Read Online Tessa's Wishes (Whispered Wishes #3) by Karen Pokras - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Pokras
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take her eyes off the prices. She knew Max made a decent salary, but she didn’t think he made that much. One of these paintings could pay a year’s worth of her rent, including utilities, and possibly gas and groceries as well.
Ava laughed. “No, I’ve just always loved this artist, Claudette Rayne. She held several exhibits at the gallery I ran in California. I haven’t seen her in years. There she is. Come, let me introduce you.”
Barely able to keep her balance on her heels, Tessa accidentally bumped into a woman as her sister grabbed her hand and hurried her across the room.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, tugging away from Ava in order to stop to apologize.
“It’s no problem,” the woman responded, smiling kindly.
“Here’s your drink, darl—”
That voice. Watching the man as he approached the woman, Tessa was unable to speak. She shut her eyes for a split second, thinking she had to be seeing things, and opened them back up. Nope, there was no mistake. Was he about to call this woman darling?
“Tessa?” Ava asked, now standing by her side. “Are you okay?”
Tessa slowly took her eyes off the man and looked at her sister, forcing the corners of her mouth into a tiny smile.
“Ava,” she began, “this is Dr. Hall. He’s the doctor who treated Sophie in the hospital recently when she had the flu. Remember? ” She brought her eyes back to him and squinted, trying to get a read on him, but his expression remained blank. So he was out with someone. Big deal. It’s not like they were a couple or anything. “Dr. Hall, it’s nice to see you again. This is my sister, Ava. ”
“Oh,” Ava murmured, looking at Tessa rather than the doctor. She waited for Tessa to nod to her—a sign to follow her lead. “It’s … nice to meet you, Dr. Hall. Thank you for taking such good care of my niece.”
“I’m sorry,” Tessa said, addressing the woman and trying to maintain a friendly tone to her voice, “how rude of me. I’m Tessa Haines.” She held out her hand.
“Nice to meet you,” she said, seemingly oblivious to the tension churning amongst them. “I’m Jeannie Hall, Dr. Hall’s wife.”
Tessa kept her smile, trying not to show any reaction as her brain screamed, Wife? Now it was a big deal. What the hell? For a split second, she thought about causing a scene, but decided he really wasn’t worth it. She felt sorry for the woman, actually. That asshole probably hit on every decent looking woman that walked through the E.R., and she couldn’t help wondering how many of them fell for his tricks. She was proud of herself for not sleeping with him that night. Of course, it also proved Holly wasn’t right at all. It wasn’t fear she had felt, it was intuition, and she should have listened to it the first time.
“Well, then. It’s nice to meet you, Jeannie. And I’m sorry again for bumping into you. Have fun tonight,” she said in a remarkably calm voice. She moved her eyes slowly back over to Brandon for a brief, yet strong and deliberate, glare. She wouldn’t be looking at or speaking to him ever again.
Chapter 14
“More.”
“I think you’ve had enough, Tessa.” Ava pulled the pitcher out of her hand mid-pour, placing it down on the table.
After the run in with Dr. Sleazy at the gallery, Ava said a quick hello to the artist she came to see, made a round of even quicker good-byes, and led Tessa straight out the door and over to Holly’s house. They were still dressed in their formal attire as they sat around her kitchen table for an impromptu girls’ night gathering.
“What are you talking about?” Tessa asked, taking it back and filling her glass. She gulped down the contents in one swoop. “Holly makes a kickass vanilla milkshake, and I’m starving. You made us leave before I could eat any of that fancy grub.” Licking the white ice cream mustache off the top of her lips, she added, “Got any snacks to go with this?”
“It is a
Ava laughed. “No, I’ve just always loved this artist, Claudette Rayne. She held several exhibits at the gallery I ran in California. I haven’t seen her in years. There she is. Come, let me introduce you.”
Barely able to keep her balance on her heels, Tessa accidentally bumped into a woman as her sister grabbed her hand and hurried her across the room.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, tugging away from Ava in order to stop to apologize.
“It’s no problem,” the woman responded, smiling kindly.
“Here’s your drink, darl—”
That voice. Watching the man as he approached the woman, Tessa was unable to speak. She shut her eyes for a split second, thinking she had to be seeing things, and opened them back up. Nope, there was no mistake. Was he about to call this woman darling?
“Tessa?” Ava asked, now standing by her side. “Are you okay?”
Tessa slowly took her eyes off the man and looked at her sister, forcing the corners of her mouth into a tiny smile.
“Ava,” she began, “this is Dr. Hall. He’s the doctor who treated Sophie in the hospital recently when she had the flu. Remember? ” She brought her eyes back to him and squinted, trying to get a read on him, but his expression remained blank. So he was out with someone. Big deal. It’s not like they were a couple or anything. “Dr. Hall, it’s nice to see you again. This is my sister, Ava. ”
“Oh,” Ava murmured, looking at Tessa rather than the doctor. She waited for Tessa to nod to her—a sign to follow her lead. “It’s … nice to meet you, Dr. Hall. Thank you for taking such good care of my niece.”
“I’m sorry,” Tessa said, addressing the woman and trying to maintain a friendly tone to her voice, “how rude of me. I’m Tessa Haines.” She held out her hand.
“Nice to meet you,” she said, seemingly oblivious to the tension churning amongst them. “I’m Jeannie Hall, Dr. Hall’s wife.”
Tessa kept her smile, trying not to show any reaction as her brain screamed, Wife? Now it was a big deal. What the hell? For a split second, she thought about causing a scene, but decided he really wasn’t worth it. She felt sorry for the woman, actually. That asshole probably hit on every decent looking woman that walked through the E.R., and she couldn’t help wondering how many of them fell for his tricks. She was proud of herself for not sleeping with him that night. Of course, it also proved Holly wasn’t right at all. It wasn’t fear she had felt, it was intuition, and she should have listened to it the first time.
“Well, then. It’s nice to meet you, Jeannie. And I’m sorry again for bumping into you. Have fun tonight,” she said in a remarkably calm voice. She moved her eyes slowly back over to Brandon for a brief, yet strong and deliberate, glare. She wouldn’t be looking at or speaking to him ever again.
Chapter 14
“More.”
“I think you’ve had enough, Tessa.” Ava pulled the pitcher out of her hand mid-pour, placing it down on the table.
After the run in with Dr. Sleazy at the gallery, Ava said a quick hello to the artist she came to see, made a round of even quicker good-byes, and led Tessa straight out the door and over to Holly’s house. They were still dressed in their formal attire as they sat around her kitchen table for an impromptu girls’ night gathering.
“What are you talking about?” Tessa asked, taking it back and filling her glass. She gulped down the contents in one swoop. “Holly makes a kickass vanilla milkshake, and I’m starving. You made us leave before I could eat any of that fancy grub.” Licking the white ice cream mustache off the top of her lips, she added, “Got any snacks to go with this?”
“It is a
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