Read Online Sweet Texas Fire by Nicole Flockton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nicole Flockton
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laptop. “Why don’t we make it midday? I’ll pick up some food and drinks, and we can eat and talk about whatever it is you want to talk about.”
“Sounds great. See you then.”
“Bye.”
The call disconnected. Anticipation fired through him. He hoped whatever Charlotte had to say, it would include the words “
I’ll sell you my land.
”
• • •
Gage walked over to where the water thundered over the high granite walls. The Waterwall was a unique tourist attraction in Houston, and on a Saturday afternoon there were a lot of people taking photos and filling the park area.
He had no idea where Charlotte was; he should’ve made a point of arranging a meeting point.
“Hi, Gage.”
He whirled around, the greeting he had lodged in his throat. Wearing a pale blue halter dress that stopped just above her knees, Charlotte looked like a sexy goddess. Her hair was loose and covered her shoulders, the glossy strands glowing in the sunlight. If he didn’t have his hands full of food and drinks, he would have run his fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked.
“Hey. You look lovely. That color suits you.”
He could tell he’d surprised her by the way her green eyes widened. Hell, he’d surprised himself.
“Uh, thank you.” She nodded toward the brown paper bag he held and the drinks in the cardboard holder. “And you got food. I brought a blanket.”
“Okay, let’s find somewhere to sit.”
“That works.”
He headed down the steps and made his way across the grass, where he found a space beneath a tree. Within seconds Charlotte had the blanket laid out.
“What food did you get?”
Gage kneeled down and placed the bag of food and the drink container in the middle of the blanket.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a garden salad and some fried chicken. As for drinks, I played it safe and got you a Diet Coke and myself an iced tea.”
“Oh … Diet Coke.”
“What? You don’t like Diet Coke?”
Charlotte shook her head. “I don’t like diet sodas.”
“You must be the only girl I know who doesn’t like diet drinks. Would you like the iced tea then?”
“Is that okay?”
“Sure. I don’t mind Diet Coke.”
“Thanks.”
He opened the containers of food and handed Charlotte one of the plates the café had supplied to go with their lunch, then watched as she filled it up. It was nice to see a woman put a decent amount of food on her plate. The last couple of dates he’d been on before his dad died would’ve freaked if he’d turned up with fried chicken.
They ate in silence for a few minutes.
“You know, there really is no cute way to eat fried chicken,” Charlotte said conversationally.
“Sometimes the best-tasting food can’t be eaten pretty.”
“True. This is good, but it doesn’t beat Betty Lou’s fried chicken. That is the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. I suppose you’ve had it a ton of times?”
“No, I haven’t. I never went there much.”
“What? Why?”
He could understand her disbelief. It was a well-known fact that Betty Lou’s was the place to go. He and his brothers and dad had just never gone.
“It’s true. The Cooper family never went into the diner.”
“But why?”
“The story I was told, Mom didn’t like Betty Lou and demanded Dad not eat there. Dad is nothing but loyal, so he respected Mom’s request and we never ate there. Even after she died, he never went there.”
“Well, something changed. The first day I was in Sweet Ridge I had lunch there, and that’s where I met Jack. He sat down and ate with me.”
This revelation should’ve shocked Gage, but with the way his father had acted with regard to the will, it didn’t. It made total sense Jack would’ve started to frequent the diner. Everything his father had done the last few months of his life seemed out of character.
“Well, we’ll never know his reasons for his change of heart.”
“You miss him, don’t
“Sounds great. See you then.”
“Bye.”
The call disconnected. Anticipation fired through him. He hoped whatever Charlotte had to say, it would include the words “
I’ll sell you my land.
”
• • •
Gage walked over to where the water thundered over the high granite walls. The Waterwall was a unique tourist attraction in Houston, and on a Saturday afternoon there were a lot of people taking photos and filling the park area.
He had no idea where Charlotte was; he should’ve made a point of arranging a meeting point.
“Hi, Gage.”
He whirled around, the greeting he had lodged in his throat. Wearing a pale blue halter dress that stopped just above her knees, Charlotte looked like a sexy goddess. Her hair was loose and covered her shoulders, the glossy strands glowing in the sunlight. If he didn’t have his hands full of food and drinks, he would have run his fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked.
“Hey. You look lovely. That color suits you.”
He could tell he’d surprised her by the way her green eyes widened. Hell, he’d surprised himself.
“Uh, thank you.” She nodded toward the brown paper bag he held and the drinks in the cardboard holder. “And you got food. I brought a blanket.”
“Okay, let’s find somewhere to sit.”
“That works.”
He headed down the steps and made his way across the grass, where he found a space beneath a tree. Within seconds Charlotte had the blanket laid out.
“What food did you get?”
Gage kneeled down and placed the bag of food and the drink container in the middle of the blanket.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a garden salad and some fried chicken. As for drinks, I played it safe and got you a Diet Coke and myself an iced tea.”
“Oh … Diet Coke.”
“What? You don’t like Diet Coke?”
Charlotte shook her head. “I don’t like diet sodas.”
“You must be the only girl I know who doesn’t like diet drinks. Would you like the iced tea then?”
“Is that okay?”
“Sure. I don’t mind Diet Coke.”
“Thanks.”
He opened the containers of food and handed Charlotte one of the plates the café had supplied to go with their lunch, then watched as she filled it up. It was nice to see a woman put a decent amount of food on her plate. The last couple of dates he’d been on before his dad died would’ve freaked if he’d turned up with fried chicken.
They ate in silence for a few minutes.
“You know, there really is no cute way to eat fried chicken,” Charlotte said conversationally.
“Sometimes the best-tasting food can’t be eaten pretty.”
“True. This is good, but it doesn’t beat Betty Lou’s fried chicken. That is the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. I suppose you’ve had it a ton of times?”
“No, I haven’t. I never went there much.”
“What? Why?”
He could understand her disbelief. It was a well-known fact that Betty Lou’s was the place to go. He and his brothers and dad had just never gone.
“It’s true. The Cooper family never went into the diner.”
“But why?”
“The story I was told, Mom didn’t like Betty Lou and demanded Dad not eat there. Dad is nothing but loyal, so he respected Mom’s request and we never ate there. Even after she died, he never went there.”
“Well, something changed. The first day I was in Sweet Ridge I had lunch there, and that’s where I met Jack. He sat down and ate with me.”
This revelation should’ve shocked Gage, but with the way his father had acted with regard to the will, it didn’t. It made total sense Jack would’ve started to frequent the diner. Everything his father had done the last few months of his life seemed out of character.
“Well, we’ll never know his reasons for his change of heart.”
“You miss him, don’t
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