Read Online Meeting Mr. Right by Deb Kastner - Free Book Online

always known she was an intelligent woman with a great deal of inner strength, but spending time with her, both gardening and at dinner, had enlightened him in more ways than one.
    He’d always considered her a little bit edgy—which she definitely was—but it hadn’t even occurred to him to wonder about what else went on in that tough-girl brain of hers, that there might be other sides to her that he was missing.
    Not until today, anyway.
    “My sister Kayla’s coming into town for a few days,” he commented before forking a bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth and groaning in pleasure at the delightfully creamy homemade texture. “She’s bringing my two nephews with her.”
    Vee made a surprised sound from the bottom of her throat. “To be honest, I didn’t even remember that you had a sister until you said something just now.”
    “No, you probably wouldn’t. She’s several years older than me, so you wouldn’t have been in any classes with her. She moved away just out of high school—out of state, actually, to California—to get a political science degree from Stanford. After that, she was off at law school and once she passed her bar exam, she was immediately swept up by a hotshot San Francisco law firm. I’m incredibly proud of her, of course, but I do wish I could see her and the kids more often. She rarely gets home, and I don’t get much of a chance to go visit her in California. Of course, my mom and dad are thrilled to be able to see their grandsons again.”
    “I’m sure. Are you planning anything special for your nephews while they’re here?”
    “I’m looking forward to tossing a football around with the boys. Kayla’s a single mother, so they’re always raring to play sports when they visit home. And the church carnival is coming up. I expect they’ll enjoy popping balloons with a dart and maybe winning a goldfish in a plastic bag for their effort, if memory serves me right.”
    “Which I’m sure your sister will appreciate,” she added wryly.
    Ben chuckled. “You’re probably right about that one. I can’t imagine that toting goldfish back to California is in Kayla’s short-term plans—or her long-term plans, for that matter. I’ll most likely have to keep them at my apartment, where the boys can visit them when they’re in town.”
    “That would be nice of you.” She gave him a speculative look, as if she was trying to figure him out. It made him uncomfortable, and he cleared his throat.
    “I don’t mind. I can be a responsible pet owner—now. Not like when I named Tinker or anything. I wouldn’t forget to feed the fish if I put them in a glass bowl on my counter.” His mind drifted to a happy memory from his own childhood. “I remember as a kid how excited I was to attend the church carnival every year. It was such a big moment in my life, throwing a ring around a pop bottle and winning a prize.”
    “I remember being at the carnival, too,” admitted Vee. “Although I don’t think I ever ringed any pop bottles. I’m not sure I ever won any prizes to speak of.”
    “I’ll have to win one for you this year at the carnival, then. Maybe a big stuffed teddy bear or something.” With his impulsive streak—the one that had gotten him into trouble more times than he could count—he’d spoken before he’d even taken a moment to consider what he was actually saying.
    Now, judging from the stunned look on Vee’s face, he had to find some way to backpedal.
    “You probably don’t want a stuffed animal,” he continued, but that only seemed to make things worse. Vee turned an alarming shade of red. “I imagine you aren’t the type of woman to have a room full of bears and unicorns.”
    She had taken a long pull of her water right as he began speaking, and now she choked on it.
    “And...I should shut up now,” he finished.
    She sputtered and shook her head. “Your nephews,” she gasped when she was able.
    “Right. I was telling you about Felix and Nigel.