Just One Day Read Online Free PDF

Jarvis said under his breath to her. “I hate banks.”
    “I know, hon,” she said.
    “He gets yanked around at every curve.”
    “It’ll work out,” May said, patting his hand. I noticed she wore a simple wedding band. Lucky her. “Jesse is smart and savvy. He’ll pull it through.”
    I felt like I was eavesdropping, and didn’t want to inquire on something that wasn’t my business. But then again, they had invited me to the table.
    “So I’m guessing Jesse is the owner?” I asked, sipping at my water.
    May nodded. “Such a nice man, too.”
    “Good guy. Lost his wife several years back, and he just buried himself in the business ever since,” Jarvis added.
    “Trying to buy up some of the adjoining land here,” May said, their sentences pinging off each other like a tennis match. “And everything seems to be a hassle.”
    “Well, they just don’t get it up in big business,” Jarvis said, taking a generous swallow of his coffee. “They don’t understand expanding little places like this, or wanting to keep the view around here pure.”
    “Keep it pure?” I asked. Blondie came back laden with the largest plate I’d ever seen, and set it in front of me. “Holy cow,” I whispered.
    Huge waffles slathered in butter and blueberries sat fat and happy next to two over-easy eggs and thick slabbed bacon. I hadn’t even told them how I wanted my eggs and they’d managed perfection. Oh, how my arteries were probably calling Brad to tattle on me. And I was going to enjoy every last bite.
    “So tell us, Andie, where are you headed this morning?” May asked.
    Canada? “No idea, actually,” I said, cutting into the stack of decadence, and taking a large bite. “Oh my God,” I mumbled around the food.
    “Really?” May said, leaning in on her arms, looking fascinated. “Just taking a drive?”
    I cut into another piece of waffle, thinking of the precious seconds ticking away while I had no plan to speak of. If these people really knew how that made my blood flow backward, they wouldn’t be so fascinated.
    “Sort of. Getting away for the day.”
    “Just you?”
    I nodded. “Just me,” I said. “My daughter’s off at college, and my—” My what? Boyfriend? Fiancé? No, not yet. “Um, the guy I’m seeing and I had a little disagreement and I’m taking the day to get my thoughts straight.” I spit all that out on one breath.
    “What’d he do?” Jarvis asked, sitting up straight. “I’ll go set him straight if he hurt you.”
    My heart warmed at this stranger who was willing to do battle for me for absolutely no reason. I chuckled. “No, nothing like that. He just—” I looked from one set of eyes to the other. “Proposed.”
    Jarvis’s head bobbed back a little in surprise, and May bit back a laugh by snatching up her cup.
    “Say what?” Jarvis asked, squinting and leaning forward.
    I sighed. “I know, it’s stupid.”
    “Well, how long have you dated him?” he asked. Or demanded, really. I had to laugh.
    “Two years,” I said. “Yesterday.”
    “Well, honey, what are you waiting for?” he said. “Social security?”
    “Jarvis!” May exclaimed, wiping her mouth. “It’s not our business.”
    “No, it’s okay,” I said, feeling the heat of embarrassment rush up to my scalp. “I know it sounds crazy. I should know by now whether I want to marry him. We basically live together anyway.” I blew out a breath. “It’s just—I don’t know.”
    “Does he have a job?” May asked, her voice low.
    “Oh yeah, he’s a bank executive, he’s successful,” I said, wincing a little as I remembered what Jarvis said about banks. “He’s good-looking, driven, cultured, sweet, funny sometimes—”
    “You must be a hard sell, girl,” Jarvis said.
    “Do you love him?” May said.
    I looked her in the eye. “What?”
    “You’ve just described a nice, fancy car, honey,” she said, leaning in.
    “I never had a sweet and funny car,” Jarvis interjected.
    She rolled her