Love on the Lifts Read Online Free PDF Page B

yourself to a stop.
    â€œI haven’t hung out at the bunny slope in ages,” I said.
    â€œCool. Maybe we can—”
    â€œExcuse me. Sue? I thought that was you.”
    The woman interrupted our conversation, not so much because of her loud voice, but because Brad was suddenly staring past me like he’d just seen a Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleader waving her pom-poms in his face. I desperately wanted to know what he was going to suggest that he and I do together. But other than clapping my hands in front of his nose, I didn’t know how to get his attention, so I turned toward the voice, and realized my assessment of the person that went with it was right on.
    The woman was tall, wearing stretch leggingsand a big red bulky sweater. Even though it was thick, it left no doubt that she filled it out a lot better than I filled out mine. Dolly Parton to my…well, let’s just say that the greatly endowed wagon had passed me by. Her blonde hair was cascading in glorious waves around her shoulders instead of hanging in tight curls like mine. She no doubt knew her way around a curling iron.
    She was resting a hand on Aunt Sue’s shoulder like they were the very best of friends. I couldn’t explain it, but I took an immediate dislike to her. Probably because Brad couldn’t take his eyes off her and was starting to drool.
    â€œHey, everyone, this is Cynthia,” Aunt Sue announced, like we all should care when I definitely did not. “She’s staying at the condo next to yours. This is my niece, Kate, my nephew, Sam, and their friends.”
    â€œIt’s great to meet you all,” Cynthia said a little too breathlessly, her voice having a little squeal to it, like she was trying really hard to sound sexy but she just came across sounding like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
    She leaned down closer to Aunt Sue. “I’msorry to bother you, Sue, but when I saw you sitting over here I thought I might as well take advantage of the opportunity to speak to you. I’m having trouble getting my garbage disposal to work. I was hoping you could send a maintenance guy over first thing tomorrow.”
    Before Aunt Sue could even open her mouth, Brad piped in with, “I can look at it tonight. I’m good with my hands.”
    Cynthia smiled. “I’ll just bet you are. Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”
    â€œHell, no.”
    â€œI hate to disturb your evening.”
    â€œNo problem.”
    He came out of his chair with so much force that I was surprised he didn’t start an avalanche. Cynthia wound her arm around his and snuggled up against him.
    â€œLead the way, Cynthia,” Brad said, this really goofy, stupid smile on his face.
    As they were walking away, I heard Cynthia say, “My friends call me Cyn. I have a feeling you’re about to become one of my friends.”
    â€œI wonder if she spells that S-I-N,” I muttered.
    I wanted to stick my finger down my throat and gag. Disappointment, hard and heavy, slammed into me as I watched them disappear out the door. Brad had been talking to me, had been on the verge of asking me to do something with him. It wasn’t fair that someone else had come along and lured him away so effortlessly.
    I think that’s what hurt the most. All she’d had to do was show up at our table.
    I turned my attention back to the pizza, my appetite gone. To make the situation more unbearable, I discovered Joe watching me. He had a funny look on his face. Sympathy maybe, like he knew I had a serious crush on Brad. And worse, he recognized that the guy had just stomped on my heart.

Chapter 5
    I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept replaying my stupid banter—or lack thereof—during dinner and the quickness with which Brad had forgotten that I existed. The reality hurt.
    And what made it even worse was that he hadn’t come home by the time everyone had trudged off to bed at eleven, after