Read Online Rocky Mountain Angels by Jodi Bowersox [romance] - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jodi Bowersox [romance]
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all day, but are you also passionate about feeding animals? Are you passionate about cleaning up after animals in all kinds of weather? It’s not quite as easy as scooping a litter box for your cat.” She didn’t say anything, and Eli knew he was right. Zoo studies would just be another degree in a box—if she even made it that far. He stood. “Tomorrow we’re going shopping for your house, and Friday we’re going to the zoo.”
Mari looked alarmed. “To the zoo? In this weather?”
Eli looked at her with eyebrows raised. “I don’t care if there’s a blizzard, I’m taking you to the zoo on Friday.” He turned and left the room, grabbing his coat off the standing rack right outside the door. He wondered what she had been going to say earlier but decided not to press. “Be ready by noon tomorrow for shopping—we’ll grab some lunch first.”
Mari followed and put her hands on her hips. “Well, aren’t you bossy, all of a sudden.”
Eli turned back at the door and smiled. “Yep. You can thank me later.”
Chapter 5
Eli rang her bell right at noon the next day, and Mari went to the door, her heart pumping. She had disappointed Ben a half hour ago when he popped by to see if she wanted to go out for lunch, and now she wasn’t sure if she should be going with Eli. She had never in her life been the object of two men’s attention before, and certainly not two brothers. She didn’t want to cause conflict in their family and was ready to tell Eli that when she opened the door. Except the smile that greeted her so disarmed her she could barely breathe, let alone form a coherent argument.
Eli stepped in and closed the door. “Ready?”
She nodded and grabbed her coat off the rack. Eli took it from her and helped her slip it on over her rust cable knit sweater and jeans. While she buttoned, he plucked her scarf from the rack and wrapped it around her neck several times. He took a step even closer and pulled her hair out of its confines. Mari looked up into his dark eyes, and he smiled. “I don’t want you to get cold.”
“My hands are the main problem. Sometimes my toes.”
“Warm socks?”
“Yes.”
“Gloves?”
She pulled them out of her pockets. “Yes.”
“Okay,” —he waited for her to put her gloves on then took her hand and pulled her toward the door— “let’s shop!”
“Eli, I’m afraid we’ll just have to window shop today,” she protested as they moved down the sidewalk to the curb where Eli’s sporty red car was idling. “I really am a poor college student.”
He opened her door, and she slipped into the black interior, finally noticing the car and how much it suited Eli. “Oh my, this is nice.”
Eli grinned, still holding the door. “It didn’t cost me nearly as much as it was worth. I just happened to fall into the deal of a lifetime. A fellow moving overseas needed to unload it and sold it for a song.”
He shut her door and ran around to the driver’s side. Mari couldn’t help noticing how excited he seemed to be about shopping. I thought men hated to shop.
After he was settled and had adjusted the heat settings, he turned to her. “I know you’re short on funds. Anything we see that we just can’t live without will just be a housewarming gift from me.” He put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb.
“Oh, Eli, I can’t let you do that.”
“Yes, you can.” He stopped at the stop sign at the end of their block and gave her his full attention. “When I got up today, I actually couldn’t wait to get going. You were absolutely right when you said my heart isn’t in my work. Designing big, impersonal buildings has taken the fun out of architecture. Doing this for you will get me back to what I loved about designing houses—personal touches.”
He turned his attention back to the road, and Mari had to smile. “Okay, if it makes you happy.”
She could never have imagined when she left Piedmont, Oklahoma, what was waiting for
Mari looked alarmed. “To the zoo? In this weather?”
Eli looked at her with eyebrows raised. “I don’t care if there’s a blizzard, I’m taking you to the zoo on Friday.” He turned and left the room, grabbing his coat off the standing rack right outside the door. He wondered what she had been going to say earlier but decided not to press. “Be ready by noon tomorrow for shopping—we’ll grab some lunch first.”
Mari followed and put her hands on her hips. “Well, aren’t you bossy, all of a sudden.”
Eli turned back at the door and smiled. “Yep. You can thank me later.”
Chapter 5
Eli rang her bell right at noon the next day, and Mari went to the door, her heart pumping. She had disappointed Ben a half hour ago when he popped by to see if she wanted to go out for lunch, and now she wasn’t sure if she should be going with Eli. She had never in her life been the object of two men’s attention before, and certainly not two brothers. She didn’t want to cause conflict in their family and was ready to tell Eli that when she opened the door. Except the smile that greeted her so disarmed her she could barely breathe, let alone form a coherent argument.
Eli stepped in and closed the door. “Ready?”
She nodded and grabbed her coat off the rack. Eli took it from her and helped her slip it on over her rust cable knit sweater and jeans. While she buttoned, he plucked her scarf from the rack and wrapped it around her neck several times. He took a step even closer and pulled her hair out of its confines. Mari looked up into his dark eyes, and he smiled. “I don’t want you to get cold.”
“My hands are the main problem. Sometimes my toes.”
“Warm socks?”
“Yes.”
“Gloves?”
She pulled them out of her pockets. “Yes.”
“Okay,” —he waited for her to put her gloves on then took her hand and pulled her toward the door— “let’s shop!”
“Eli, I’m afraid we’ll just have to window shop today,” she protested as they moved down the sidewalk to the curb where Eli’s sporty red car was idling. “I really am a poor college student.”
He opened her door, and she slipped into the black interior, finally noticing the car and how much it suited Eli. “Oh my, this is nice.”
Eli grinned, still holding the door. “It didn’t cost me nearly as much as it was worth. I just happened to fall into the deal of a lifetime. A fellow moving overseas needed to unload it and sold it for a song.”
He shut her door and ran around to the driver’s side. Mari couldn’t help noticing how excited he seemed to be about shopping. I thought men hated to shop.
After he was settled and had adjusted the heat settings, he turned to her. “I know you’re short on funds. Anything we see that we just can’t live without will just be a housewarming gift from me.” He put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb.
“Oh, Eli, I can’t let you do that.”
“Yes, you can.” He stopped at the stop sign at the end of their block and gave her his full attention. “When I got up today, I actually couldn’t wait to get going. You were absolutely right when you said my heart isn’t in my work. Designing big, impersonal buildings has taken the fun out of architecture. Doing this for you will get me back to what I loved about designing houses—personal touches.”
He turned his attention back to the road, and Mari had to smile. “Okay, if it makes you happy.”
She could never have imagined when she left Piedmont, Oklahoma, what was waiting for
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