Maid for Love (A Romantic Comedy) Read Online Free PDF Page B

voluntarily spending so much time with him. That fate had made them cross paths wasn’t Zoe’s choice any more than it had been his. But why the pretense? The Zoe he’d known and loved wasn’t the kind of woman who played games.
    “Michael,” her voice broke through his thoughts. “are you okay?”
    “Sorry, I lost my train of thought. What did you ask?”
    “I asked how you wanted me to handle any questions that Kendra or Tony have about us. I mean, about us dating. Or not dating.”
    He shrugged. “I vote we just brush it off like we did at the bowling alley. Obviously Kendra thinks you look like a woman I used to date.”
    “Do I?”
    Michael held her gaze for a long moment. “Zoe, if I ever dated a woman as beautiful as you, I’m sure I would remember. I don’t think a man alive would classify you as forgettable.” He tried to hide the smile he felt inside at her reaction to his words. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
    “You didn’t,” she hastened to assure him.
    The blush on her cheeks said otherwise. That was enough for him. He’d play it cool this evening and let Kendra do the questioning. Time for a change of subject. “Do you think that Josh and Kathryn will be okay watching Kendra and Tony’s kids while we eat?”
    “Considering how much cash you offered them to babysit, yes. I’m sure they’ll do fine. Plus you’ll be here.”
    “We’ll be here,” he corrected her, very much liking how the words sounded.
    Her smile was uncertain. “Right. That’s what I meant.” She began to back toward the entrance to the hallway. “I’m just going to go check on dinner.”
    Once she was gone, Michael went in search of his niece and nephew. He found them in the downstairs family room. They’d designated it as their teen zone when they’d first arrived because of the comfy reclining lounge chairs and big screen television. Unnoticed, he leaned in the doorway and watched as they went through a box of their old toys he’d pulled out of the closet a few hours earlier. They’d grown up so quickly.
    Kathryn glanced up first. “Hey, Uncle M.”
    “You two having fun?”
    Josh held up a Mr. Potato Head. “We found an old boyfriend of Kathryn’s.”
    He laughed as Kathryn snatched the toy away from her brother. “Are you two sure that you don’t need a babysitter?”
    Josh rolled his eyes.
    “No, we’ve got it,” Kathryn assured him. “How are things upstairs?”
    Michael sank onto the sofa. “Darned if I know.”
    Josh’s expression was sympathetic. “Zoe’s into you.”
    “Thanks, bud.” He didn’t share Josh’s confidence in Zoe’s feelings for him but he didn’t want to overburden the kids with his woes. It was bad enough they were in this deep.  “We’ll see what happens when Kendra starts asking questions.”
    Kathryn furrowed her brow. “What I can’t figure out is why Zoe agreed to come to dinner. You’d think the last thing she’d want to do is hang out with a couple that knew you when you were together. What’s that all about?”
    “What’s any of this about?” her brother asked.
    The doorbell rang before Michael could answer. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
     
     

CHAPTER FOUR
    “You two guys don’t mind if I borrow Kendra for a moment, do you?” Zoe did her best to conjure up a sweet smile although she was feeling anything but genial. Her nerves were stretched about as far as they could go without snapping. She’d managed to get through twenty minutes of idle chit chat by asking tons of questions of Michael’s guests, all the while plying them with food and drinks. When asked, Tony said he was the evening’s designated driver, which pleased Zoe to no end because it meant she could keep Kendra’s wine glass full.
    Michael and Tony, in the middle of an animated conversation about who was going to make it to the playoffs, exchanged a glance and a shrug. “Go ahead.”
    “Wonderful.” Zoe’s forced smile was so