Read Online Married by June by Ellen Hartman - Free Book Online

Travolta.”
    “No?” Alice looked interested. “He’s so tall. I assumed he’d be good at sports. Although dancing isn’t exactly a sport, is it?”
    “He plays baseball, but that’s not really a graceful kind of game. With dancing, I always think it’s almost like he never got used to being that tall.” Jorie smiled, thinking about the one time they’d gone dancing together. Cooper had been so earnest, but so awkward. She pressed her hand to her top lip. She hadn’t cried in such a long time, tears would almost be a relief, but they didn’t come.
    Alice’s fingers tapped again. “Okay. No dancing.”
    They were both quiet for a moment. There had to be something. Some way she could get Cooper to sit up and pay attention. Some way she couldconvince him that no matter what he thought about her, about them, they deserved a second chance. He believed she’d been with him for the wrong reasons. She needed to get his attention so she could demand another try.
    “Say Anything.”
    “I’m thinking,” Alice said.
    “No. The movie. Say Anything. It’s from 1990 or something and John Cusack is that adorable loser with the trench coat. He falls in love with the most gorgeous girl in school and he has to woo her.”
    “Lloyd Dobler,” Alice said. “The antihero.”
    “Remember the boom box scene? He stands outside her window and plays that sappy song?”
    “Oh, yeah. I bet wedding planners got sick of that song that year. What are you going to do, stand outside Cooper’s place and hold up your iPod?”
    “No. I don’t mean the music. I mean Lloyd. John Cusack. It was just him, holding up the boom box and being there. He let her know he wanted her. No tricks. Right? He just went for it. Take me as I am.”
    Alice still seemed confused.
    “I’m just going to say it,” Jorie explained. “‘Cooper, I want to try again.’”
    “Flat out tell him?”
    “Flat out.”
    “That doesn’t leave you a back door,” Alice said.“No escape hatch or second option. If he says no, you’re cooked.”
    “The trouble is, all the other options feel like lying or cheating or manipulating him. If I go over-the-top romantic and he says yes, I’ll always wonder if he said yes to me or to the romance, because we all know he can’t refuse romance. If I beg or cry, not only would I have to live with the knowledge that I’d acted just like my mom, but I’d always wonder if he said yes out of pity.” Alice nodded and Jorie went on. “We got engaged the first time because of my mom’s wish. This time, he has to say yes because he wants to. No strings attached.”
    There was one thing she wasn’t saying. One thing she was sure no one knew because she’d done everything she could to keep it a secret. It was something she didn’t like about herself, but had never been able to shake, no matter how many conversations she’d had with herself about growing up and living for herself and being independent. Deep down, she wanted Cooper to say yes because he wanted her. Jorie wanted to be chosen—flat out, straight up be cause he wanted her. She’d thought that was what she’d gotten the first time. This time she was going to be utterly sure of it or she was not marrying him. Anything less would break her heart.
    Not that she was planning to mention her heart.He didn’t need to know how hurt she already was. He just needed to say yes.
    “You’re going to have to do it in person.”
    “And quick. Before he tells a lot of people.” She thought about Cooper telling his mom and dad or Bailey. What would they say? Would anyone try to talk him out of the decision or would they all be thankful he’d gotten out while he could? “I’ll go over tomorrow morning before he leaves for work.”
    “Okay, you have your plan. Now let’s talk about you.” Alice leaned back on the couch, her hands folded across her stomach. “This afternoon you said you stink at relationships. But that’s not true. You have really good