Read Online Blame It on Your Heart by Jami Alden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jami Alden
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smell. Felt her throat squeeze as his arms, still soft with baby chubbiness, wrapped tight around her neck.
She carried him down to the kitchen, knowing it wouldn't be long before she was no longer capable of the feat. As it was, by the time she settled him in a chair her arms were shaking.
She tapped her fingers impatiently as Anthony slowly plowed his way through his scrambled eggs.
"Okay, let's get dressed and go to the restaurant." She popped out of her chair as soon as he swallowed the last bite.
Naturally, Anthony protested, resenting the interference with his own agenda which included a morning of watching cartoons, with perhaps a break to play a few rounds of Angry Birds on her phone.
Only the promise of another one of Brady's cheeseburgers when they got there would get him into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.
As they walked to the restaurant, Ellie felt her stomach start to ball up at the prospect of facing Damon and saying what needed to be said.
But when they walked in, she was equal parts relieved and disappointed that Damon wasn't there. "He's usually at the store on Saturdays," Brady said when she asked about him.
"What do you need to talk to Damon about?" Ellie winced at her mother's voice behind her. So much for her plan to fly under the radar and talk to him without her mother asking a bunch of questions. "Nothing important," she said evasively.
To her surprise, her mother didn't probe, but as she looked Ellie up and down the shrewd look on her face meant she knew something was up.
"You go run him down at the store. Anthony can hang out with me," Adele said, smiling down at him.
Ellie left a few minutes later, Anthony happily perched on a stool in the kitchen while Brady went to work making the promised cheeseburger.
The walk to the Gas N Go, the convenience store/gas station combo Damon had taken over from Mr. Roberts and his wife was only ten minutes. Still, it was long enough for the wide leather strap across the front of her foot to rub a blister on the arch of her foot and for her to regret her choice in footwear.
A blast of chilly air hit her when she pushed open the door. Though it boasted new floors and new paint, the Gas N Go didn't look much different than the days the Roberts had run it. However, she noticed as she looked around for Damon, the cans on the shelves weren't coated with a layer of dust and she was pretty sure that was a high-end espresso machine behind the counter. Sure enough, when she looked up, there was a board over the checkout counter advertising a variety of fancy caffeinated beverages.
She waited while the plump blonde girl behind the counter helped the two men dressed in Carharts and work boots.
"How may I help you?" The girl said with a smile.
"I was hoping to talk to Damon Decker.”
The smile vanished as the girl rolled her eyes. "You and every other woman with a pulse in Sweetgrass County," she said, her exasperation obvious.
Ellie told herself the prickling sensation across her shoulders had nothing to do with the thought of Damon being pursued by women for miles around. It made perfect sense. The area wasn't exactly crawling with eligible bachelors. Not only was Big Timber tiny, the population of all of Sweetgrass County was less than five thousand.
Combine that with Damon's amazing looks and undeniable financial success? He was all but irresistible.
To everyone except herself, of course. "I work with Damon, over at Sweetgrass Cafe," Ellie said, forcing a friendly tone as she held out her hand. "I'm Ellie Tanner," she clarified.
The girl's wide blue eyes widened further and she took in a sharp breath before giving Ellie a thorough once over. "Oh, so you're the one everyone's been talking about!"
Ellie pulled back her hand and bit back the urge to ask exactly what everyone was saying about her. "Can you just tell him I'm here to see him, please? It's important."
"He's not in yet," the girl said, still staring in a way that made Ellie feel like she
She carried him down to the kitchen, knowing it wouldn't be long before she was no longer capable of the feat. As it was, by the time she settled him in a chair her arms were shaking.
She tapped her fingers impatiently as Anthony slowly plowed his way through his scrambled eggs.
"Okay, let's get dressed and go to the restaurant." She popped out of her chair as soon as he swallowed the last bite.
Naturally, Anthony protested, resenting the interference with his own agenda which included a morning of watching cartoons, with perhaps a break to play a few rounds of Angry Birds on her phone.
Only the promise of another one of Brady's cheeseburgers when they got there would get him into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.
As they walked to the restaurant, Ellie felt her stomach start to ball up at the prospect of facing Damon and saying what needed to be said.
But when they walked in, she was equal parts relieved and disappointed that Damon wasn't there. "He's usually at the store on Saturdays," Brady said when she asked about him.
"What do you need to talk to Damon about?" Ellie winced at her mother's voice behind her. So much for her plan to fly under the radar and talk to him without her mother asking a bunch of questions. "Nothing important," she said evasively.
To her surprise, her mother didn't probe, but as she looked Ellie up and down the shrewd look on her face meant she knew something was up.
"You go run him down at the store. Anthony can hang out with me," Adele said, smiling down at him.
Ellie left a few minutes later, Anthony happily perched on a stool in the kitchen while Brady went to work making the promised cheeseburger.
The walk to the Gas N Go, the convenience store/gas station combo Damon had taken over from Mr. Roberts and his wife was only ten minutes. Still, it was long enough for the wide leather strap across the front of her foot to rub a blister on the arch of her foot and for her to regret her choice in footwear.
A blast of chilly air hit her when she pushed open the door. Though it boasted new floors and new paint, the Gas N Go didn't look much different than the days the Roberts had run it. However, she noticed as she looked around for Damon, the cans on the shelves weren't coated with a layer of dust and she was pretty sure that was a high-end espresso machine behind the counter. Sure enough, when she looked up, there was a board over the checkout counter advertising a variety of fancy caffeinated beverages.
She waited while the plump blonde girl behind the counter helped the two men dressed in Carharts and work boots.
"How may I help you?" The girl said with a smile.
"I was hoping to talk to Damon Decker.”
The smile vanished as the girl rolled her eyes. "You and every other woman with a pulse in Sweetgrass County," she said, her exasperation obvious.
Ellie told herself the prickling sensation across her shoulders had nothing to do with the thought of Damon being pursued by women for miles around. It made perfect sense. The area wasn't exactly crawling with eligible bachelors. Not only was Big Timber tiny, the population of all of Sweetgrass County was less than five thousand.
Combine that with Damon's amazing looks and undeniable financial success? He was all but irresistible.
To everyone except herself, of course. "I work with Damon, over at Sweetgrass Cafe," Ellie said, forcing a friendly tone as she held out her hand. "I'm Ellie Tanner," she clarified.
The girl's wide blue eyes widened further and she took in a sharp breath before giving Ellie a thorough once over. "Oh, so you're the one everyone's been talking about!"
Ellie pulled back her hand and bit back the urge to ask exactly what everyone was saying about her. "Can you just tell him I'm here to see him, please? It's important."
"He's not in yet," the girl said, still staring in a way that made Ellie feel like she
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