Read Online For the Love of Pete by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sherryl Woods
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things to do and places to go."
"I imagine Maggie's will be your first stop," Jo said.
Her sister didn't even try to pretend otherwise. "Of course," she said at once. "Want to come?"
Something told Jo it was the only way to protect her own interests. Otherwise Maggie and Ashley would only hear Melanie's spin on the news that she was going to do a little work for Pete. That would only fuel their eagerness to turn it into a budding romance. And once
66 66FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
inspired, who knew what lengths they'd go to in order to make sure that love bloomed by spring, right along with the forsythia?
She gave Melanie a cheerful smile. "I'll be right behind you."
She knew she'd made the right decision when Melanie didn't even try to hide her disappointment.
When Pete finally caught up with him, Mike had a sketchbook in hand and was apparently trying to rough in a landscape design for a piece of waterfront property on which a Cape Cod-style house was under construction. Unfortunately, it was so damn cold out that he was forced to wear gloves and he kept dropping his pencil.
Pete retrieved it from the ground and handed it to him. "Ever think of doing this inside your truck with the motor running and the heater blasting? The wind off the bay cuts right through you this morning."
Mike gave him a sour look. "I noticed. Unfortunately, the builder piled all his construction debris beside the house. There's no way around it except on foot. That means I get to stand out here and freeze my butt off and hope my hand's not shaking so badly that I won't recognize what I've sketched in."
"If you were working with me, you wouldn't have that problem," Pete told him.
Mike gave him a hard look. "But I hear you've found yourself a backup landscape designer."
Pete regarded him with surprise. "You know?"
"Jo called last night. I stopped by to see her on my way over here. She told me. She wanted to be sure I had no objections."
67 67
"Do you?"
"Not a one. She'll do a good job for you. I've seen some of the places she landscaped up in Boston. She's good at it."
"Boston's not here. You sure she'll understand what plants work in this climate?"
"Hold it," Mike said. "Let's have this conversation in your truck. Something tells me it's going to require my full attention. Your heater will probably warm up faster than mine, since you just got here."
"And there's coffee," Pete said. "I picked up an extra cup in case you were in this precise predicament. Some builders aren't nearly as thoughtful as I am." He winked. "Just one reason you ought to make my jobs your first priority."
When they were finally settled in the cab of Pete's truck with the heater blasting, Mike gave him a hard look. "Okay, what's up? What's with the crack about me making you my first priority? I thought you were content with having Jo do the work. Are you having second thoughts about that?"
Pete weighed his response. He didn't want to get into all the complicated reasons why it might be a bad idea. Those had only started churning in his head after he'd left Rose Cottage the night before. By morning, he'd concluded he ought to try to find some way out of their agreement. Her qualifications were the only legitimate excuse he could come up with.
"You have to admit this area requires a different approach than some house in suburban Boston," he said defensively.
"Her credentials are impeccable," Mike said. "She'll
68 68FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
do her homework, Pete. You don't need to worry about that. And she'll show you site plans and sketches, same as I would. You have any questions, you can bring 'em to me."
Pete knew how that would go over if Jo found out he was taking her work to Mike behind her back. "You know I can't do that. It's insulting."
Mike grinned. "Glad you have sense enough to see that. Now tell me what's really going on here. It's not about Jo's experience, is it?"
Pete tried a different tack. "She's got a lot going on in her life right now. Josh told
"I imagine Maggie's will be your first stop," Jo said.
Her sister didn't even try to pretend otherwise. "Of course," she said at once. "Want to come?"
Something told Jo it was the only way to protect her own interests. Otherwise Maggie and Ashley would only hear Melanie's spin on the news that she was going to do a little work for Pete. That would only fuel their eagerness to turn it into a budding romance. And once
66 66FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
inspired, who knew what lengths they'd go to in order to make sure that love bloomed by spring, right along with the forsythia?
She gave Melanie a cheerful smile. "I'll be right behind you."
She knew she'd made the right decision when Melanie didn't even try to hide her disappointment.
When Pete finally caught up with him, Mike had a sketchbook in hand and was apparently trying to rough in a landscape design for a piece of waterfront property on which a Cape Cod-style house was under construction. Unfortunately, it was so damn cold out that he was forced to wear gloves and he kept dropping his pencil.
Pete retrieved it from the ground and handed it to him. "Ever think of doing this inside your truck with the motor running and the heater blasting? The wind off the bay cuts right through you this morning."
Mike gave him a sour look. "I noticed. Unfortunately, the builder piled all his construction debris beside the house. There's no way around it except on foot. That means I get to stand out here and freeze my butt off and hope my hand's not shaking so badly that I won't recognize what I've sketched in."
"If you were working with me, you wouldn't have that problem," Pete told him.
Mike gave him a hard look. "But I hear you've found yourself a backup landscape designer."
Pete regarded him with surprise. "You know?"
"Jo called last night. I stopped by to see her on my way over here. She told me. She wanted to be sure I had no objections."
67 67
"Do you?"
"Not a one. She'll do a good job for you. I've seen some of the places she landscaped up in Boston. She's good at it."
"Boston's not here. You sure she'll understand what plants work in this climate?"
"Hold it," Mike said. "Let's have this conversation in your truck. Something tells me it's going to require my full attention. Your heater will probably warm up faster than mine, since you just got here."
"And there's coffee," Pete said. "I picked up an extra cup in case you were in this precise predicament. Some builders aren't nearly as thoughtful as I am." He winked. "Just one reason you ought to make my jobs your first priority."
When they were finally settled in the cab of Pete's truck with the heater blasting, Mike gave him a hard look. "Okay, what's up? What's with the crack about me making you my first priority? I thought you were content with having Jo do the work. Are you having second thoughts about that?"
Pete weighed his response. He didn't want to get into all the complicated reasons why it might be a bad idea. Those had only started churning in his head after he'd left Rose Cottage the night before. By morning, he'd concluded he ought to try to find some way out of their agreement. Her qualifications were the only legitimate excuse he could come up with.
"You have to admit this area requires a different approach than some house in suburban Boston," he said defensively.
"Her credentials are impeccable," Mike said. "She'll
68 68FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
do her homework, Pete. You don't need to worry about that. And she'll show you site plans and sketches, same as I would. You have any questions, you can bring 'em to me."
Pete knew how that would go over if Jo found out he was taking her work to Mike behind her back. "You know I can't do that. It's insulting."
Mike grinned. "Glad you have sense enough to see that. Now tell me what's really going on here. It's not about Jo's experience, is it?"
Pete tried a different tack. "She's got a lot going on in her life right now. Josh told
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