Read Online For the Love of Pete by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online
Authors: Sherryl Woods
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absence."
"An unpaid leave," Melanie retorted. "Where's the generosity in mat?"
63 63
"He could have hired someone else for that position," Jo argued.
"In winter?" Melanie asked skeptically, then gave a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay, I won't push."
Jo hooted at that. None of her sisters were the shy, retiring type. They'd push like crazy, especially if they sensed she was weakening. "Yeah, right."
"I promise," Melanie said, sketching a little X across her heart. "The decision's all yours, even if your staying would mean that Mike and I would have more time to work on our baby project."
Jo stared at her sister. "Baby project?"
"We think it's time Jessie had a little sister or brother," Melanie said. "But Mike's so busy, we barely even see each other, much less have time to, well, you know."
Mike nudged her in the ribs. "We will always find time for that, sweetheart." He winked at Jo. "On that note, I think I'll get out of here. I meant what I said, Jo. The door's always open if you do decide to stay, even if it's just through spring. That's my busiest season and it's worse than ever with all the construction going on."
She stood up and impulsively gave him a hug. "You're the best."
"So my wife tells me," he said lightly, dropping a kiss on Melanie's lips before taking off.
As soon as the door was closed behind him, Melanie regarded her intently. "Now we can get to the good stuff."
Jo stared at her blankly. "What good stuff?"
"You and Pete. You seem to have formed a bond awfully quickly."
Jo frowned. This was exactly what she'd been afraid
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FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
would happen the minute any of her sisters heard about this job. "It's not a bond. I mentioned that I do landscape design. He said he needed help. That's it."
Melanie obviously wasn't satisfied. "And when did you share this information?"
Jo saw the trap. "Yesterday," she said cautiously.
"Oh? I thought you intended to stay away as long as he was working."
"That was the plan," Jo agreed. "It didn't work out. Turned out he was still here when I got home."
"What time was that?"
"Melanie, is there some point you're trying to make?"
"No," she said cheerfully. "I'm just fishing for information I can share with Maggie and Ashley. It's so rare that I know anything before they do."
"And what is it you think you know?"
"That something's clicking between you and Pete."
"Indeed there is," Jo said. "He's thrilled about my job experience. I'm excited about his offer to pay me for my expertise. If that's clicking, then we are definitely on the same wavelength."
"Joke if you want, but I think there's more going on," Melanie insisted.
"Such as?"
"Chemistry."
"More like botany," Jo said dryly. "We have plants in common."
"Ha-ha," Melanie responded with a roll of her eyes.
"I thought it was amusing."
"Where is he, by the way?"
"Working, I imagine."
"But not here?" Melanie said, looking disappointed
65 65
that she wasn't going to get to put him through the wringer on this visit.
"Not till later," Jo said.
Melanie brightened at once. "After hours? How much work can he actually get done once it's dark?"
Jo groaned at her sister's determination to make something of the situation. She would have expected it from Ashley or Maggie, but Melanie usually had better sense. "I think maybe this whole baby project of yours has put your mind on a single tifack," she told her.
Melanie beamed. "Could bej. Mike and I certainly don't think about much else." (She gave Jo a pointed look. "At least when we get five iunutes alone together."
"Oh, no, you don't, big sister," Jo chided. "You are not going to guilt me into staying here, just so you and your husband can have more sex."
"It's not about the sex. It's about a baby," Melanie said. "A little niece or nephew for you. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"Wonderful," Jo agreed readily. "But making it happen isn't my responsibility."
Melanie laughed. "Oh, well, it was worth a shot. Now I have to be going. I have
"An unpaid leave," Melanie retorted. "Where's the generosity in mat?"
63 63
"He could have hired someone else for that position," Jo argued.
"In winter?" Melanie asked skeptically, then gave a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay, I won't push."
Jo hooted at that. None of her sisters were the shy, retiring type. They'd push like crazy, especially if they sensed she was weakening. "Yeah, right."
"I promise," Melanie said, sketching a little X across her heart. "The decision's all yours, even if your staying would mean that Mike and I would have more time to work on our baby project."
Jo stared at her sister. "Baby project?"
"We think it's time Jessie had a little sister or brother," Melanie said. "But Mike's so busy, we barely even see each other, much less have time to, well, you know."
Mike nudged her in the ribs. "We will always find time for that, sweetheart." He winked at Jo. "On that note, I think I'll get out of here. I meant what I said, Jo. The door's always open if you do decide to stay, even if it's just through spring. That's my busiest season and it's worse than ever with all the construction going on."
She stood up and impulsively gave him a hug. "You're the best."
"So my wife tells me," he said lightly, dropping a kiss on Melanie's lips before taking off.
As soon as the door was closed behind him, Melanie regarded her intently. "Now we can get to the good stuff."
Jo stared at her blankly. "What good stuff?"
"You and Pete. You seem to have formed a bond awfully quickly."
Jo frowned. This was exactly what she'd been afraid
64
FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
would happen the minute any of her sisters heard about this job. "It's not a bond. I mentioned that I do landscape design. He said he needed help. That's it."
Melanie obviously wasn't satisfied. "And when did you share this information?"
Jo saw the trap. "Yesterday," she said cautiously.
"Oh? I thought you intended to stay away as long as he was working."
"That was the plan," Jo agreed. "It didn't work out. Turned out he was still here when I got home."
"What time was that?"
"Melanie, is there some point you're trying to make?"
"No," she said cheerfully. "I'm just fishing for information I can share with Maggie and Ashley. It's so rare that I know anything before they do."
"And what is it you think you know?"
"That something's clicking between you and Pete."
"Indeed there is," Jo said. "He's thrilled about my job experience. I'm excited about his offer to pay me for my expertise. If that's clicking, then we are definitely on the same wavelength."
"Joke if you want, but I think there's more going on," Melanie insisted.
"Such as?"
"Chemistry."
"More like botany," Jo said dryly. "We have plants in common."
"Ha-ha," Melanie responded with a roll of her eyes.
"I thought it was amusing."
"Where is he, by the way?"
"Working, I imagine."
"But not here?" Melanie said, looking disappointed
65 65
that she wasn't going to get to put him through the wringer on this visit.
"Not till later," Jo said.
Melanie brightened at once. "After hours? How much work can he actually get done once it's dark?"
Jo groaned at her sister's determination to make something of the situation. She would have expected it from Ashley or Maggie, but Melanie usually had better sense. "I think maybe this whole baby project of yours has put your mind on a single tifack," she told her.
Melanie beamed. "Could bej. Mike and I certainly don't think about much else." (She gave Jo a pointed look. "At least when we get five iunutes alone together."
"Oh, no, you don't, big sister," Jo chided. "You are not going to guilt me into staying here, just so you and your husband can have more sex."
"It's not about the sex. It's about a baby," Melanie said. "A little niece or nephew for you. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"Wonderful," Jo agreed readily. "But making it happen isn't my responsibility."
Melanie laughed. "Oh, well, it was worth a shot. Now I have to be going. I have
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