Read Online Project Love (Cascade Brides Series) by Bonnie Blythe - Free Book Online
Authors: Bonnie Blythe
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with
Loverboy?”
She rolled her eyes. “I'm going to take a break.
And...a snack. I'm grabbing one of those pastries.”
“ Hmm. You don't like the pastries here.”
“ That's true. But I will be purchasing one
nonetheless.”
“ Take one, gratis. We only have a couple left and
they've been on the shelf for a while.”
“ You're just whetting my appetite.”
He chuckled.
Charity grabbed a blueberry Danish and placed it on a
plate and grabbed a fork made from recycled plastic. After quickly
removing her apron, she took the plate over to Daniel's table.
He looked up at her approach. “I brought you a snack
to go with your coffee,” she said, wishing her voice was steadier.
Daniel eyed the Danish. “Really?”
“ Yes, after a customer's...fiftieth visit, they get a
free pastry.”
“ Wow, that's an incentive.”
She smiled and set the plate in front of him.
He looked up at her. “Can you spare a few minutes?”
She nodded.
“ Have a seat.”
Charity sat down opposite him, wondering why she had
butterflies in her stomach. It didn't help that Jessie was probably
eavesdropping like crazy. “I just wondered...if I said anything to
upset you.”
Daniel's brows rose. “Not at all. Why would you think
that?”
Cursing herself for being as nosy as she accused others
of being toward her, she felt her face heat. “I don't know. I
just...you seemed disappointed with me somehow a few minutes ago.”
“ I can't imagine ever being disappointed in you,
Charity.”
She didn't know how to respond to that. “I, uh, saw
you on TV.”
A strange look crossed his features. “Yeah, that.”
“ You don't like it?”
“ It's not what I was hired for. My boss thinks I have
an honest face so they're using me in a PR role to mollify the press
about a contract my company has with the city.”
“ So you're not really a TV star?”
He snorted. “Hardly.”
“ I don't know, you seemed like a natural to me.”
Daniel shook his head. “Now I know you're lying. Is
that part of your job? Propping up your customer's self-confidence
with free pastries?”
Charity's attempt at teasing had obviously fallen flat.
There was an edge to Daniel's voice that bewildered her.
He closed his eyes for a moment as if he regretted his
words. Leaning forward, he lowered his voice. “Are you sure you're
not free Sunday?”
Charity suddenly wanted to go to church with him more
than anything. But she'd already called the food bank and committed
to working the weekend. “I'm sorry, I already have plans.”
Daniel's expression tightened. “I'm sorry to keep
asking. I don't want you to think I don't know how to take no for an
answer.”
Gazing down at her hands for a moment, she took a deep
breath before meeting his eyes. “I'm free the following Sunday if
that would work.”
The diminished light in his eyes flared. “Now that's
incentive,” he said softly. “But I won't let it go to my head
because I know it's due to my new status as a celebrity.”
She laughed with chagrin and shook her head, feeling as
if the sun had peeked out from behind a very dark cloud.
“ Oh, Charity ...”
came a sing-song voice from the counter.
“ Looks like my break is over,” she said, planning to
get even with Jessie the first chance she got. Charity rose from the
table and grabbed her apron. While sending serious stink-eye Jessie's
way, she hoped the next week and a half went by in a hurry.
***
The days ended up passing with agonizing slowness.
Charity could no longer mark the time by Daniel's appearance in the
coffee shop. Apparently being a spokesman for his firm wreaked havoc
with his coffee breaks. At least his absence meant Jessie had fewer
reasons to constantly tease her.
Her weekend at the food bank had been rewarding, but
ultimately left her feeling even less connected than before. She knew
the goal of helping those in need was not an improved ego or social
life, but still she wished she could somehow hold onto the
Loverboy?”
She rolled her eyes. “I'm going to take a break.
And...a snack. I'm grabbing one of those pastries.”
“ Hmm. You don't like the pastries here.”
“ That's true. But I will be purchasing one
nonetheless.”
“ Take one, gratis. We only have a couple left and
they've been on the shelf for a while.”
“ You're just whetting my appetite.”
He chuckled.
Charity grabbed a blueberry Danish and placed it on a
plate and grabbed a fork made from recycled plastic. After quickly
removing her apron, she took the plate over to Daniel's table.
He looked up at her approach. “I brought you a snack
to go with your coffee,” she said, wishing her voice was steadier.
Daniel eyed the Danish. “Really?”
“ Yes, after a customer's...fiftieth visit, they get a
free pastry.”
“ Wow, that's an incentive.”
She smiled and set the plate in front of him.
He looked up at her. “Can you spare a few minutes?”
She nodded.
“ Have a seat.”
Charity sat down opposite him, wondering why she had
butterflies in her stomach. It didn't help that Jessie was probably
eavesdropping like crazy. “I just wondered...if I said anything to
upset you.”
Daniel's brows rose. “Not at all. Why would you think
that?”
Cursing herself for being as nosy as she accused others
of being toward her, she felt her face heat. “I don't know. I
just...you seemed disappointed with me somehow a few minutes ago.”
“ I can't imagine ever being disappointed in you,
Charity.”
She didn't know how to respond to that. “I, uh, saw
you on TV.”
A strange look crossed his features. “Yeah, that.”
“ You don't like it?”
“ It's not what I was hired for. My boss thinks I have
an honest face so they're using me in a PR role to mollify the press
about a contract my company has with the city.”
“ So you're not really a TV star?”
He snorted. “Hardly.”
“ I don't know, you seemed like a natural to me.”
Daniel shook his head. “Now I know you're lying. Is
that part of your job? Propping up your customer's self-confidence
with free pastries?”
Charity's attempt at teasing had obviously fallen flat.
There was an edge to Daniel's voice that bewildered her.
He closed his eyes for a moment as if he regretted his
words. Leaning forward, he lowered his voice. “Are you sure you're
not free Sunday?”
Charity suddenly wanted to go to church with him more
than anything. But she'd already called the food bank and committed
to working the weekend. “I'm sorry, I already have plans.”
Daniel's expression tightened. “I'm sorry to keep
asking. I don't want you to think I don't know how to take no for an
answer.”
Gazing down at her hands for a moment, she took a deep
breath before meeting his eyes. “I'm free the following Sunday if
that would work.”
The diminished light in his eyes flared. “Now that's
incentive,” he said softly. “But I won't let it go to my head
because I know it's due to my new status as a celebrity.”
She laughed with chagrin and shook her head, feeling as
if the sun had peeked out from behind a very dark cloud.
“ Oh, Charity ...”
came a sing-song voice from the counter.
“ Looks like my break is over,” she said, planning to
get even with Jessie the first chance she got. Charity rose from the
table and grabbed her apron. While sending serious stink-eye Jessie's
way, she hoped the next week and a half went by in a hurry.
***
The days ended up passing with agonizing slowness.
Charity could no longer mark the time by Daniel's appearance in the
coffee shop. Apparently being a spokesman for his firm wreaked havoc
with his coffee breaks. At least his absence meant Jessie had fewer
reasons to constantly tease her.
Her weekend at the food bank had been rewarding, but
ultimately left her feeling even less connected than before. She knew
the goal of helping those in need was not an improved ego or social
life, but still she wished she could somehow hold onto the
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