Read Online Have Bouquet, Need Boyfriend by Rita Herron - Free Book Online
Authors: Rita Herron
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couldn’t very well say she didn’t need the extra money. After
all, her insurance bill would skyrocket and he knew it.
“The place is pretty run-down. Yesterday, Ms. Hinkleman thought a crack
in the ceiling was a spider and nearly broke her leg jumping off the
exam table.”
“Poor Ms. Hinkleman is ninety and half-blind.”
“See my point. Consider it a service for the patients. You don’t want
them looking at peeling paint or freaking out while they have their exams.”
Better that than his sexy face. “I…don’t know. You’ve never even seen
my work.”
“You could invite me to your place and show me your drawings.”
He was flirting with her.
She smiled in spite of her nerves. “I guess I do owe you, after crashing
your car.”
His smile faded slightly, then returned. “Yes, you do. Just help me out
here and we’ll call it even.”
Rebecca swallowed. She did owe him. Worse, she wanted something from
him, a favor much more personal than painting murals on a wall. How
could she possibly turn him down and then ask him to help her have a baby?
It was so refreshing to talk to a woman who wanted nothing from him.
“All right,” Rebecca said. “I’ll d-do it.”
“Good. Why don’t we meet tomorrow after work and talk over some ideas.
I’ll get a crew to come in this weekend and put a fresh coat of primer
on the walls, that is if I can find someone that fast.” Rebecca nodded,
although she still didn’t look comfortable with the idea. But at least
she had agreed.
“Well, I’d better run. The s-storytelling hour.”
He nodded again and watched as she rushed to the children’s area to read
to the kids. A twinge of guilt plucked at him for manipulating Rebecca
into painting the clinic, but he dismissed it. She was such an innocent,
giving to others without asking anything in return. Hadn’t Hannah said
that after Mimi had left?
Not like his mother, who’d only married his father to have a baby. Or
half the women in town who wanted him to distract them from loveless
marriages or make their husbands jealous by flirting with him. Or the
debutantes back in Savannah who’d liked the fact that he was a doctor
and thought by marrying him they’d automatically climb a step higher on
the social ladder.
No, nothing would stop him from obtaining this new job or leaving town,
especially a woman. He’d let Alison distract him momentarily, but he
wouldn’t put his heart on the line again only to have it crushed.
He owed it to the little brother he’d lost and to the family that had
been torn apart because of it….
Rebecca rushed away from Thomas so quickly she nearly slammed into Bud
and Red.
“Whoa, darlin’.” Bud grabbed her arms to steady her.
Red scratched at his scraggly beard. “What’s got you in such a tizz, Ms.
Rebecca?”
Rebecca pushed her glasses back up on her nose. “Sorry, fellas, I don’t
want to be late for children’s hour.”
The old man nodded and released her. “The young’uns all look forward to
that.”
She smiled and smoothed down her skirt, then retrieved her bag of
puppets and motioned to Gertrude, the girl who helped her part-time, to
announce story time.
Five minutes later, she relaxed as the children huddled around her,
hugging and whispering the stories they wanted to hear.
“Do the froggy song,” three-year-old Cindy shouted.
“No, the train one, choo-choo, choo-choo.” Five-year-old Andy pumped his
arm up and down like the blare of a freight engine.
“We w-wanna hear ‘bout the p-peanut butter monster.” Six-year-old Lindy
Sanders whispered in her stuttery voice. Every time the little girl
stumbled over her sentences, Rebecca’s heart lurched.
“We’ll see if we have time for all those, I promise. But first, I’m
going to tell you about a little bear who hibernated all winter.”
all, her insurance bill would skyrocket and he knew it.
“The place is pretty run-down. Yesterday, Ms. Hinkleman thought a crack
in the ceiling was a spider and nearly broke her leg jumping off the
exam table.”
“Poor Ms. Hinkleman is ninety and half-blind.”
“See my point. Consider it a service for the patients. You don’t want
them looking at peeling paint or freaking out while they have their exams.”
Better that than his sexy face. “I…don’t know. You’ve never even seen
my work.”
“You could invite me to your place and show me your drawings.”
He was flirting with her.
She smiled in spite of her nerves. “I guess I do owe you, after crashing
your car.”
His smile faded slightly, then returned. “Yes, you do. Just help me out
here and we’ll call it even.”
Rebecca swallowed. She did owe him. Worse, she wanted something from
him, a favor much more personal than painting murals on a wall. How
could she possibly turn him down and then ask him to help her have a baby?
It was so refreshing to talk to a woman who wanted nothing from him.
“All right,” Rebecca said. “I’ll d-do it.”
“Good. Why don’t we meet tomorrow after work and talk over some ideas.
I’ll get a crew to come in this weekend and put a fresh coat of primer
on the walls, that is if I can find someone that fast.” Rebecca nodded,
although she still didn’t look comfortable with the idea. But at least
she had agreed.
“Well, I’d better run. The s-storytelling hour.”
He nodded again and watched as she rushed to the children’s area to read
to the kids. A twinge of guilt plucked at him for manipulating Rebecca
into painting the clinic, but he dismissed it. She was such an innocent,
giving to others without asking anything in return. Hadn’t Hannah said
that after Mimi had left?
Not like his mother, who’d only married his father to have a baby. Or
half the women in town who wanted him to distract them from loveless
marriages or make their husbands jealous by flirting with him. Or the
debutantes back in Savannah who’d liked the fact that he was a doctor
and thought by marrying him they’d automatically climb a step higher on
the social ladder.
No, nothing would stop him from obtaining this new job or leaving town,
especially a woman. He’d let Alison distract him momentarily, but he
wouldn’t put his heart on the line again only to have it crushed.
He owed it to the little brother he’d lost and to the family that had
been torn apart because of it….
Rebecca rushed away from Thomas so quickly she nearly slammed into Bud
and Red.
“Whoa, darlin’.” Bud grabbed her arms to steady her.
Red scratched at his scraggly beard. “What’s got you in such a tizz, Ms.
Rebecca?”
Rebecca pushed her glasses back up on her nose. “Sorry, fellas, I don’t
want to be late for children’s hour.”
The old man nodded and released her. “The young’uns all look forward to
that.”
She smiled and smoothed down her skirt, then retrieved her bag of
puppets and motioned to Gertrude, the girl who helped her part-time, to
announce story time.
Five minutes later, she relaxed as the children huddled around her,
hugging and whispering the stories they wanted to hear.
“Do the froggy song,” three-year-old Cindy shouted.
“No, the train one, choo-choo, choo-choo.” Five-year-old Andy pumped his
arm up and down like the blare of a freight engine.
“We w-wanna hear ‘bout the p-peanut butter monster.” Six-year-old Lindy
Sanders whispered in her stuttery voice. Every time the little girl
stumbled over her sentences, Rebecca’s heart lurched.
“We’ll see if we have time for all those, I promise. But first, I’m
going to tell you about a little bear who hibernated all winter.”
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