Love's Road Home Read Online Free PDF

handsome and refreshed in a white polo shirt and khakis while she felt like the walking dead. Of course, he hadn’t stayed up till the wee hours disassembling and reloading equipment, either. That must be why his warm, inviting eyes had no bags under them.
    "You’re looking at them."
    He cocked an eyebrow upward. "Huh?"
    She wiggled the box of crackers at him. "My plans for tonight. Cheese and crackers and then beddie -bye. I’m beat."
    "Oh, now I can’t allow that to happen. It’s only five o’clock on a Sunday night, way too early to be pooped. Besides, you need more sustenance than cheese and crackers if you’re going to set up for the concert tomorrow. Let me take you out for some real food."
    Beth tilted her head to the side and asked, "How come you’re always trying to feed me? Do I look too skinny to you?" She wanted to take back the question as soon as the words were out of her mouth. But it was too late. Tom’s eyes slowly made their way down and then back up her body. She felt naked beneath his intense gaze, even in her shorts and T-shirt.
    "You look terrific to me. Just the right size in all the right places." His low, sexy drawl and ardent stare captured her, holding her in place for a long moment. Then he casually shrugged, breaking the mood. "But really, I just wanted to spend more time with you, and it seems like the only thing there is to do on tour besides work is eat. And sleep, of course. But I couldn’t invite you to do that with me."
    "Yet," was his unspoken implication. But Beth let Tom’s comment slide by without taking the bait. "If I do agree to have dinner with you, then it’s only dinner, nothing else. And you have to promise that we’ll be back in a couple hours. I really am bushed."
    "I promise I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to. How’s that?"
    "Good enough, I suppose."
    "Great. Now go get ready. I’ll be back in thirty minutes to get you and then we’re off to get a big, juicy steak."
    •
    Tom opened the SUV’s passenger door so Beth could step up. He watched as she swung her legs into position, admiring the sleek, toned shape of them beneath the short skirt of her navy blue sundress. He was a sucker for killer legs on a female. Of course, on Beth, all her body parts were outstanding.
    Closing the door while she buckled in, Tom moved around to the driver’s side and took his place behind the wheel. Once they headed out of the parking lot, Beth asked, "How come you’re always driving this SUV? Is it yours?"
    "No. Marty rented it for the whole band and crew to use along the tour. He figured we’d get sick of being cooped up in the RVs during our down time, and we might want to get away for a while."
    "But you seem to be the only one using it."
    "There’s a sign-up sheet in our trailer. Whoever wants to use the truck can sign it out ahead of time. Turns out no one but me has wanted it so far."
    "A bunch of the guys went out tonight, and Hannah and Liz went with them."
    "Yeah, I talked to them earlier. They’re just headed to some clubs in walking distance of the auditorium. If they plan to have a few drinks then they made the right choice in hoofing it. And a taxi won’t cost them too much if it turns out they really need one later."
    "So we’re going more than a few blocks away? Remember, I don’t want to be out that long," Beth cautioned.
    "Yes, Cinderella, you’ll be home before the coach turns back into a pumpkin," Tom agreed in a resigned tone. He knew he’d change her mind before dinner was over. Because of last night’s consecutive performance and traveling, they hadn’t seen much of each other since their lunch together. This suited Tom’s purposes fine, because he wanted to let Beth think he was backing off. She’d been so skittish at the beach yesterday, determined to avoid any kind of relationship with him.
    They soon arrived at a steak house near the river, and the hostess escorted them to a candlelit table overlooking the Ocmulgee . Tom