Read Online Fortune's Proposal by Allison Leigh - Free Book Online

she was generally pretty quiet in the office?
    Feeling way too warm, he shoved back the comforter, but kept the sheet in place. The light was dim, but he wasn’t going to take any chances.
    And every time he thought the simmering want inside of him was going to settle and cool down, something—like that clinging shirt of hers—just fueled the fire all over again.
    â€œThe foundation was begun in memory of Ryan Fortune. My dad’s cousin.” And his dad’s fiancée’s deceased husband.
    He felt his jaw tighten again. Maybe his father should be worrying about how that would have sat with his wife instead of tossing her memory into Drew’s face.
    â€œDid you know him well?”
    He dragged his thoughts together. “Well enough, I guess. Ryan was a good guy. Believed in good things. He was always trying to help others. Sharing what he considered his own good fortune. Maybe he’s up there somewhere watching what the foundation does now.” He didn’t want to think what Ryan might be thinking about his own cousin marrying his wife. “The agency has grown a helluva lot more than anyone ever expected. It started out as a small storefront and now they’ve got a big building on the highway just outside of Red Rock.”
    â€œWhat about your other brothers?”
    Fortunately, they were easier subjects. “Jeremy’s three years older than me. You’ll meet him at breakfast, no doubt. I’ll be surprised if he stays past tonight after thewedding, though. Hardly anything keeps him away from his practice in Sacramento. He’s an orthopedic surgeon.” And no happier about William’s impending marriage than Drew was.
    â€œHe’s not married either, right?”
    â€œNope.” Not for lack of trying from plenty of women, though, who seemed to find his workaholic brother’s blue eyes as irresistible as his status as a surgeon.
    â€œThen there’s you,” she quickly dipped her chin, nodding toward him.
    The faint scent of green apple taunted him. “And Darr brings up the rear,” he added abruptly.
    â€œThe firefighter.”
    â€œYeah. He and Bethany have a little girl named Randi.” Another cutie who looked just like her mother with wavy blond hair and big blue eyes.
    He could appreciate cute kids as long as they weren’t his own. Being an uncle suited him just fine.
    â€œAnd who else should I know when we go to the wedding?”
    â€œDoes it matter?”
    â€œIt does if you want anyone to believe we’re really…involved.” She said the word as if it were something that should only be voiced if you were wearing hazmat gear.
    He could relate.
    â€œWhat about Lily?” she continued. “The bride? She was married to Ryan Fortune and you’ve said that he was a good guy. What’s she like?”
    Drew had liked her just fine until his dad had lost all sense over her. “I always thought she was devastated when Ryan died.”
    â€œHow long ago was that?”
    He didn’t even have to calculate. “Six years ago.” Just two years before his mother had died.
    And not long after that, neither Lily’s nor William’s supposed devastation over the losses of their spouses had seemed to matter quite so much.
    They’d gotten involved and according to his father, William would have married Lily a year ago if it weren’t for Lily’s insistence that they give Drew and his brothers some time to adjust to the situation.
    As if that was likely to happen.
    â€œWill it be a large wedding?”
    â€œThere’s likely to be a lot of guests, I suppose.”
    â€œYou don’t know?”
    â€œIt’s not like I’m supposed to stand up there with them. J.R.’s acting as his best man.”
    â€œThat’s nice.” She lowered her head finally, resting it on her arm on top of the pillow. “You, um, seem to get along well with