Read Online Once and Again: Petal, Georgia, Book 1 by Lauren Dane - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Dane
Ads: Link
there.
But he was. Her heart skipped a few beats as she took Nathan in from the tips of his boots up to that face of his. Lordamighty he was a good-looking man.
A good-looking man who seemed to show up everywhere she was in town.
“I’d say, fancy seeing you here. But I get the distinct feeling it’s not a coincidence at all.” She cut her gaze to Beth, who busied herself tidying up.
“Don’t have any idea what you mean.” He grinned, and her panties tried to jump from her rear end at the sight. “I was just stopping in after school to say hello to all my sisters. Your being here is a bonus.”
She paid and ignored Anne’s squawking about the tip being too much. “Thank you, Murphy ladies, for the tea, the sympathy and the hairdo. Yes, Beth, I’ll see you Saturday.” She tried to rush past but he followed her out.
“Have dinner with me.”
“Nathan, we can’t have dinner. I’m due home for dinner. I’ve got to run to the school to pick Chris up, and then we’re getting a pizza to bring back home.” She should probably order extra since Nancy was around.
“Tomorrow then.”
She wanted to say no, punch him in the stones and walk away. But she wouldn’t, because the part of her that wanted to say yes was far greater.
“Look, we’ve said all we need to say.”
“No we haven’t. And it’s not about that anyway. Not entirely. I want to catch up. Talk about Chris. It’s just a dinner. The Sands? Five? It’ll still be broad daylight. Full of seniors getting the early bird special, but the pie will be fresh. I haven’t forgotten how much you like peach pie.”
She sighed. He made her weak. Made her wish for things she tried to convince herself not to want.
“It’s not a date.”
He grinned, triumphant, reminding himself to send a huge bouquet of flowers to his sisters the following day.
“Of course not. Just dinner between old friends.” He’d work on the date stuff later. But when he’d fallen for her originally, it had been after he’d gotten to know her as a friend. It had a certain lovely rhythm that he’d get to know her again and hopefully get that second chance.
“I’ll see you at five.” She walked down the steps and toward her car. “Not. A. Date.”
Feeling like an idiot, he looked at himself in the mirror for the dozenth time. He’d actually changed clothes already. Twice. This was approaching utter fail status, and he needed to get his head into the game or he’d blow this chance.
Before, when they’d been together he never would have been this nervous. She’d always felt natural to him. They’d been friends a long time and when it moved to something else, it had been easy.
But now. He checked the mirror. Now he knew just how he approached this thing, how he handled himself with all the right groveling and wooing was integral. No time to rest on being handsome or charming. She’d been there and done that.
Beth breezed in like he didn’t have his front door closed for a reason. “Hey.” She looked him up and down, ignoring his annoyance. “Nice. Don’t wear that jacket. You look like you’re going to a funeral in that thing.”
“Is your hand broken?”
She gave him the finger. “I don’t need to knock on your door because I’m here to give you some advice.”
He looked at her warily and she laughed. “Is this like that time you came to the movies and sat behind me and my date and kicked my seat the whole night?”
She grinned again. “Ah, good times. If I recall correctly, Lily was with me that day. Anyway, I’m not here to torment you for your bad choices. Not tonight at least. Look, as annoying as you are and all, you’re a good guy and Lily is a great woman and even though you screwed up big time you both deserve a second shot. If you mess it up I’m telling Tate on you.”
“Mmm-hmm. So what’s this advice then?”
“It’s that you never tried to talk to her. After she caught you with your floozie. Her freaking
But he was. Her heart skipped a few beats as she took Nathan in from the tips of his boots up to that face of his. Lordamighty he was a good-looking man.
A good-looking man who seemed to show up everywhere she was in town.
“I’d say, fancy seeing you here. But I get the distinct feeling it’s not a coincidence at all.” She cut her gaze to Beth, who busied herself tidying up.
“Don’t have any idea what you mean.” He grinned, and her panties tried to jump from her rear end at the sight. “I was just stopping in after school to say hello to all my sisters. Your being here is a bonus.”
She paid and ignored Anne’s squawking about the tip being too much. “Thank you, Murphy ladies, for the tea, the sympathy and the hairdo. Yes, Beth, I’ll see you Saturday.” She tried to rush past but he followed her out.
“Have dinner with me.”
“Nathan, we can’t have dinner. I’m due home for dinner. I’ve got to run to the school to pick Chris up, and then we’re getting a pizza to bring back home.” She should probably order extra since Nancy was around.
“Tomorrow then.”
She wanted to say no, punch him in the stones and walk away. But she wouldn’t, because the part of her that wanted to say yes was far greater.
“Look, we’ve said all we need to say.”
“No we haven’t. And it’s not about that anyway. Not entirely. I want to catch up. Talk about Chris. It’s just a dinner. The Sands? Five? It’ll still be broad daylight. Full of seniors getting the early bird special, but the pie will be fresh. I haven’t forgotten how much you like peach pie.”
She sighed. He made her weak. Made her wish for things she tried to convince herself not to want.
“It’s not a date.”
He grinned, triumphant, reminding himself to send a huge bouquet of flowers to his sisters the following day.
“Of course not. Just dinner between old friends.” He’d work on the date stuff later. But when he’d fallen for her originally, it had been after he’d gotten to know her as a friend. It had a certain lovely rhythm that he’d get to know her again and hopefully get that second chance.
“I’ll see you at five.” She walked down the steps and toward her car. “Not. A. Date.”
Feeling like an idiot, he looked at himself in the mirror for the dozenth time. He’d actually changed clothes already. Twice. This was approaching utter fail status, and he needed to get his head into the game or he’d blow this chance.
Before, when they’d been together he never would have been this nervous. She’d always felt natural to him. They’d been friends a long time and when it moved to something else, it had been easy.
But now. He checked the mirror. Now he knew just how he approached this thing, how he handled himself with all the right groveling and wooing was integral. No time to rest on being handsome or charming. She’d been there and done that.
Beth breezed in like he didn’t have his front door closed for a reason. “Hey.” She looked him up and down, ignoring his annoyance. “Nice. Don’t wear that jacket. You look like you’re going to a funeral in that thing.”
“Is your hand broken?”
She gave him the finger. “I don’t need to knock on your door because I’m here to give you some advice.”
He looked at her warily and she laughed. “Is this like that time you came to the movies and sat behind me and my date and kicked my seat the whole night?”
She grinned again. “Ah, good times. If I recall correctly, Lily was with me that day. Anyway, I’m not here to torment you for your bad choices. Not tonight at least. Look, as annoying as you are and all, you’re a good guy and Lily is a great woman and even though you screwed up big time you both deserve a second shot. If you mess it up I’m telling Tate on you.”
“Mmm-hmm. So what’s this advice then?”
“It’s that you never tried to talk to her. After she caught you with your floozie. Her freaking
Similar Books
