Read Online The Next Right Thing (Harlequin Superromance) by Colleen Collins - Free Book Online

I got your number. Deep down, you’re a softy.”
    “Keep it to yourself or you’ll ruin my rep. Through with that?” He nudged his chin toward her plate.
    “Yes.”
    “There’s still a few bites left.”
    She huffed a sigh. “I’ve gained seven pounds since I moved here.”
    “And so you should! Don’t know what they were feeding you in Denver, but when you got here, you were skin and bones! A scrawny little string of vermicelli.” He wiggled his pinkie finger. “Now you look stronger, healthier...just not...” He got up, took her plate to the kitchen.
    After he returned and sat, she asked, “Just not what?”
    “Just not what, what? ”
    “You said I look healthier, just not...”
    “Oh.” He took another sip, shrugged. “Just not so happy. Not only today, but in general. Except today more so.”
    “I could blame you for that, you know.”
    “Me?”
    She decided Italian men were the only ones who could look grossly affronted and incredibly innocent at the same time. “You told Marc where I work.”
    “Marc...the nice gentleman who called the house today asking for you?”
    “The only gentleman who’s ever called the house asking for me, yes.”
    “First of all, figlia, I knew who he was, even though he was polite enough to introduce himself—full name, very mannerly like—and explain he’d been your employer back in Denver. You’d just gotten that job when I left Denver, ʼmember? I’d call there off and on to talk to you when I couldn’t reach you on your cell. Even if I’d never heard of him, you talked about him when you first got here....”
    Yes, she’d talked a lot about Marc when she’d first arrived, but had never, ever admitted that she’d had a thing for the guy. If her uncle had thought somebody had broken her heart, even if that someone had never known how she’d felt, he probably would have hopped the next flight to Denver to have a man-to-man talk about his figlia and how to treat her right. Make sure Marc understood the situation, although she doubted that would have resulted in her world being showered with lollipops and rainbows.
    Funny how she suddenly had men in her life ready to hop flights between Denver and Vegas to have one-on-ones.
    “So, of course, I figured you were friends,” Frankie said.
    “Right,” she murmured.
    His features softened. “You like this man.” It wasn’t a question.
    “It’s not what you think.”
    “I asked if you liked him, not what am I thinking.”
    She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “It’s just not...you know.”
    “Consummated?”
    “Uncle Frankie, please! We’re not talking sex.”
    “It tends to go hand in hand with love, y’know.” He clapped his hands together and gave them a shake.
    Oh, this conversation was going so very well.
    “I understand what you’re saying. I wasn’t born yesterday.” Oh, hell, this was a losing battle. She might as well talk about it...parts of it.
    She straightened, looked her uncle square in the face. “Look, Marc’s a friend. And my former boss. He wasn’t very happy with how I conducted some research, something you and I have discussed in the past so no need to rehash it, and I ended up moving to Vegas, and you know the rest of my story after that. Can we consider this conversation over?”
    “No.” He brushed at his shirt. “I want some explanation for your sniffling on my favorite Hawaiian shirt, then after that, there’s something else I’d like to discuss with you.” The last two words sounded like wi-choo .
    “What’s that?”
    “No misdirecting the conversation. But first, I need some more liquid refreshment.” After setting the drink down, he leaned his forearms on the table and clasped his hands. “So...you like him, just not enough to have him visit you at work.”
    “I wasn’t ready to...talk to him...especially at that dive—” She caught herself. “ Dive doesn’t include Delilah’s gift store, of course.”
    “From your mouth to God’s ears,”