Christmas With the Best Man Read Online Free PDF Page A

Couple.
    Letting Jasmine shower first, he made small talk with Sue. She’d said she had sausage frying, but there was also a pan with rounds of Irish bacon, and a pot of beans. Sue cracked an egg into another skillet.
    “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” he said.
    “No trouble a’tall. I forgot to boil some potatoes, and I’m out of black pudding, so we’ll have to settle on white.” She cracked more eggs and flipped the bacon.
    When Jasmine came back, her hair was wet but she had on a different outfit. She hadn’t put on makeup, yet she was one of the prettiest women he knew.
    He showered quickly. Sue dished up their food when he returned to the kitchen.
    There were only three plates on the table. “Ned’s not here?”
    “Oh, no. He leaves early to clean the pub before he opens. Then he preps the food for the day.”
    Joey felt even more guilty that she’d gone to all that trouble for them. But the meal was heavenly. “I’m going to have to run to the west coast and back to burn this off.”
    “I’ll have to do it twice,” Jasmine added with a laugh. She cut another bite of sausage.
    He noticed she wasn’t slowing down. That was one thing he liked about her—she did everything full on.
    “Ned tells me this is your first trip to Ireland,” Sue said. “Are you finding it a romantic getaway?”
    Joey scratched the back of his neck, unable to speak.
    “We came for our friends’ wedding,” Jasmine said simply after wiping her mouth with the cloth napkin.
    “Now that’s romantic.”
    He’d swear he had a bite on his arm, and scratched it hard. He shoveled in a mouthful of eggs. He should come right out with it and explain clearly they’re just friends. But it seemed rude to do so. Not only might it embarrass Sue for her assumption, but Jasmine might take it to mean he’d never be in a relationship with her.
    He wouldn’t, but that was beside the point. Women didn’t necessarily mind when a guy didn’t fall head over heels for them, but saying so made it sound like she was unlovable.
    He didn’t know a lot about women, but he knew that much.
    Jasmine had cleaned her plate before he finished, but she hadn’t been served quite as much. Joey wasn’t very far behind her. Besides, his stomach was about to explode. He scooted his chair back and reached for his plate to take it to the kitchen.
    “No, no, leave it. I’ll do the washing up later. You two just sit there for a minute.” She hurried into the kitchen and came back with two gifts and a plastic container. “Here, these are for you.”
    Jasmine waved the packages away. “We can’t accept gifts. It’s too much, Sue. Your hospitality is generous enough.”
    “Jasmine’s right, we can’t take your gifts.”
    “Don’t be silly. Open them and you’ll see they’re nothing special.” She handed each of them a box with a ribbon tied around it.
    He let Jasmine open hers first, almost afraid to see what Sue had given them.
    Jasmine gasped and held up an ivory-colored sweater, with cables and bumps and an amazing amount of detailed knitting. “It’s too beautiful.”
    He took his from the box and held it up, surprised to see how close to his size it was. “She’s right. All of your time, your handiwork. It’s too much.”
    Sue smiled. “They were for my son and daughter, but since they aren’t here, you get them.”
    Now he felt even more guilty. “You should save them for your kids. Or mail the sweaters to them.”
    Sue laughed. “I knit each of them a new one every year. They’ll thank you for sparing them this year.”
    Jasmine caught his eye. “If you’re certain they won’t mind…” She shrugged at Joey.
    “Thank you,” he added.
    Sue held out the plastic container. “Some spiced beef and bread for later. You’ll come for dinner tomorrow?”
    He nodded. “We’d love to, thanks.”
    Her grin lit her entire body, if that was possible.

Chapter Four

    Joey and Jasmine no longer ran through the rain. Doing