Read Online Vegas to Varanasi (Fortytude Series Book 1) by Shelly Hickman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shelly Hickman
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this evening will not involve discussion of unfortunate breakups. It’s about family and friends, and new beginnings.”
Everyone holds up their glass, or beer bottle, as the case may be. “Cheers!”
“Hayden, where’s Tessa tonight?” I ask. “You did invite her, didn’t you?”
“She had to work.”
“I assume things are still going well with you two?” I pass the bread basket to Luke.
Hayden takes a bite of potatoes and grins. “Couldn’t be better.” He winks at Carly.
Carly shakes her head. “You seem to have the mistaken idea that I’m unhappy with this development.”
“In all fairness, you were the one who insisted she wasn’t into me.”
“My apologies, oh grand master.” She holds out her arms with a slight bow. “I underestimated the power of your pasta making skills.”
Everyone chuckles and Hayden nods. “You are pardoned.”
“Anna,” Luke begins, “I wanna know if Kiran is still bringing his mom to your office for her visits.”
“He is.”
“Who’s Kiran?” Derek asks.
“He’s that friend of Jacob’s family who was at the wedding,” Julia explains. “He actually went to school with us.”
“Oh, okay.”
“And if he isn’t a tall glass of water!” Julia adds before taking a sip of her wine.
Luke starts buttering a slice of bread. “He’s also been conveniently returning to Anna’s practice. Bringing his mother for her visits, of course,” he says without looking at me.
“Thank you, Luke, local town crier.” I set down my fork. “And what do you mean conveniently returning? He’s been bringing his mother because her husband’s been away.”
Luke raises his hands. “All I know is there was some definite fondness for Anna goin’ on that night at the reception.”
“Really!” Richard raises his eyebrows at me.
“What?” Julia huffs. “Why didn’t I know about this?”
My mouth drops open at Luke, before I turn to Julia and smile. “He does not know what he’s talking about.”
Hayden twirls his bottle of beer in his hand. “You go, Mom! Stealing the heart of the tall glass of water! Have no idea what that means,” he mutters to Carly. “I assume the guy is hot.”
“ And ,” Luke dramatically addresses everyone at the table, “she said he told her he had a crush on her in high school!”
I look down and take a bite of my asparagus. “I hate you right now.”
Richard puts his hand over Luke’s. “Forgive him, Anna. You know he gets loose-lipped when he’s had a few.”
“What? This is good!” Luke continues. “You just got out of a relationship, so now you’re free to have a little fun with the hot guy.”
His passion about this topic makes me smile, despite myself.
“Okay, sweetie,” Richard says. “I think that’s enough. You’re embarrassing Anna.”
Luke meets my eyes. “Anna Banana knows I would never try to embarrass her.”
“I’ll tell you one thing.” Julia pours herself another glass of wine. “I feel like I’ve been seriously out of the loop.”
My shoulders drop. “What loop? There’s no loop!”
“What about his mother’s birthday party next week?” Julia asks. “Are you going?”
“See, I tell you stuff. You knew about the party.”
“Are you going?”
“Why not? They said I can bring a guest. I was going to see if you’d come with me.”
“Oh, no no no.” Julia snaps her head back and her eyes get really big. “You don’t need a third wheel there, should something develop.”
I shake my head and snicker. “You guys are hilarious, you know that? It’s his mother’s seventieth birthday party. Nothing is going to develop.”
Twelve
I arrive at the front door of the Kapurs’ home, which sits on a huge lot at the end of a cul-de-sac. Most homes in Las Vegas are stuccoed; however, the entire front of this house is covered in stone. With gables, two chimneys, two balconies, and a shaker-style roof, rather than the typical Spanish tile, it’s quite
Everyone holds up their glass, or beer bottle, as the case may be. “Cheers!”
“Hayden, where’s Tessa tonight?” I ask. “You did invite her, didn’t you?”
“She had to work.”
“I assume things are still going well with you two?” I pass the bread basket to Luke.
Hayden takes a bite of potatoes and grins. “Couldn’t be better.” He winks at Carly.
Carly shakes her head. “You seem to have the mistaken idea that I’m unhappy with this development.”
“In all fairness, you were the one who insisted she wasn’t into me.”
“My apologies, oh grand master.” She holds out her arms with a slight bow. “I underestimated the power of your pasta making skills.”
Everyone chuckles and Hayden nods. “You are pardoned.”
“Anna,” Luke begins, “I wanna know if Kiran is still bringing his mom to your office for her visits.”
“He is.”
“Who’s Kiran?” Derek asks.
“He’s that friend of Jacob’s family who was at the wedding,” Julia explains. “He actually went to school with us.”
“Oh, okay.”
“And if he isn’t a tall glass of water!” Julia adds before taking a sip of her wine.
Luke starts buttering a slice of bread. “He’s also been conveniently returning to Anna’s practice. Bringing his mother for her visits, of course,” he says without looking at me.
“Thank you, Luke, local town crier.” I set down my fork. “And what do you mean conveniently returning? He’s been bringing his mother because her husband’s been away.”
Luke raises his hands. “All I know is there was some definite fondness for Anna goin’ on that night at the reception.”
“Really!” Richard raises his eyebrows at me.
“What?” Julia huffs. “Why didn’t I know about this?”
My mouth drops open at Luke, before I turn to Julia and smile. “He does not know what he’s talking about.”
Hayden twirls his bottle of beer in his hand. “You go, Mom! Stealing the heart of the tall glass of water! Have no idea what that means,” he mutters to Carly. “I assume the guy is hot.”
“ And ,” Luke dramatically addresses everyone at the table, “she said he told her he had a crush on her in high school!”
I look down and take a bite of my asparagus. “I hate you right now.”
Richard puts his hand over Luke’s. “Forgive him, Anna. You know he gets loose-lipped when he’s had a few.”
“What? This is good!” Luke continues. “You just got out of a relationship, so now you’re free to have a little fun with the hot guy.”
His passion about this topic makes me smile, despite myself.
“Okay, sweetie,” Richard says. “I think that’s enough. You’re embarrassing Anna.”
Luke meets my eyes. “Anna Banana knows I would never try to embarrass her.”
“I’ll tell you one thing.” Julia pours herself another glass of wine. “I feel like I’ve been seriously out of the loop.”
My shoulders drop. “What loop? There’s no loop!”
“What about his mother’s birthday party next week?” Julia asks. “Are you going?”
“See, I tell you stuff. You knew about the party.”
“Are you going?”
“Why not? They said I can bring a guest. I was going to see if you’d come with me.”
“Oh, no no no.” Julia snaps her head back and her eyes get really big. “You don’t need a third wheel there, should something develop.”
I shake my head and snicker. “You guys are hilarious, you know that? It’s his mother’s seventieth birthday party. Nothing is going to develop.”
Twelve
I arrive at the front door of the Kapurs’ home, which sits on a huge lot at the end of a cul-de-sac. Most homes in Las Vegas are stuccoed; however, the entire front of this house is covered in stone. With gables, two chimneys, two balconies, and a shaker-style roof, rather than the typical Spanish tile, it’s quite
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