Labor of Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

a sign,” Amber said. “We should have done a tarot reading. Then we’d know for sure.”
    â€œYou don’t even believe in stuff like that,” I reminded her.
    â€œMaybe I’m starting to believe. You have toadmit that Saraphina got more things right than she got wrong. I mean, really—did she get anything wrong?”
    I wasn’t exactly sure how we could judge that. We were assuming a lot of things…like this Red Cap was my Red Cap. Maybe he wasn’t.
    I jumped when I heard a chair scrape across the floor. I’m not usually easily spooked. Nerves of steel, like Superman. But, okay, maybe I was just a little unsettled by how our day was going.
    I looked over. The server had left. The guys walked to our table.
    â€œWe were wondering,” Tall Guy said, looking at Jenna as he spoke, “do you know how much a polar bear weighs?”
    Jenna looked at us, looked back at him. “No.”
    â€œEnough to break the ice.” He grinned, and Jenna grinned back at him.
    The other two guys were shaking their heads.
    â€œSeriously,” Tall Guy said. “We were talking. We’re new to town, don’t know anyone,and fate seems to be working here. Three of you, three of us. Running into one another again. What can I say? It seems like destiny.”
    Did he really say destiny?
    â€œSo what say we share a table,” he suggested.
    â€œOkay,” Jenna said, nodding so rapidly that her head was almost a blur.
    The guys moved a chair out of the way, then shoved the closest table against the empty side of ours. Without hesitation, Tall Guy sat next to Jenna. No surprise there. Red Cap and the remaining guy exchanged glances. Finally Red Cap sat next to me, which left Amber sitting across from the third guy.
    â€œI’m Tank,” Tall Guy said.
    Jenna released a laugh, then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry. It’s not a funny name. It’s just, were you—are you—in the military or something?”
    â€œNah, not even close. It’s just a nickname, better than Theodore.”
    Her eyes widened. “Your parents named you Theodore?”
    â€œYeah, what were they thinking, right? Family tradition. You gotta hate ’em, though.”He pointed to Red Cap. “That’s Brady. And Sean.”
    Jenna introduced our group.
    Looking at me, Brady touched the brim of his cap. “Like your hat.”
    â€œLike yours, too.”
    â€œI thought I noticed you looking at it earlier. You a Chiefs fan?”
    I shook my head. “Texans.” I wasn’t really into football, but I believed in hometown loyalty.
    â€œYou from Houston?”
    â€œYeah. Well, actually, Katy, but most people don’t know where—”
    â€œWe know where Katy is. We go to Rice.”
    Okay, so they were college guys. Rice University is in Houston, and Katy is about thirty minutes west of Houston.
    â€œTalk about your small world,” Brady said, smiling.
    â€œYeah, really.”
    He looked past me to Amber. “You know, we should change seats. That way you can talk to Sean.”
    Amber looked startled, probably because Brady had already stood up.
    â€œOh, yeah, sure, okay, yeah.”
    Brady dropped into the chair that Amber vacated. Jenna didn’t even seem to notice that she had a different person sitting on the other side of her. She and Tank were talking really quietly, with hushed voices. It was strange seeing Jenna with a guy who seemed totally into her. I mean, I’d never understood guys not giving her attention, but still…
    â€œSo, you’re from Katy,” Brady said, drawing my attention back to him.
    â€œYeah,” I said. Did he ever stop smiling? And why did it irritate me? Because I didn’t want to like him. This summer wasn’t about hooking up with someone. It was about doing good works.
    Although I had to admit I was flattered that he was showing interest.
    â€œWhere do you go