Read Online The Reluctant Bride by Kathryn Alexander - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathryn Alexander
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can use the boat. I'm going to be too busy this weekend anyway. No, I had dinner with Liz tonight. Right. We had a good time. Sure, no problem. I'm at Micah's apartment now. See you later.”
Micah stood in the doorway, and Rob replaced the receiver and looked up at her. “Ready? I thought we could go out for coffee and dessert.”
Dessert. He had obviously already had dinner. With Liz.
“Micah?” he said when she failed to respond.
She forced a smile. “Fine. That sounds fine.” Then she picked up the sweater she had left on the sofa. So what if there was a Liz? Micah had no future with him anyway. What had she expected?
“There's a little restaurant a few blocks from here that's famous for its strawberry pie. Does that sound good?”
“Yes, it's fine,” she replied, wondering why her mind had gone so blank that “fine” was the only adjective she could think of. Other than “jealous.”
They left her apartment and walked the few short blocks to the corner café where pie and coffee awaited them. Once seated in a semiprivate booth in the corner, Rob placed their order and studied the distant look in Micah's eyes.
“You're not talking much this evening. Did you have a bad day?” he inquired.
“No.” The day had been good. It was the nightthat was falling apart. “How about you?” she asked politely.
“What's wrong, Micah? Something has happened.”
“No, it's nothing.”
“We said we'd be honest,” Rob reminded her. “It was your idea.”
The waitress appeared with their food. Rob thanked her, then returned his attention to Micah, who sat staring into the swirl of cream she had poured into her coffee.
Honesty. It really had been her idea. “How was your dinner?” she asked in an artificially even tone. She knew it was none of her business, but the question would give her no peace.
“Dinner?” he responded with a frown. “Good. Fun. Why?”
He was going to make this difficult. She could see that in his casual reply.
“Just wondered.”
“Liz called and said she was free for dinner and I was, too, so—”
“You can be free now, too, if you want to be. I told you we shouldn't see each other again,” she said softly, being careful not to show any emotion. “You didn't need to cut your other plans short to keep this late date with me.”
Rob had every right to be angry, and Micah fully expected to be informed that this was none of her business. But there was no sign of anger evident. Infact, Micah thought she saw a glimpse of a smile as he raised the coffee cup to his mouth before responding.
“You don't know who Liz is, do you?” he commented, a definite smile now curving his lips.
“Is there any reason I should?” She studied her untouched dessert. Even strawberry pie didn't look good. What was this man doing to her?
“You've worked with her every day this week.”
Micah looked up at him in blank surprise.
“Angela Elizabeth,” he stated.
“Your sister?” A warm blush of embarrassment colored her cheeks, and she raised a hand to her mouth. “I didn't know…I mean…you call her Liz?”
“I have since I was old enough to know she preferred being called Angela. Teasing that has stuck over the years.” Rob reached across the small table, covering Micah's hand with his own. “Feel better?”
“Better?” she moaned. “I feel like a fool. I thought—”
“A little jealousy is good for a relationship,” he replied and released her hand. “Now, eat your pie.”
After several minutes of discussing the events of their workdays, Rob began a new line of conversation which surprised Micah almost as much as finding out who Liz was. It was about his past. And Nick.
“I remember coming in here for lunch occasionally, with Nick, years ago. The strawberry pie wasthe main attraction. Well, that and a pretty blond waitress.”
“That you liked?” Micah stuck a fork into a berry and raised it to her mouth.
Rob shook his head. “Nick. He fell in love with
Micah stood in the doorway, and Rob replaced the receiver and looked up at her. “Ready? I thought we could go out for coffee and dessert.”
Dessert. He had obviously already had dinner. With Liz.
“Micah?” he said when she failed to respond.
She forced a smile. “Fine. That sounds fine.” Then she picked up the sweater she had left on the sofa. So what if there was a Liz? Micah had no future with him anyway. What had she expected?
“There's a little restaurant a few blocks from here that's famous for its strawberry pie. Does that sound good?”
“Yes, it's fine,” she replied, wondering why her mind had gone so blank that “fine” was the only adjective she could think of. Other than “jealous.”
They left her apartment and walked the few short blocks to the corner café where pie and coffee awaited them. Once seated in a semiprivate booth in the corner, Rob placed their order and studied the distant look in Micah's eyes.
“You're not talking much this evening. Did you have a bad day?” he inquired.
“No.” The day had been good. It was the nightthat was falling apart. “How about you?” she asked politely.
“What's wrong, Micah? Something has happened.”
“No, it's nothing.”
“We said we'd be honest,” Rob reminded her. “It was your idea.”
The waitress appeared with their food. Rob thanked her, then returned his attention to Micah, who sat staring into the swirl of cream she had poured into her coffee.
Honesty. It really had been her idea. “How was your dinner?” she asked in an artificially even tone. She knew it was none of her business, but the question would give her no peace.
“Dinner?” he responded with a frown. “Good. Fun. Why?”
He was going to make this difficult. She could see that in his casual reply.
“Just wondered.”
“Liz called and said she was free for dinner and I was, too, so—”
“You can be free now, too, if you want to be. I told you we shouldn't see each other again,” she said softly, being careful not to show any emotion. “You didn't need to cut your other plans short to keep this late date with me.”
Rob had every right to be angry, and Micah fully expected to be informed that this was none of her business. But there was no sign of anger evident. Infact, Micah thought she saw a glimpse of a smile as he raised the coffee cup to his mouth before responding.
“You don't know who Liz is, do you?” he commented, a definite smile now curving his lips.
“Is there any reason I should?” She studied her untouched dessert. Even strawberry pie didn't look good. What was this man doing to her?
“You've worked with her every day this week.”
Micah looked up at him in blank surprise.
“Angela Elizabeth,” he stated.
“Your sister?” A warm blush of embarrassment colored her cheeks, and she raised a hand to her mouth. “I didn't know…I mean…you call her Liz?”
“I have since I was old enough to know she preferred being called Angela. Teasing that has stuck over the years.” Rob reached across the small table, covering Micah's hand with his own. “Feel better?”
“Better?” she moaned. “I feel like a fool. I thought—”
“A little jealousy is good for a relationship,” he replied and released her hand. “Now, eat your pie.”
After several minutes of discussing the events of their workdays, Rob began a new line of conversation which surprised Micah almost as much as finding out who Liz was. It was about his past. And Nick.
“I remember coming in here for lunch occasionally, with Nick, years ago. The strawberry pie wasthe main attraction. Well, that and a pretty blond waitress.”
“That you liked?” Micah stuck a fork into a berry and raised it to her mouth.
Rob shook his head. “Nick. He fell in love with
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