Read Online The Bachelor Takes a Bride (Those Engaging Garretts!) by Brenda Harlen - Free Book Online
Authors: Brenda Harlen
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Tristyn said. “But you’re right—if I have both, I’ll end up feeling sick and won’t enjoy the movie.”
Jordyn sighed. “I guess that means I don’t get any cannoli. It’s no fun eating dessert alone.”
“Any coffee or tea?” Marco offered.
“Just the bill,” Lauryn said.
He nodded and moved away from the table.
“I’m going to hit the bathroom to wash up before we head out,” Tristyn said.
“I’ll come with you,” Lauryn said. “Since I had Kylie, my bladder capacity isn’t what it used to be.”
Jordyn sat at the table, waiting for the bill.
After several minutes had gone by, she realized that Marco seemed to have disappeared, and the waitress who had been working the front of the restaurant had taken over the whole dining room. After she delivered appetizers to a nearby table, Jordyn flagged her down.
“Can I get you something else?” the woman, whose name tag identified her as Sydney, asked.
“I’m just waiting for the bill.”
“It’s been taken care of. Your friends paid on their way out.”
“They
left
?”
“I think so,” Sydney said, though she looked a little uncertain now. “I saw them settling up with Marco at the bar, then they headed toward the door.”
“Thank you,” Jordyn said, reaching into her purse for her phone as the waitress returned to her duties.
But of course, her phone wasn’t in her purse, because Lauryn hadn’t given it back to her after she’d texted Rob.
She waved the waitress over again. “Sorry to bother you again, but is there a phone that I could use?”
Sydney nodded. “At the bar.”
Jordyn forced a smile. “Great. Thanks.”
She picked up her purse and made her way to the bar. Marco was now behind the glossy expanse of mahogany, chatting with a young couple who were sipping wine and nibbling on antipasti.
She slipped between two high-backed chairs and folded her arms on the bar. He glanced over, his easy smile widening when he saw her. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”
“Not by choice,” she assured him.
He looked at her quizzically.
“You didn’t have anything to do with this?”
“With what?” he asked.
She sighed and shook her head. “Never mind.”
“Can I get you something?” he asked, setting a cocktail napkin on the bar in front of her.
“A phone?”
“Not a usual request,” he admitted, lifting a handset from the charger beneath the counter and setting it on the napkin.
“Thanks.” She dialed Tristyn’s number.
The call went directly to voice mail.
“I’m going to kill her,” she muttered.
“Who?”
“My sister. Actually, both of them,” she decided. “If you hear about a double homicide on the eleven-o’clock news, it will be them.”
“Any particular reason?” he asked.
“I could give you a thousand, but the most recent is that they stole my phone.” She dialed her own number next, and although it rang several times, the call wasn’t picked up at the other end. “And now they’re not even answering it.”
She dialed again, still got no answer.
“Do you have the number of Gold Hub Taxi?” she asked him.
“Sure,” he said. “But why are you calling a cab?”
“Because not only did my sisters steal my phone, they abandoned me here.”
His brows lifted. “What did you do to them?”
“Nothing.”
He set the phone back down, out of her reach, obviously waiting for more of an explanation.
She huffed out a breath. “It’s a setup.”
“What’s a setup?”
“They abandoned me here to make me a damsel in distress and give you the opportunity to ride to my rescue, to prove that you’re some kind of Prince Charming. Now can I please have the phone?”
One side of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “So that you can call a cab to take you home and deprive me of the opportunity to play my part?”
“Exactly,” she confirmed.
“I think your sisters would be disappointed if I let that happen.”
“You don’t need to worry about disappointing
Jordyn sighed. “I guess that means I don’t get any cannoli. It’s no fun eating dessert alone.”
“Any coffee or tea?” Marco offered.
“Just the bill,” Lauryn said.
He nodded and moved away from the table.
“I’m going to hit the bathroom to wash up before we head out,” Tristyn said.
“I’ll come with you,” Lauryn said. “Since I had Kylie, my bladder capacity isn’t what it used to be.”
Jordyn sat at the table, waiting for the bill.
After several minutes had gone by, she realized that Marco seemed to have disappeared, and the waitress who had been working the front of the restaurant had taken over the whole dining room. After she delivered appetizers to a nearby table, Jordyn flagged her down.
“Can I get you something else?” the woman, whose name tag identified her as Sydney, asked.
“I’m just waiting for the bill.”
“It’s been taken care of. Your friends paid on their way out.”
“They
left
?”
“I think so,” Sydney said, though she looked a little uncertain now. “I saw them settling up with Marco at the bar, then they headed toward the door.”
“Thank you,” Jordyn said, reaching into her purse for her phone as the waitress returned to her duties.
But of course, her phone wasn’t in her purse, because Lauryn hadn’t given it back to her after she’d texted Rob.
She waved the waitress over again. “Sorry to bother you again, but is there a phone that I could use?”
Sydney nodded. “At the bar.”
Jordyn forced a smile. “Great. Thanks.”
She picked up her purse and made her way to the bar. Marco was now behind the glossy expanse of mahogany, chatting with a young couple who were sipping wine and nibbling on antipasti.
She slipped between two high-backed chairs and folded her arms on the bar. He glanced over, his easy smile widening when he saw her. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”
“Not by choice,” she assured him.
He looked at her quizzically.
“You didn’t have anything to do with this?”
“With what?” he asked.
She sighed and shook her head. “Never mind.”
“Can I get you something?” he asked, setting a cocktail napkin on the bar in front of her.
“A phone?”
“Not a usual request,” he admitted, lifting a handset from the charger beneath the counter and setting it on the napkin.
“Thanks.” She dialed Tristyn’s number.
The call went directly to voice mail.
“I’m going to kill her,” she muttered.
“Who?”
“My sister. Actually, both of them,” she decided. “If you hear about a double homicide on the eleven-o’clock news, it will be them.”
“Any particular reason?” he asked.
“I could give you a thousand, but the most recent is that they stole my phone.” She dialed her own number next, and although it rang several times, the call wasn’t picked up at the other end. “And now they’re not even answering it.”
She dialed again, still got no answer.
“Do you have the number of Gold Hub Taxi?” she asked him.
“Sure,” he said. “But why are you calling a cab?”
“Because not only did my sisters steal my phone, they abandoned me here.”
His brows lifted. “What did you do to them?”
“Nothing.”
He set the phone back down, out of her reach, obviously waiting for more of an explanation.
She huffed out a breath. “It’s a setup.”
“What’s a setup?”
“They abandoned me here to make me a damsel in distress and give you the opportunity to ride to my rescue, to prove that you’re some kind of Prince Charming. Now can I please have the phone?”
One side of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “So that you can call a cab to take you home and deprive me of the opportunity to play my part?”
“Exactly,” she confirmed.
“I think your sisters would be disappointed if I let that happen.”
“You don’t need to worry about disappointing
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