And Then He Kissed Me Read Online Free PDF Page A

the burning bush.
    He’d given her some spin about not being ready to settle down. If he and Madison were right together, nothing would be changed by waiting. At the time, he’d believed that. But he sensed that he and Ms. Wainright had just experienced a fish-or-cut-bait situation. He’d bet his new red Corvette that she wanted a family vehicle. She wanted the M-word. Marriage.
    The only M-word he could give her was maybe. After his sister married his best friend and his niece was born, he’d started thinking. What would it be like to come home to a special woman? Children? To have all the hours at work mean something in terms of having a family of his own. He’d thought about asking Madison to marry him. But the thought always made him want to run far and fast in the opposite direction.
    Then there was door number three—life as he knew it. He had a dynamite career. Building the family business along with his brothers was about as good as it got. Family. An image of Abby jumped into his mind. They were friends. Madison was dead wrong about there being anything romantic between him and Abby. Hadn’t he told her just a few hours before that she was practically a relative? As in a little sister.
    He’d tried to be there for her over the years. At first he’d called regularly and dropped in on her and Sarah to make sure they were okay. Abby always put on a brave front. She only came to him in crisis situations. Or to connect cable and hook up her stereo, he thought with a grin. He’d stepped into the big-brother role, to watch over her. But work commitments and Abby herself prevented him from keeping tabs on her as he felt he should. Sarah wasn’t shy about calling, but Abby
was different. If not for the info her sister gave him, he wouldn’t have a clue about how Abby spent her free time.
    He teased her about not dating, but didn’t really know what was holding her back. But that was a separate issue. Something else was bothering him now. He had told her tonight that she was practically a member of the family.
    Some relative he was. Relatives didn’t ignore a birthday as important as number twenty-one. He wondered if the world-famous greeting-card company had a sentiment for a situation like this.
    He opened his car door and slipped behind the wheel. A greeting card wasn’t good enough. A grand gesture was what he needed to wipe the slate clean. Then he would see about mending fences with Madison.
    Â 
    Abby heard the knock at her door. Annoyance trickled through her at the interruption. It was nine in the morning on her day off. She was up to her elbows in dust, wax and cleaning solutions. She had built up a head of steam and was prepared to scour the place from engine to caboose. But first she had to get rid of the door-to-door salesman.
    She opened the door and said, “I’m not interested—”
    Nick grinned down at her. “Hi. And how do you know you’re not interested?”
    â€œI thought you were selling something.”
    â€œNot exactly. Are you going to invite me in?”
    â€œThe place is a mess.”
    â€œIs it fatal?”
    â€œSarah and I have built up immunities.” She returned
his smile and opened the door wider. “Enter at your own risk.”
    â€œThanks.”
    She rested her sweatpants-clad hip against the back of the love seat and folded her arms across her chest. “To what do I owe this visit? Is everything all right? Did the restaurant burn down? A fire in the kitchen? Mutiny in the ranks?”
    His dark brows drew together. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a glass-is-half-empty sort of person?”
    â€œYes. So before my imagination really gets revved up, you might want to tell me what you’re doing here.”
    â€œI’d like to think it’s a good thing.” He looked down at her. “I’m here to invite you to dinner.”
    â€œDinner?” Abby resisted her