Read Online To Be a Dad (Harlequin Superromance) by Kate Kelly - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kate Kelly
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stomach as they exited the store.
“I could eat. The question is where?” She looked around the food court attached to the mall. Nothing appealed to her.
“There’s a microbrewery over on Staples that’s supposed to serve good pub food.”
She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.
He frowned at her and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. “Right. No drinking. I forgot. Okay,” he said after a minute, “how about the new Thai restaurant on the waterfront? You like Thai food?”
She loved Thai food, but all the restaurants on the waterfront were expensive. She hunched her shoulders. “I’m not in the mood for an upscale dining experience tonight.”
He sent her a sideways glance. “Don’t suppose you’d let me take my friend out to dinner?”
Her stomach cramped with tension. Living with Dusty wasn’t going to work. She didn’t want to be taken care of. If she had to be in a relationship, she wanted to be an equal partner.
“Pizza it is, then,” he said when she remained silent.
“I’m not trying to be difficult,” she said as they pulled out of the parking lot.
“Right.” By his tense reply she could tell he was fed up. Who could blame him? He’d been a goddamn prince.
“Would you feel comfortable if a woman paid all your expenses and let you move into her house?”
He huffed out a laugh. “I wish.”
“Really?”
He stopped at the red light and looked over at her. “I get your point. You don’t want anything from me.”
She lowered her chin. “That’s not it, either.”
“Then what the hell is your problem?” A car beeped behind them, and he drove through the intersection.
“My problem is I’ll never be able to pay you back, because for the next twenty years or so, all my extra money will go to raising my children,” she yelled. “And I can’t stand things not being equal between us. I want to be my own woman, live in my own house and pay my own bills.”
“Fine.” He pulled into the restaurant parking lot and jerked on the emergency brake after turning off the truck. “You can start by paying for the pizza tonight, and I want an eighteen-inch.” He climbed out and walked into the pizzeria, leaving her sitting alone in the dark.
She stared out the windshield. That went well. Not. She had to get a grip. She wasn’t the only one making a huge adjustment. Dusty’s life had been turned upside down, as well. Truth was he was taking the harder hit of the two. She had to lighten up, and she had to start thinking of him. She slipped out of the truck. After they ate, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
“I hope you didn’t order anchovies.” She slipped into the booth across the table from him.
“Pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms and black olives,” he said.
She grinned. “You remembered.”
“No, that was for me. What did you want?”
“Ha-ha.” She opened the menu. “I might order a salad, too. I haven’t eaten anything green today.”
“You threw out the last of Adam’s pea soup?”
“Oh, gag. Don’t remind me.” Adam had discovered pea soup, and in his enthusiasm had made far more than any living soul could consume in a lifetime. Every time she turned around, pea soup kept showing up as the lunch special. “Truth is, I did throw it out.”
“No way. He thinks it got eaten. He even said he thought he should make another batch.”
Teressa laughed. “I know. I didn’t want to tell him I raided the freezer and chucked the last twenty gallons out, but I may have to if he insists on making more.”
Dusty leaned back in his seat. “You two work together well, don’t you?”
The waitress brought the water and coffee Dusty had ordered, and Teressa ordered a garden salad.
“Yes, we do,” she answered when the waitress left. “I like Adam a lot. Your sister is a lucky woman.”
“Yeah.” He looked out the window as if the cars driving by were far more interesting than anything she had to say. No surprise he found her a
“I could eat. The question is where?” She looked around the food court attached to the mall. Nothing appealed to her.
“There’s a microbrewery over on Staples that’s supposed to serve good pub food.”
She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.
He frowned at her and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. “Right. No drinking. I forgot. Okay,” he said after a minute, “how about the new Thai restaurant on the waterfront? You like Thai food?”
She loved Thai food, but all the restaurants on the waterfront were expensive. She hunched her shoulders. “I’m not in the mood for an upscale dining experience tonight.”
He sent her a sideways glance. “Don’t suppose you’d let me take my friend out to dinner?”
Her stomach cramped with tension. Living with Dusty wasn’t going to work. She didn’t want to be taken care of. If she had to be in a relationship, she wanted to be an equal partner.
“Pizza it is, then,” he said when she remained silent.
“I’m not trying to be difficult,” she said as they pulled out of the parking lot.
“Right.” By his tense reply she could tell he was fed up. Who could blame him? He’d been a goddamn prince.
“Would you feel comfortable if a woman paid all your expenses and let you move into her house?”
He huffed out a laugh. “I wish.”
“Really?”
He stopped at the red light and looked over at her. “I get your point. You don’t want anything from me.”
She lowered her chin. “That’s not it, either.”
“Then what the hell is your problem?” A car beeped behind them, and he drove through the intersection.
“My problem is I’ll never be able to pay you back, because for the next twenty years or so, all my extra money will go to raising my children,” she yelled. “And I can’t stand things not being equal between us. I want to be my own woman, live in my own house and pay my own bills.”
“Fine.” He pulled into the restaurant parking lot and jerked on the emergency brake after turning off the truck. “You can start by paying for the pizza tonight, and I want an eighteen-inch.” He climbed out and walked into the pizzeria, leaving her sitting alone in the dark.
She stared out the windshield. That went well. Not. She had to get a grip. She wasn’t the only one making a huge adjustment. Dusty’s life had been turned upside down, as well. Truth was he was taking the harder hit of the two. She had to lighten up, and she had to start thinking of him. She slipped out of the truck. After they ate, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
“I hope you didn’t order anchovies.” She slipped into the booth across the table from him.
“Pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms and black olives,” he said.
She grinned. “You remembered.”
“No, that was for me. What did you want?”
“Ha-ha.” She opened the menu. “I might order a salad, too. I haven’t eaten anything green today.”
“You threw out the last of Adam’s pea soup?”
“Oh, gag. Don’t remind me.” Adam had discovered pea soup, and in his enthusiasm had made far more than any living soul could consume in a lifetime. Every time she turned around, pea soup kept showing up as the lunch special. “Truth is, I did throw it out.”
“No way. He thinks it got eaten. He even said he thought he should make another batch.”
Teressa laughed. “I know. I didn’t want to tell him I raided the freezer and chucked the last twenty gallons out, but I may have to if he insists on making more.”
Dusty leaned back in his seat. “You two work together well, don’t you?”
The waitress brought the water and coffee Dusty had ordered, and Teressa ordered a garden salad.
“Yes, we do,” she answered when the waitress left. “I like Adam a lot. Your sister is a lucky woman.”
“Yeah.” He looked out the window as if the cars driving by were far more interesting than anything she had to say. No surprise he found her a
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