Read Online Project Love (Cascade Brides Series) by Bonnie Blythe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bonnie Blythe
Ads: Link
little
glow of accomplishment the way she used to. These days it faded
faster than ever.
Or maybe I'm just tired .
She was arriving earlier to work now, and cleaning the bathrooms
ahead of her regular shift for a little extra money. Despite brisk
business, sales—especially of the peripherals like mugs and
gifts—were down, so Rose City Java had canceled the cleaning
service.
Once the bathrooms were sparkly, Charity peeled off the
heavy duty elbow gloves and removed the apron she only wore when
cleaning the bathrooms. In the storeroom, she washed her hands,
brushed and fixed her hair, and put on a clean apron. Now the real
work began.
A knock on the back door interrupted her thoughts. She
pushed open the heavy door and was met by a baked goods delivery van.
“Hey, Mike, how's it going?”
“ Pretty good. Today we have a little different order.
The pumpkin muffins are here.”
“ Oh! Is today the first day of fall?”
“ Yep.”
“ Wow, I lost track, I guess. The customers love these.
I don't know why we can't carry them all the time.”
“ Berry Danishes in the spring and summer,” Jessie
said, coming up behind her to help offload trays of baked goods, “and
pumpkin muffins and gingerbread in the fall and winter.”
“ What about scones?” she asked, crossing her arms
over her chest as the men brought the trays into the building. “We
never have scones. They'd go great with our teas.”
“ She's right,” Mike said. “They're big sellers at
our other stops.”
“ I'll take it up with corporate,” Jessie said
noncommittally.
After Mike left, he closed the door. “Scones. That's
not a bad idea, Conrad.”
“ Anything but those Danishes. I'm serious.”
He smiled. “Back to work, young lady.”
***
Finally Sunday arrived. Charity decided to allow Daniel
to pick her up at her apartment since he already knew where she
lived. She wore a sapphire blue silk shirt with black slacks—a more
serious look than she usually chose, but all her clothes seemed too
summery for a dark, windy, rainy day. So blue and black it was.
A knock sounded on her door. Charity hurried across the
room and peeked in the peep hole. When she saw Daniel's wildly
stretched face, she opened the door and smiled. “You didn't have to
come all the way up!”
“ Sure I did.”
“ I mean, you could've called or something. It's quite
a hike to the fourth floor.”
Holly's bedroom door opened and she poked her head out—a
head covered in a snarl of messy red hair. “Charity! Get the door!”
“ Um, I already did.”
Holly's hand shoved back her hair and she peered at
Daniel through bleary eyes. “Oh, hey.”
“ Holly, this is my friend Daniel. Daniel, this is my
roommate, Holly. She's an artist.”
The redhead shuffled a few feet out the door with an
outstretched hand, revealing an over-sized rock band T-shirt, pink
boxers, and Tasmanian Devil slippers.
Daniel smiled, shook her hand, and said he was pleased
to meet her.
“ Where are you going at this ungodly hour?”
“ Um, Daniel is taking
me to church . It's
this gathering people do on Sundays—”
Holly stomped back to her room. “Charity, you are so
WEIRD!”
The door slammed.
Daniel had a bemused look on his face. “That was
interesting.”
“ I mentioned she was an artist, right?” She pointed
to the front door.
They exited her apartment and headed down the flights of
stairs. Once they were in the car and on the road, Daniel shot her a
look. “So I take it you and your roommate are not close.”
“ Not at all. I'm usually in her way.”
“ How did you two find each other?”
“ I answered an ad. We have a...relationship of
convenience. She needed extra money to be able to afford working on
her art, and I needed a place to sleep.”
“ But not a friend?”
“ Well, not at the time.”
“ What time was that?”
Someone is Mr. Inquisitive today .
“It was when I first arrived in town. I was looking for an
affordable living situation
glow of accomplishment the way she used to. These days it faded
faster than ever.
Or maybe I'm just tired .
She was arriving earlier to work now, and cleaning the bathrooms
ahead of her regular shift for a little extra money. Despite brisk
business, sales—especially of the peripherals like mugs and
gifts—were down, so Rose City Java had canceled the cleaning
service.
Once the bathrooms were sparkly, Charity peeled off the
heavy duty elbow gloves and removed the apron she only wore when
cleaning the bathrooms. In the storeroom, she washed her hands,
brushed and fixed her hair, and put on a clean apron. Now the real
work began.
A knock on the back door interrupted her thoughts. She
pushed open the heavy door and was met by a baked goods delivery van.
“Hey, Mike, how's it going?”
“ Pretty good. Today we have a little different order.
The pumpkin muffins are here.”
“ Oh! Is today the first day of fall?”
“ Yep.”
“ Wow, I lost track, I guess. The customers love these.
I don't know why we can't carry them all the time.”
“ Berry Danishes in the spring and summer,” Jessie
said, coming up behind her to help offload trays of baked goods, “and
pumpkin muffins and gingerbread in the fall and winter.”
“ What about scones?” she asked, crossing her arms
over her chest as the men brought the trays into the building. “We
never have scones. They'd go great with our teas.”
“ She's right,” Mike said. “They're big sellers at
our other stops.”
“ I'll take it up with corporate,” Jessie said
noncommittally.
After Mike left, he closed the door. “Scones. That's
not a bad idea, Conrad.”
“ Anything but those Danishes. I'm serious.”
He smiled. “Back to work, young lady.”
***
Finally Sunday arrived. Charity decided to allow Daniel
to pick her up at her apartment since he already knew where she
lived. She wore a sapphire blue silk shirt with black slacks—a more
serious look than she usually chose, but all her clothes seemed too
summery for a dark, windy, rainy day. So blue and black it was.
A knock sounded on her door. Charity hurried across the
room and peeked in the peep hole. When she saw Daniel's wildly
stretched face, she opened the door and smiled. “You didn't have to
come all the way up!”
“ Sure I did.”
“ I mean, you could've called or something. It's quite
a hike to the fourth floor.”
Holly's bedroom door opened and she poked her head out—a
head covered in a snarl of messy red hair. “Charity! Get the door!”
“ Um, I already did.”
Holly's hand shoved back her hair and she peered at
Daniel through bleary eyes. “Oh, hey.”
“ Holly, this is my friend Daniel. Daniel, this is my
roommate, Holly. She's an artist.”
The redhead shuffled a few feet out the door with an
outstretched hand, revealing an over-sized rock band T-shirt, pink
boxers, and Tasmanian Devil slippers.
Daniel smiled, shook her hand, and said he was pleased
to meet her.
“ Where are you going at this ungodly hour?”
“ Um, Daniel is taking
me to church . It's
this gathering people do on Sundays—”
Holly stomped back to her room. “Charity, you are so
WEIRD!”
The door slammed.
Daniel had a bemused look on his face. “That was
interesting.”
“ I mentioned she was an artist, right?” She pointed
to the front door.
They exited her apartment and headed down the flights of
stairs. Once they were in the car and on the road, Daniel shot her a
look. “So I take it you and your roommate are not close.”
“ Not at all. I'm usually in her way.”
“ How did you two find each other?”
“ I answered an ad. We have a...relationship of
convenience. She needed extra money to be able to afford working on
her art, and I needed a place to sleep.”
“ But not a friend?”
“ Well, not at the time.”
“ What time was that?”
Someone is Mr. Inquisitive today .
“It was when I first arrived in town. I was looking for an
affordable living situation
Similar Books
