Read Online Return of the Runaway Bride by Donna Fasano - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Donna Fasano
Tags: Romance
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somehow broach the subject of his feelings about their past. Initiating some dialogue would be a start in the right direction.
She tossed him a shiny red apple and then plucked one from the basket for herself. "It sure is a beautiful day."
"Sure is," Daniel agreed, then bit into the fruit.
She tried again. "You know, I never forgot what a wonderful town Fulton is. People still care about one another here. It's not like that where I live. I hardly know my neighbors. I'd love to be able to come home to stay."
Daniel remained silent and Savanna clearly saw her attempt to start a conversation fall flat. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as the silence grew strained.
"I…" They spoke the same word at the same time and then both stopped abruptly.
Savanna chuckled. "Please," she said, "go ahead."
Daniel shrugged. "I was just going to tell you that I'm glad you could get Harvey to fix your plumbing last night."
"But..." Savanna couldn't help the frown of confusion that marred her brow. "How did you know?"
Now it was Daniel's turn to chuckle. "Savanna, you've been in the big city too long. You're back in Fulton. A town where everybody knows everything about everyone. I found out Harvey worked on your plumbing the same way I found out you weeded your flower beds yesterday afternoon. The same way I found out…" his eyes lightened with suppressed humor "…that you spent an ungodly sum of money at the supermarket on convenience foods this morning."
"Okay, okay," she mumbled. "I get the picture. The dreaded small-town grapevine." She eyed him a moment, daring him to laugh, then said, "Well, a girl's gotta eat, doesn't she?"
He finally surrendered to the merriment that danced in his eyes, and Savanna wasn't long in joining him in laughter.
Finally Savanna inhaled deeply of the fresh air. "This park brings back such wonderful memories for me."
"I feel the same," he said quietly.
"My mom used to bring me here." Savanna gazed over at the playground. "She'd push me on the swing until I thought I'd touch the clouds."
"Oh."
She looked at Daniel. "What?" she asked. He seemed so disappointed at the mention of her memory.
"When you said the park brings back memories," he began, "I thought you meant..." He shook his head. "Never mind."
"What?" she pressed. "I'd like to know what you thought I was talking about."
Daniel just shook his head, silently refusing to say more. But the light in his gaze and the delicious grin hovering at the corners of his mouth triggered a memory.
Her lips spread into a broad smile. "I haven't thought about that night in years." She settled back against the trunk of the oak tree. "There was a new moon. And about a zillion stars twinkled in the sky. It was so hot that night. But as you walked me home from the movies holding my hand, I wouldn't have cared if it was raining molten lava."
"I knew it was late," Daniel picked up the story. "I shouldn't have suggested we cut through the park. I shouldn't have lured you to sit on the bench, to linger under the stars, but I couldn't help myself."
"Daniel Walsh, you mean to tell me there was an ulterior motive attached to your suggestion of a shortcut through the park?"
His face actually tinged with pink, but Savanna's open laughter told him she was teasing.
"I was a red-blooded American boy, through and through," he admitted.
"That was the most romantic night of my life." Savanna curled her legs beneath her. "My first date. My first kiss. It was all so wonderful."
"Wonderful?" Daniel's frown drew his brows together. "I was sweating like a roasted pig. And we'd barely touched lips before Marty shined that damned flashlight in my eyes."
"Don't you mean…" she mocked a deep, manly tone "…you'll-call-me-Officer-Brown-and-like-it?"
"He'd graduated high school a year ahead of me. Marty earned that badge and his head swelled twice its normal size."
Laughter bubbled up from Savanna's throat. "I thought I'd die when he threatened to arrest you if you
She tossed him a shiny red apple and then plucked one from the basket for herself. "It sure is a beautiful day."
"Sure is," Daniel agreed, then bit into the fruit.
She tried again. "You know, I never forgot what a wonderful town Fulton is. People still care about one another here. It's not like that where I live. I hardly know my neighbors. I'd love to be able to come home to stay."
Daniel remained silent and Savanna clearly saw her attempt to start a conversation fall flat. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as the silence grew strained.
"I…" They spoke the same word at the same time and then both stopped abruptly.
Savanna chuckled. "Please," she said, "go ahead."
Daniel shrugged. "I was just going to tell you that I'm glad you could get Harvey to fix your plumbing last night."
"But..." Savanna couldn't help the frown of confusion that marred her brow. "How did you know?"
Now it was Daniel's turn to chuckle. "Savanna, you've been in the big city too long. You're back in Fulton. A town where everybody knows everything about everyone. I found out Harvey worked on your plumbing the same way I found out you weeded your flower beds yesterday afternoon. The same way I found out…" his eyes lightened with suppressed humor "…that you spent an ungodly sum of money at the supermarket on convenience foods this morning."
"Okay, okay," she mumbled. "I get the picture. The dreaded small-town grapevine." She eyed him a moment, daring him to laugh, then said, "Well, a girl's gotta eat, doesn't she?"
He finally surrendered to the merriment that danced in his eyes, and Savanna wasn't long in joining him in laughter.
Finally Savanna inhaled deeply of the fresh air. "This park brings back such wonderful memories for me."
"I feel the same," he said quietly.
"My mom used to bring me here." Savanna gazed over at the playground. "She'd push me on the swing until I thought I'd touch the clouds."
"Oh."
She looked at Daniel. "What?" she asked. He seemed so disappointed at the mention of her memory.
"When you said the park brings back memories," he began, "I thought you meant..." He shook his head. "Never mind."
"What?" she pressed. "I'd like to know what you thought I was talking about."
Daniel just shook his head, silently refusing to say more. But the light in his gaze and the delicious grin hovering at the corners of his mouth triggered a memory.
Her lips spread into a broad smile. "I haven't thought about that night in years." She settled back against the trunk of the oak tree. "There was a new moon. And about a zillion stars twinkled in the sky. It was so hot that night. But as you walked me home from the movies holding my hand, I wouldn't have cared if it was raining molten lava."
"I knew it was late," Daniel picked up the story. "I shouldn't have suggested we cut through the park. I shouldn't have lured you to sit on the bench, to linger under the stars, but I couldn't help myself."
"Daniel Walsh, you mean to tell me there was an ulterior motive attached to your suggestion of a shortcut through the park?"
His face actually tinged with pink, but Savanna's open laughter told him she was teasing.
"I was a red-blooded American boy, through and through," he admitted.
"That was the most romantic night of my life." Savanna curled her legs beneath her. "My first date. My first kiss. It was all so wonderful."
"Wonderful?" Daniel's frown drew his brows together. "I was sweating like a roasted pig. And we'd barely touched lips before Marty shined that damned flashlight in my eyes."
"Don't you mean…" she mocked a deep, manly tone "…you'll-call-me-Officer-Brown-and-like-it?"
"He'd graduated high school a year ahead of me. Marty earned that badge and his head swelled twice its normal size."
Laughter bubbled up from Savanna's throat. "I thought I'd die when he threatened to arrest you if you
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