Read Online Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 06 - Magnolia Mansion Mysteries by Hope Callaghan - Free Book Online
Authors: Hope Callaghan
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She flung the door open and stepped aside.
The smile on his face matched Gloria’s own. He leaned down to kiss her lips. When the kiss ended, Gloria leaned her head on his chest, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had missed the smell of him. The feel of him. His voice. Tears stung the back of her eyes. She blinked them back quickly as he pulled away.
He tilted his head and gazed into her eyes. “I hope this means you’re happy to see me,” he teased.
Gloria gulped the air and swallowed hard. “Yes, of course,” her voice broke.
He put his arms around her again and held her close. He laid his cheek on top of her head. His deep voice was like music to her ears. “I sure have missed my girl,” he said.
When he finally pulled away again, he held her at arm’s length. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, I almost forgot what you looked like.”
She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. “Same here,” she shot back.
He fumbled inside his pocket and pulled out a small, wrapped box. A velvety red ribbon was tied around it. He handed it to her. “For you.”
She looked down at the small, wrapped package in her hand. “What’s this?”
“Go ahead. Open it.”
Gloria sunk down in the kitchen chair. Paul pulled out the chair next to hers and leaned in.
The box was almost too pretty to unwrap. She could tell right away that it was a jewelry box.
She untied the red ribbon and slipped off the lid. Inside the box was a blue sapphire ring. Diamonds surrounded the sapphire and dotted both sides of the band. The ring was beautiful.
Gloria had never had a sapphire before. She pulled the ring from the velvet box and slipped it on her ring finger. It fit perfectly.
“This is beautiful,” she gushed. She stretched her arm out and admired it from a distance. The stones twinkled under the bright kitchen light.
Paul grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. A warm flush of heat rushed from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.
Paul didn’t release her hand. Instead, he pulled her close and kissed her. She started to pull back but he wasn’t ready to let her go. He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her even closer, deepening the kiss.
When they finally separated, Gloria’s cheeks were flushed and her breathing uneven.
Paul’s eyes twinkled. “Now that was a kiss,” he told her.
Gloria was unnerved. The intensity of the kiss left her breathless.
She jumped to her feet and nearly fell flat on her face in an effort to make a hasty retreat. It was the most intimate kiss they’d shared to date. One that promised so much more. If only…
Paul could tell the kiss had her flustered. Heck, it had flustered him! He decided to change the subject. “The kids are moving out,” he announced.
Gloria tugged on the bottom of her silk blouse and spun around to face him. “They are?”
He nodded and grinned. “A week from tomorrow.”
Before she could reply, the timer on the stove went off. The cheddar chicken was ready.
Paul hopped out of his chair and headed for the oven. He turned the timer off and grabbed the potholder on top of the stove. He opened the oven door and pulled the baked chicken from the rack. He set the glass dish on the glass cooktop.
There was another baking dish still in the oven. This one was full of roasted red potatoes. He pulled it out and set it next to the chicken. His mouth watered. “This looks delicious.”
Gloria popped a pan of rolls in the hot oven. “We have a few minutes to let these bake. I’ll pour a couple lemonades and we can wait out on the porch.” She didn’t wait for an answer as she grabbed two glasses and filled them with ice.
After she poured the drinks, they stepped outside and settled into the rockers. Mally followed them out. She raced off across the yard when she spied a red squirrel trying to find its way into the bird feeder.
Gloria
The smile on his face matched Gloria’s own. He leaned down to kiss her lips. When the kiss ended, Gloria leaned her head on his chest, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had missed the smell of him. The feel of him. His voice. Tears stung the back of her eyes. She blinked them back quickly as he pulled away.
He tilted his head and gazed into her eyes. “I hope this means you’re happy to see me,” he teased.
Gloria gulped the air and swallowed hard. “Yes, of course,” her voice broke.
He put his arms around her again and held her close. He laid his cheek on top of her head. His deep voice was like music to her ears. “I sure have missed my girl,” he said.
When he finally pulled away again, he held her at arm’s length. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, I almost forgot what you looked like.”
She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. “Same here,” she shot back.
He fumbled inside his pocket and pulled out a small, wrapped box. A velvety red ribbon was tied around it. He handed it to her. “For you.”
She looked down at the small, wrapped package in her hand. “What’s this?”
“Go ahead. Open it.”
Gloria sunk down in the kitchen chair. Paul pulled out the chair next to hers and leaned in.
The box was almost too pretty to unwrap. She could tell right away that it was a jewelry box.
She untied the red ribbon and slipped off the lid. Inside the box was a blue sapphire ring. Diamonds surrounded the sapphire and dotted both sides of the band. The ring was beautiful.
Gloria had never had a sapphire before. She pulled the ring from the velvet box and slipped it on her ring finger. It fit perfectly.
“This is beautiful,” she gushed. She stretched her arm out and admired it from a distance. The stones twinkled under the bright kitchen light.
Paul grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. A warm flush of heat rushed from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.
Paul didn’t release her hand. Instead, he pulled her close and kissed her. She started to pull back but he wasn’t ready to let her go. He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her even closer, deepening the kiss.
When they finally separated, Gloria’s cheeks were flushed and her breathing uneven.
Paul’s eyes twinkled. “Now that was a kiss,” he told her.
Gloria was unnerved. The intensity of the kiss left her breathless.
She jumped to her feet and nearly fell flat on her face in an effort to make a hasty retreat. It was the most intimate kiss they’d shared to date. One that promised so much more. If only…
Paul could tell the kiss had her flustered. Heck, it had flustered him! He decided to change the subject. “The kids are moving out,” he announced.
Gloria tugged on the bottom of her silk blouse and spun around to face him. “They are?”
He nodded and grinned. “A week from tomorrow.”
Before she could reply, the timer on the stove went off. The cheddar chicken was ready.
Paul hopped out of his chair and headed for the oven. He turned the timer off and grabbed the potholder on top of the stove. He opened the oven door and pulled the baked chicken from the rack. He set the glass dish on the glass cooktop.
There was another baking dish still in the oven. This one was full of roasted red potatoes. He pulled it out and set it next to the chicken. His mouth watered. “This looks delicious.”
Gloria popped a pan of rolls in the hot oven. “We have a few minutes to let these bake. I’ll pour a couple lemonades and we can wait out on the porch.” She didn’t wait for an answer as she grabbed two glasses and filled them with ice.
After she poured the drinks, they stepped outside and settled into the rockers. Mally followed them out. She raced off across the yard when she spied a red squirrel trying to find its way into the bird feeder.
Gloria
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