Read Online The Wedding Gift by Sandra Steffen - Free Book Online

exchange. “I’m surprised I didn’t hear you come in. I’m not normally a sound sleeper.” She stood and instantly curled her bare toes in the plush rug beneath her feet. “Having your dog here must have made me feel safe.” She looked at thedog staring back at her from the vicinity of Riley’s knee. “Obviously it was a false sense of security. You could have barked,” she said, giving the dog’s head a gentle pat. “What time is it?”
    â€œIt’s almost midnight. I didn’t expect it to take so long to close the deal on the car. I apologize.”
    â€œI didn’t mind,” she said, and she meant it. “We shared an order of Chung Du Chicken and fried rice, and then he kept me company while I unpacked.”
    â€œSo you like it?” He gestured around the room with his free hand.
    She nodded. The cottage was small but comfortable. Decorated in shades of white, cream and blue, it reminded her of the dunes and the lake and the sky. “Who did your decorating?”
    â€œMy stepmother. She wanted to do my house, too, but had to be satisfied with the guesthouse for now. Gwen was afraid, if left to my own devices, there would be leather couches and a big-screen TV.”
    If he’d intended to make her smile, it worked. He had a shadow of a beard tonight. His sleeves were rolled up and he’d run his fingers through his hair. His quietude was probably a result of fatigue.
    â€œI must warn you,” she said, “I have every intention of finding a name for your dog and unveiling your furniture. He looks a little like a Jake, doesn’t he?”
    Riley shifted his stance and took his hand from the doorknob.
    â€œNo?” she asked. “Rocky? Archie. Buster.”
    He must have noticed her rubbing her upper arms, because he reached to the thermostat to the right of the door and turned up the heat. The dog yawned, prompting her to say, “Droopy? Gumball.”
    Ruby had said she hadn’t heard of anyone who’d lost a dog, but since she’d only recently moved back to Gale, she and Madeline had decided to consult an expert. Ruby’s father, Red O’Toole, professed to know everybody in the county, but he hadn’t heard of anyone who was missing a dog, either. He hadn’t seen any lost-dog posters, and he would have remembered if somebody had posted a reward, which brought up another point.
    â€œIf you really had no intention of keeping him, you would have put up found-dog signs. Banjo?” she asked on a small victorious smile. “Spike? Goofy? Rover.”
    â€œMadeline, he has a name.”
    She started. “He does?” And then, after his meaning soaked in, she said, “He probably had a name once, but we don’t know what it is. Was. He needs a new one. What about Skeeter? Charlie. King.”
    Nothing.
    â€œBubba. Radar?”
    More nothing.
    â€œAjax. Lucky. Rufus?”
    Even Riley couldn’t help smiling at that last one. He wondered how long it would take her to run out of suggestions.
    Despite the apparent normalcy in the room, there was a current on the air, the thrum of something untried and appealing. He knew what he wanted, had known it from the moment he’d covered Madeline with that throw. It hadn’t been easy to back away.
    Ordinarily, Riley would have been enthusiastic about today’s transaction. He’d never seen a more impressive collection of vintage cars. The owner had enthusiastically shared the history and story behind every one. Yet Riley had wanted to make the damn deal and get back to Gale.
    Because Madeline was here.
    She looked so tempting standing across the room right now, all sleepy-eyed and tousled, her hair in her face, her shirt wrinkled, her feet bare. He stayed near the door because if he came closer, he would reach for her. And it was too soon for that.
    â€œIf you want to spend your vacation uncovering my furniture,” he