Love At Last (Lily's Story, Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

looked at him. Maybe tonight I should tell him how I really feel about him. Nervousness at the thought made my heart pound. I pushed aside my anxiety and focused on the tasks I needed to complete to get dinner on the table.  
    A short time later I invited Marcus to sit at the table. “You can put Natalie in the swing while we eat.”
    He did as I directed, then joined me at the table. He looked over the spread I’d laid out. “This smells great.” He looked at me and smiled. “I barely had time to eat lunch, so I’m really hungry.”
    After we served ourselves and started eating, I said, “How are things at your work?”
    He swallowed the bite he’d been chewing. “Really good. I like it there and the people I work with are great.” He took a sip of water. “How about you? How’s your website business going?”
    “Besides Billi’s boutique, I have four other clients, so it’s enough to keep me busy right now. Natalie takes most of my time, so the amount of work is perfect for me.”
    “I think it’s fantastic that you were able to start that business. The timing couldn’t have been any better.”
    “I know. I’m thrilled with the way it worked out.”
    He took another bite of his casserole. “What else do you have going on?”
    A slow smile spread across my face.  
    He obviously sensed my excitement. “What?”
    “A friend of mine from Reno is getting married next month and I’m going to go to her wedding.”
    “That’s great.” He paused. “Did you need me to take care of Greta while you’re gone?”
    “That would be wonderful.” I smiled with a hint of guilt. “That’s kind of why I made dinner for you. I appreciate it so much when you watch her for me.”
    “You don’t have to make dinner for me. You know I don’t mind.”
    “I know. But it’s the least I can do to say thank you.”
    “So when is it?”
    I told him the date I would be leaving. “I’ll be gone for just over a week.”
    His eyebrows went up. “I thought weddings were usually a weekend kind of thing.”
    I couldn’t hold back my grin. “This wedding is going to take place on an Alaskan cruise.”
    He returned my smile. “Ah. Now I see why you’re so excited. That sounds really fun.”
    “I’ve never been on a cruise, so I’m super excited to go. Have you ever been on a cruise?”
    “A few years ago I went with some friends on a cruise to Mexico. It was a blast.”  
    “Do you have any pointers for me on cruising?”
    “Well, going to Alaska is probably quite different than going to Mexico. Do you know what the temperature will be at that time of year?”
    “It should get in the sixties during the day, so I think it will be nice.”
    We talked about cruises in general, which made me even more excited about going. Marcus helped me clean up, then we sat on the couch. I had put Natalie on a blanket on the floor and she was content.
    “She has such an easy disposition,” Marcus said.
    “I know. I feel really lucky.”
    He looked at me. “She takes after her mother.”
    I smiled and looked away from him and over to Natalie, and wondered if this was the right moment to tell him how I felt. When I looked back at him, he was watching me. “What?”
    He grinned. “I just like to look at you.”
    I decided to go for it. “I like to look at you too.”
    His grin widened. “Is that right?”
    I suddenly felt shy. “Yes.” I hesitated. “I really like you, Marcus.”
    A mix of emotions swept across his face, then he bit his lip. He looked at Natalie, then across the room, then finally at me. “I have to be honest, Lily. I’m not sure exactly how I feel.”
    My heart sank. I had told him my feelings too soon.
    He glanced at his hands in his lap before looking back at me. “Don’t get me wrong, you mean a lot to me, but . . . I’m just not sure if we can be more than friends.”
    Devastated, but also confused, I shook my head. “Then why do you say those things?”
    “What things?”
    “Like a minute