Read Online Dates And Other Nuts by Lori Copeland - Free Book Online

but was disgusted to find it stuck to his moist hand. Visions of an alien creature from “The X-Files” flashed through his mind. With his luck, it would permanently attach itself to him, growing until it devoured him completely. On closer inspection, Craig identified the thing as a huge fur ball.
    He balanced the beer in one hand, and covertly tried to wipe the clinging hair ball onto the edge of the sofa.
    â€œOh, gosh!” Gabrielle cried, setting aside her beer. “I’m sorry. My chow is shedding.”
    His stomach sank. “You have dogs, too?”
    â€œJust two.” She plucked at the collection of fur he’d gathered on his trousers. “A chow and a rottweiler. My dog walker took the boys out earlier for a run in the park.”
    Managing to extricate himself from the tentacles of the fur ball, he set the beer on the end of the coffee table and tried to dry his hands on his trousers. Clearly nonplussed, Gabrielle rubbed moisture from her beer can, dampened the hair ball into a roll and arced it toward an already overflowing wastebasket.
    Forcing himself to relax, Craig smiled.
    She smiled back.
    As the silence stretched, Craig’s mind cast about for something, anything, to say. “So, you and Temple were in flight school together—”
    â€œRoommates. Temple and Nancy and I were real close back then. Nancy stayed in Virginia, but I was really glad when Temple and I were both assigned to Dallas. She said you’ve been friends nearly all your lives. You must have met Nancy.”
    â€œNancy?” His smile faded.
    â€œYeah. Nancy Johnson. She and Temple were best buddies. I know you must have met her.”
    â€œUm, yes, I met her.” For a moment, the smell of Preparation H and bananas overode the smell of the litter boxes. The memory made his stomach cramp.
    â€œTemple’s the best.” Gabrielle rubbed the ears of the yellow cat who’d unwrapped itself from the leg of the coffee table. “I don’t understand why she hasn’t married. Guys are crazy about her. How old is she now? Thirty-two?”
    â€œThirty-one. Her birthday’s in December.”
    â€œOh, yeah. Christmas baby. Is she still dating that guy?”
    â€œGuy?” He frowned. “She’s never mentioned a ‘Guy.’”
    â€œYou know, that guy, Steve. She thought he’d be the one, you know. I mean ‘the one’?” she said with emphasis. “Maybe you didn’t meet him. That was a while back. She was irritated with herself for being so gullible she probably never talked about it.”
    Following her conversation was like keeping up with a bouncing rubber ball.
    She grinned. “Steve worked in a fish restaurant. Told her he owned it. Then she found out he was feeding her a line.” Gabrielle giggled. “Line. Feeding her? Get it?”
    Craig smiled obligingly. “Oh ... that Steve.”
    It bothered him that he hadn’t known about Steve. He thought Temple told him everything. Apparently not.
    â€œActually, I guess I’d be surprised if she did talk about him. She was screaming mad about the whole thing. You ever lie to a woman?”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œLie, like Steve did to Temple.”
    â€œI try not to.” Unless, of course, they ask about something like did he notice an eye-watering odor in the apartment.
    â€œNot even a white lie?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWell, then here’s to the first honest man I’ve ever met. Salut . ” She lifted her beer to him.
    He lifted his can to her, ready to sip a salute when three more felines entered from the kitchen, tails in the air, marching along behind one another like cartoon figures.
    Leaping onto the arm of the couch, they moved in silent rhythm, trailing along behind him on the back of the sofa.
    Lying down, they stretched out, nose to tail. The paws of the middle one slipped around his neck, forming a collar just beneath his