivor, soft on the outside but very strong on the inside. He had a feeling she didn't even realize her strength, which made her even more appealing.
Isabella paused and rested her arms on a waist-high cement wall that edged the water. "I know I keep saying what a great view, but every time I turn around, my jaw drops," she said with a smile. "I spend most of days in a windowless studio with a mirror reflecting my movements. Sometimes I don't even know if it's sunny outside."
He could relate to that comment. Even though he sat in front of a huge window most of the day, he rarely looked out. He was too busy concentrating on whatever was on his computer or on a paper in front of him. And when he wasn't doing that, he was usually on the phone dealing with some crisis or closing a deal.
But today he was reminded that the city was more than his office building and
"Contrary to popular opinion," he said.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing. Let's just eat."
She was happy to go along with that suggestion—at least for the moment. But when they'd finished off most of the plates, she decided it was only fair that Nick share a little personal information. "What did you mean before when you said investing in this café went against popular opinion?"
"My father thought it was a bad idea. Joanie had originally approached his firm. But when he said no, she came to me."
"Because you two knew each other?" she ventured, sensing that Joanie hadn't just been a stranger on the street.
"We did know each other. Joanie was my nanny when I was nine years old. She was with my family until I was fourteen. Then she took another job with some younger kids and eventually fell in love, got married, and decided to open a restaurant."
She was more than a little surprised to learn that Joanie had been Nick's nanny. It was hard to think of Nick as a child.
"She still tries to mother me," Nick said. "But I let her get away with it, because in reality she spent more time with me than either of my parents. My mom was a sweetheart, but when my dad said jump, she jumped. That usually meant she was with him and not with me. But Joanie was there." He sat back as the waiter cleared their table. "Do you want anything else?"
"No, I'm stuffed. It was all really good. I like that you helped out your former nanny, Nick. It's sweet."
He grimaced. "No one has ever described me as sweet."
She laughed at his disgruntled expression. "Well, in this instance, you were. Before you told me about Joanie, I didn't think you had any soft edges."
"I really don't, Isabella. Joanie was the exception."
She wondered if that were true. Before five minutes ago, she would have said yes, but now she wasn't so sure that Nick didn't have a side that very few people got to see.
Chapter Seven
After breakfast, they decided to take a walk instead of going straight back to the car. The path in front of the restaurant took them along the harbor, and as Nick looked out at the sailboats, he felt an odd, yearning desire to get on one of those boats and sail into the horizon with Isabella at his side.
It wasn't the kind of dream he had often or ever. In fact, he rarely dreamed at all anymore. Every day was about meeting whatever goal he had set the day before. He'd been running at a dead sprint for the past decade. He'd been happy in his ambition and mostly satisfied with his success, but today he felt restless.
He worked most nights and weekends. Self-made men didn't take days off. But today he didn't feel like going back to his office, and part of that reluctance had to do with Isabella. She was interesting and different, not at all like the women he usually spent time with, and he was intrigued. He also couldn't get their impulsive but passionate kiss the night before out of his head. And having her story about her bad love affair and her horrific injury, he felt an even stronger connection to her.
Isabella was a survivor, soft on the outside but very strong on the inside. He had a feeling she didn't even realize her strength, which made her even more appealing.
Isabella paused and rested her arms on a waist-high cement wall that edged the water. "I know I keep saying what a great view, but every time I turn around, my jaw drops," she said with a smile. "I spend most of days in a windowless studio with a mirror reflecting my movements. Sometimes I don't even know if it's sunny outside."
He could relate to that comment. Even though he sat in front of a huge window most of the day, he rarely looked out. He was too busy concentrating on whatever was on his computer or on a paper in front of him. And when he wasn't doing that, he was usually on the phone dealing with some crisis or closing a deal.
But today he was reminded that the city was more than his office building and
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