Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection Read Online Free PDF

know,” Nick said in Part Two of his Roberto Dissertation. “I read about his senior season in the Wilmington Bay High School record books. Do you know he averaged fourteen points per game as a quarterback and that during game three of the regional playoffs he scored a record thirty-two points? And isn’t it just amazing when you think—”
    “For a gay guy, isn’t it just amazing how into sports he is?” Jacques interrupted in a loud whisper to Elizabeth and Gretchen. “Good thing he can at least make a mean baklava or all would be lost.”
    Nick shot him a pitying look. “Don’t go all stereotypical on me, man. The body is a temple .” He punched Jacques’s small paunch. “And from what I’ve heard about Rob, he’s got a body on him that makes everyone drool.”
    “Is that true, Elizabeth?” Gretchen asked her, one eyebrow cocked.
    “I regret to inform you all that, yes, he’s the epitome of ‘hot.’ I refuse to be witness to any drooling, however.”
    “I won’t drool,” Jacques promised.
    “I make no such vows,” Nick said, hip-hopping around the tiles. “So, I hope I’m on lots of shifts with him.” He checked his watch. “Damn. Ten after ten. When will he get here?”
    “Look, I don’t know,” Elizabeth said, the nervousness rising like soda fizz inside her. “The only thing I’m certain of is that I will never get done with my draft of Perfect Pastries, Pralines and Parfaits if I have to spend an entire five hours per day in this shop. Aside from not getting the features and recipes finished, I’ll probably gain back all the weight I lost eight years ago. Some of us—” she tossed Nick her most evil look, “are not natural athletes. Three half-hour sessions of X-treme Abs and Thighs is all I can handle each week. No way am I doing more just because I can’t resist ice cream and éclairs.”
    “It’s all right, chéri ,” Jacques said, patting her arm. “We all know how you’re trying to help us by featuring our specialties in your cookbook. We’re here to help you, too.”
    Gretchen and Nick both nodded, and Elizabeth felt the familiar tightness in her throat, but this time it was because of the affection she felt radiating from her friends. They choked her up and left her buoyant. They made her feel as though she could handle this enormous responsibility. And she wouldn’t freeze the next time she had to talk to Rob. No! She’d be cool, like ice cream, and smooth and—
    “Hi, everyone,” Rob said, surprising them by entering through the backroom door. “Sorry I’m late, but I picked up bagels and coffee for all of us.” He deposited his goody bags on one of the tables and managed to elicit Oohs and Aahs from her cadre of helpers. The traitors.
    Her friends introduced themselves to Rob and then quickly turned their attention to the treats. As they spread strawberry cream cheese on their cinnamon-raisin bagels and doctored their coffees to their liking, she watched Rob watching them, and she realized she hadn’t heard the backdoor bang before he entered. Had he just gotten here? Or had he been here already, lying in wait, listening to them? Had he overheard their discussion of his ‘hot’ body?
    The possibility of this made her blush, and she suddenly wished she hadn’t given him his own set of keys to the shop yesterday in her panic. Then he wouldn’t have been able to sneak up on them today.
    “Good morning, Elizabeth ,” he said, speaking her name with noticeable deliberateness. “And how are you doing on this bright Friday?”
    “F-F-F—” Oh, hell! “F-Fine.” She gestured an “And you?” with her nearest hand.
    “Long night, last night, to tell you the truth,” he said. “Kind of stressful, actually. I locked up the shop about a half hour after you left. Spent some time with my family. Dinner. Discussions. More discussions…”
    She couldn’t help but notice the way he eyed her every move while he spoke. Goodness, what was he looking for? Did