Read Online Kiss Me, Katie by Monica Tillery - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Monica Tillery
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very single, in case you have any pretty friends.” He waggled his eyebrows as Katie giggled. Single and handsome, she thought, almost as good-looking as Blake.
“I’ll keep that in mind Luke,” Katie responded with an indulgent smile. “You know, my dad is an optometrist. He’s the only one in Orange Blossom. What kind of medicine do you practice?”
“I’m a general practitioner. I have a family practice in Knoxville with a partner. He runs the foundation with me as well.”
“That’s very cool. Now I know who to call if I get sick in Tennessee.” Katie gave Luke a warm smile and thought how proud Roy and Betty must be of their boys. She wondered if her parents wished she had gone to medical school or something more prestigious than joining a band right out of high school. They had never said anything about her skipping college, working at bars to pay her bills, or even having to pick up shifts at her father’s practice when money was tight. They had been so supportive of her efforts with Sterling that without their help, she would’ve had to drop out of the band long before the six years it had taken them to get their big break.
The food arrived and everyone tucked in to the steaming plates of meatloaf, pot roast, chicken fried steak, and pork chops. Katie took a bite of the pot roast Roy had recommended and closed her eyes, savoring the flavor. She couldn’t eat like this every day and still hope to fit into her tour wardrobe, but for tonight it was perfect, each bite a piece of heaven. If it weren’t for the myriad conversations around them, it would be easy to imagine sitting around the dining room table at home, enjoying home cooking with Blake’s family.
Luke wiped his mouth with a napkin and faced Katie. “So you play in a band?”
Katie cleared her throat and answered, “Yeah, I play fiddle in a band called Sterling. We’re on Blake’s tour for a couple of weeks.”
“Sterling? Hey I think I’ve heard one of your songs. What’s it called? ‘Valentine’?” Luke leaned forward on his elbows, his blue eyes focused intently on Katie.
“That’s right, it’s ‘Valentine’. Hopefully there will be more where that came from. We’re planning on hitting the studio again after we’re done with the tour.”
“She’s not just in the band, bro. She writes most of their lyrics too,” Blake chimed in.
“Oh, so you’re beautiful AND talented? No wonder Blake is so smitten,” Roy teased.
“Y’all are embarrassing Katie. Now you leave her alone and let her eat her supper. Luke, what’s new at work?” Betty steered the conversation away from Katie.
Katie wasn’t embarrassed, she was intrigued. Blake was smitten? He had talked to his family about her? She tried to focus on Luke and his stories about the handsome pharmaceutical rep that had been visiting his office and making the nurses swoon, but her mind kept wandering to Blake. With his chair so close to hers, all she could think about was the way the warmth of his body reached hers, his spicy cologne, and the electricity that pulsed through her body when his hand brushed her skin.
She glanced at Blake and saw that his eyes were locked onto her. Katie blushed and purposefully turned towards Luke and forced herself to listen to the story. From the corner of her eye, she saw Betty smiling indulgently at Blake as she noticed her son’s intense focus on Katie.
“Katie, I hope you saved room for dessert, hon. The banana pudding here is divine.” Betty smiled at Katie as she motioned for the waitress.
“You’ve got to try the banana pudding, Katie; it’s Betty Jackson’s secret recipe. One bite, and you’ll know why I never moved too far away from home,” said Luke. Betty beamed at Luke, love and pride evident on her face.
“If it’s anything like the pot roast, I’ll have to make room, Mrs. Jackson. Everything has been delicious,” said Katie.
“Now I’ll have none of that. Mrs. Jackson is my mother-in-law. You call
“I’ll keep that in mind Luke,” Katie responded with an indulgent smile. “You know, my dad is an optometrist. He’s the only one in Orange Blossom. What kind of medicine do you practice?”
“I’m a general practitioner. I have a family practice in Knoxville with a partner. He runs the foundation with me as well.”
“That’s very cool. Now I know who to call if I get sick in Tennessee.” Katie gave Luke a warm smile and thought how proud Roy and Betty must be of their boys. She wondered if her parents wished she had gone to medical school or something more prestigious than joining a band right out of high school. They had never said anything about her skipping college, working at bars to pay her bills, or even having to pick up shifts at her father’s practice when money was tight. They had been so supportive of her efforts with Sterling that without their help, she would’ve had to drop out of the band long before the six years it had taken them to get their big break.
The food arrived and everyone tucked in to the steaming plates of meatloaf, pot roast, chicken fried steak, and pork chops. Katie took a bite of the pot roast Roy had recommended and closed her eyes, savoring the flavor. She couldn’t eat like this every day and still hope to fit into her tour wardrobe, but for tonight it was perfect, each bite a piece of heaven. If it weren’t for the myriad conversations around them, it would be easy to imagine sitting around the dining room table at home, enjoying home cooking with Blake’s family.
Luke wiped his mouth with a napkin and faced Katie. “So you play in a band?”
Katie cleared her throat and answered, “Yeah, I play fiddle in a band called Sterling. We’re on Blake’s tour for a couple of weeks.”
“Sterling? Hey I think I’ve heard one of your songs. What’s it called? ‘Valentine’?” Luke leaned forward on his elbows, his blue eyes focused intently on Katie.
“That’s right, it’s ‘Valentine’. Hopefully there will be more where that came from. We’re planning on hitting the studio again after we’re done with the tour.”
“She’s not just in the band, bro. She writes most of their lyrics too,” Blake chimed in.
“Oh, so you’re beautiful AND talented? No wonder Blake is so smitten,” Roy teased.
“Y’all are embarrassing Katie. Now you leave her alone and let her eat her supper. Luke, what’s new at work?” Betty steered the conversation away from Katie.
Katie wasn’t embarrassed, she was intrigued. Blake was smitten? He had talked to his family about her? She tried to focus on Luke and his stories about the handsome pharmaceutical rep that had been visiting his office and making the nurses swoon, but her mind kept wandering to Blake. With his chair so close to hers, all she could think about was the way the warmth of his body reached hers, his spicy cologne, and the electricity that pulsed through her body when his hand brushed her skin.
She glanced at Blake and saw that his eyes were locked onto her. Katie blushed and purposefully turned towards Luke and forced herself to listen to the story. From the corner of her eye, she saw Betty smiling indulgently at Blake as she noticed her son’s intense focus on Katie.
“Katie, I hope you saved room for dessert, hon. The banana pudding here is divine.” Betty smiled at Katie as she motioned for the waitress.
“You’ve got to try the banana pudding, Katie; it’s Betty Jackson’s secret recipe. One bite, and you’ll know why I never moved too far away from home,” said Luke. Betty beamed at Luke, love and pride evident on her face.
“If it’s anything like the pot roast, I’ll have to make room, Mrs. Jackson. Everything has been delicious,” said Katie.
“Now I’ll have none of that. Mrs. Jackson is my mother-in-law. You call
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