Read Online Right Before His Eyes by Wendy Etherington - Free Book Online Page A

win, don’t you?”
    â€œOf course, but I don’t see anybody catching the No. 475 car.”
    â€œYou don’t, huh?” Levering them off the sofa, he swung her into his arms, then set her on the floor. “How about a little wager?”
    She didn’t have much cash to bet with, but noticing the speculative look in Gil’s eyes, she had the feeling money wouldn’t be required. “What’re the stakes?”
    â€œOne of my cars wins and you have dinner with me every night this week.”
    â€œHang on. I have to run the diner. I can’t go skipping off every night at dinnertime.”
    â€œYou don’t skip, and I’m willing to eat at the diner. I’m just asking you to take an hour’s break to have it with me.”
    Staring at Gil across the table wasn’t exactly like losing. “I can do that. Now, what do I get if Bart wins?”
    â€œYou get mine and Marley’s expertise in finding somebody you can hire to help manage the diner.”
    Sheila’s mood went from teasing to ticked in the space of a heartbeat. “I manage the diner just fine.”
    â€œAnd work yourself to death. You at least need to have somebody you trust to lock up at night. You can’t keep up this pace.”
    â€œI have Mellie.”
    â€œWho has a young child to raise. She can’t take on this kind of responsibility right now.”
    She acknowledged the undeniable truth of that, but her temper still hummed. If Gil thought he was going to breeze into her life and take over everything, he was greatly mistaken. “When did you cook up this idea?”
    â€œIt’s not mine. It’s Marley’s.” When she looked skeptical, he said, “Ask her.”
    Marley and the other Tarts had been trying to convince her for months to hire an assistant manager or promote one of the waitresses.
    Financially, she could afford to do so, but she wasn’t as willing to part with the control as much as the money. Besides, working herself to exhaustion kept her from thinking too much about Gil.
    â€œFine. If Bart wins, I get your expertise.”
    â€œThat doesn’t sound very enthusiastic. Maybe you’re worried I’m trying to control you and your business?”
    Surprised, her gaze jumped to his.
    He wrapped his arms around her waist. “You probably don’t believe this, but I’ve gotten to know you pretty well over the last week. I’m not trying to mess with your independence. I’m just concerned about you.” He kissed her forehead. “I want you to be happy.”
    She laid her cheek against his chest. This made her happy. Just being with him, feeling his arms around her.
    Unfortunately, though, he was wrong.
    He didn’t know her at all.
    Â 
    O N THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT , Sheila called Mellie and assured her she was on her way home. She’d promised her waitress Monday night off, and she was glad Mellie and Bart had something to celebrate.
    When her love life wasn’t such a muddle, maybe she could probe Mellie for more details about exactly what was going on between those two.
    â€œWhen do you want to start interviewing?” Gil asked her.
    Sheila glanced at him, his large hands gripping the steering wheel. It bugged him that her prediction about Bart winning had come true, but the Double S teams finished fifth, seventh, tenth and eighteenth, so it was a good day even without the win Rafael needed so much to push him past Bart in the championship standings.
    â€œI’d like to talk to my waitresses before I go to outside people,” she said.
    â€œWhy don’t you let Marley find a few candidates? They’ll give you a comparison to the ones you already have in-house.”
    â€œOkay.” She turned her head to watch the Texas landscape fly by. Was she surrendering too much of herself or was she nuts to not take the advice of a man as successful as Gil?
    He laid his hand on her thigh.