Always A Bridesmaid (Left At the Altar) Read Online Free PDF Page B

her hand and kissed it. "I think she's beautiful."
    He stared into her eyes, and for a fraction of a moment, she could almost believe he meant it.
    Chantal laughed. "Oh, Zach. You're such a good boyfriend for saying that. Tell us about you two. How long have you been dating?"
    They spoke at the same time.
    "Two weeks."
    "Two months."
    She stared at Zach. Perhaps they should have gotten their stories straight before they'd begun this game.
    "So which is it?" Margaret laughed. "Two weeks or two months?"
    "Both," Dani said quickly, scrambling to come up with something sort of believable. "Two months and two weeks. And seventeen hours, if you want to be precise."
    "Isn't that something!" Chantal exclaimed. "It's amazing you two were dating all this time and no one knew about it, not even Adele. In fact, it's almost unbelievable."
    She saw panic flare in Zach's eyes. If she didn't do something quick, the jig was up.
    She moved closer and looked up into his face, letting a besotted smile spread over her lips. For good measure she casually trailed her free hand from his waist to his right hip where it lingered as if it had the right to be there.
    "I guess we're just really good at staying undercover."
    Zach chuckled at her double entendre before dipping his head to kiss her and drive home the point that they were together. His kiss was soft and sweet, without the urgency of their previous kiss, but no less arousing. She leaned into him and sighed against his mouth. The man really knew how to kiss a girl.
    "Hrrummph."
    Camp loudly cleared his throat, bringing her back to the present. She blinked up at Zach a couple of times and he grinned back at her. It was ridiculously easy to pretend to be his girlfriend.
    And the perks were pretty good, too.
    "Dinner is ready, everyone," Adele said as she emerged from the kitchen. "Please seat yourselves in the dining room."
    Her stomach growled loudly as she took her seat at the dining table. Zach grinned as he helped her into her chair and then sat next to her.
    "Hungry?"
    "Starved."
    Camp sat at the head of the table with Foster, Margaret, Jonathan and Chantal on his right, and Fiona, Todd, Dani and Zach on his left. Zach's mother entered the dining room carrying a tray of soup bowls.
    "That smells terrific, Mom," he said.
    Adele smiled as she placed the bowls in front of each person. "I hope you all enjoy it. Bon appetite ."
    A moment later Dani confirmed that the soup tasted even better than it smelled. Chunks of fresh vegetables and bits of chicken floated in a flavorful broth, whetting Dani's appetite for the main event.
    The main course didn't disappoint. When Adele brought a crown roast of lamb surrounded by braised vegetables to the table, it was all she could do not to drool. Camp did the honors by carving the roast.
    "Pass your plate and I'll fill it up for you," he said. "Ladies first. Daniella, how about you?"
    She was only too happy to comply. She passed her plate to Camp and he filled it with a generous portion of meat and vegetables.
    "Chantal, pass your plate to me."
    She turned up her nose. "Just the carrots, Grandfather. I don't eat red meat. And there's too many carbs in potatoes."
    "Since when have you been a vegetarian?" Foster said, with equal parts surprise and annoyance in his voice. "And as far as carbs, you could stand a little meat on your bones. You're as skinny as a stick."
    "I've been a vegetarian for a few months, Dad."
    Dani blinked in surprise. This from the girl who used to make midnight runs to McDonalds five nights a week to satisfy her Big Mac cravings.
    Margaret laughed. "I believe Wallis Simpson said you can never be too rich or too thin. Such a wise woman."
    Camp lifted a bushy white eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised that the woman who nearly destroyed the British monarchy is your role model? What can I get for you, Margaret?"
    "Just the carrots as well. I have to watch my waistline."
    "Perhaps I could fix the two of you something more to your taste," Adele