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

friends.”
    “Yes, and what do they all have in common?”
    “They want you to be happy?”
    “None of them are my fiancé!”
    Alice looked puzzled. “What does that mean?”
    “You know. Men. Every serious relationship I’ve ever had has fallen apart because I don’t know how to be in a serious relationship. I have my mom’s bad example and all her baggage to tell me what not to do, but I still don’t know how to do it right.”
    “Be yourself.”
    “Now you sound like a pamphlet in the middle school guidance office.”
    Alice pursed her lips. “You need to give yourself a break and stop thinking.”
    She’d already done that. The night Cooper asked her to marry him. She’d known all the reasons it was a bad idea and she’d tried to make him see that, but he wouldn’t. He’d given her the fairy tale he wrote, describing the life he’d imagined for them. He’d asked her to take a leap and she had.
    “I stopped thinking the first time I got engaged. I can’t afford to do that again.”
    “Okay.” Alice stood. “I disagree, but I know you’ll figure this out. I’ll leave the cake. It’s a very nutritious breakfast.”
    Jorie smiled. Her mom would have had a conniption if she knew Jorie started her day with carbs. On the rare occasion that Chelsea ate breakfast, it was an egg-white omelet. That is, a single white, from a single egg, omelet. If she was particularly hungry, she might cut some chives into it.
    “Cake for breakfast sounds perfect.” Jorie stood, too. In fact, she was feeling quite a bit better. At the front door, Alice paused and then hugged her. Jorie wasn’t expecting it, but it felt good. She squeezed the other woman back. “Thanks for coming by. I appreciate it.”
    “You’re going to be fine, Jorie. If Cooper doesn’t open his eyes and see the amazing person he’s giving up, then you deserve someone better anyway. Buthe’s going to say yes and then you’ll work this out.” Alice waved as she started down the steps.
    Jorie was about to close the door when she heard her friend say, “Cooper! What a surprise!”
    Since Jorie couldn’t hear his reply, he must be a distance away.
    Once she got over her shock, she realized her friend was practically shouting. Alice wanted her to know Cooper was coming down the street. Why, why hadn’t she changed her clothes? She could have excused herself for a minute and then she wouldn’t be stuck standing at the front door in these horrible sweat pants, practically screaming to the world that she’d spent the afternoon being depressed.
    Maybe he wasn’t coming to see her. Maybe he had errands to run at the Market or he wanted to get takeout from the Thai place on the corner or maybe he’d already met a new girlfriend and she lived on the block and they were going to run into each other all the time, nodding politely when they met on the street.
    Or maybe she was going crazy. She whirled around, prepared to slam the door, but it was too late. He was there, right there on the sidewalk, walking toward her. For a guy who couldn’t dance, he had a very sexy walk, understated but with an incredible shoulder and hip swagger. She swallowed.
    “Jorie,” he said as he came up the stone stairs.
    “Cooper.”
    The beauty of a simple plan was it didn’t need an elaborate setup or special setting. She’d planned on tomorrow, but he was here now and there was nothing to stop her from starting the rest of her life immediately.
    Nothing except she wasn’t dressed right. He should have called and asked her to meet him somewhere and she could have dressed in something devastating and she’d have rehearsed what to say and then she’d be in charge, instead of feeling like a complete loser in her own foyer.
    This was why her mother had taught her to always consider her clothing. Chelsea had never even owned sweats and a T-shirt.
    He wasn’t wearing a tie and the top button of his shirt was undone. She’d told Alice the truth—he was one of the