My Lucky Groom Read Online Free PDF Page B

don’t think that was any kind of accident,” Larry scolded, still dabbing his slacks with his hanky.
    Nanette stood from her chair, clearly offended. “Now, I’m sure they didn’t do that on purpose.”
    “Of course not,” Mary said before Ventura added, “We’re so sorry.”
    “Harrumph!” Larry leaned forward to wipe Louis’s crotch, and Louis slapped him. “Stop that! We’re in public now!”
    The girls raised their brows at each other.
    “Why don’t we all sit back down—” Nanette began.
    “Not on your life, sister.” Louis already had his hand on the knob and was pulling the front door open.
    A few minutes later, the three women leaned out the door and watched the men scamper down the sidewalk, their knees bent out sideways like bow-legged cowboys.
    “Don’t forget to call!” Nanette yelled after them, which only made them move faster.

Chapter Four

    Jason smiled politely at the preppy blonde in pearls as he walked her to the door. “Thanks so much for stopping by. We’ll get back to you by the end of the week.”
    After seeing her outside, he returned to Richard, who sat with his elbows on his desk, head in hands. “None of them are any good.”
    “I didn’t think Helga was so horrible.”
    Richard set his palms on his desk and stared at him. “She was scary. Admit it.”
    “Okay. Just a tiny bit. But Ricky and Elisa need discipline. You said so yourself.”
    “Not that kind. The woman didn’t even smile.”
    “So maybe she has dental problems?”
    “You’re not helping her case.”
    Jason sat heavily in a chair. “Guess I’m not.” He flipped back through his tablet and shook his head. “Looks like we’ve gone through all of them.”
    “Maybe we need to up what we’re paying?” Richard suggested.
    “We’re already paying double the going rate.”
    “I don’t want just anyone looking after my kids.”
    “Of course you don’t.”
    “She has to be smart.”
    “Naturally.”
    “Attentive.”
    “Goes without saying.”
    “Nimble enough to think on her feet.”
    “And in the car.”
    Richard spouted a laugh. “Too true.” He smiled at Jason, grateful to have him in his company, not just as an assistant but as a friend. He’d been asking too much of him these past few weeks, having him pick up some nanny duties in addition to his already demanding job. Richard had to find a solution to this and soon. “Any brilliant thoughts?”
    “We can call some of the local colleges. A few have babysitting lists.”
    “I don’t know how the scheduling would work for somebody taking classes, but I guess we could give that a whirl.”
    “I’ll get on it right away.”
    “Thanks, Jason.”
    Jason met his eyes with a compassionate gaze. “Don’t worry, chief. We’ll find someone. And once we do, I’m going to guarantee it, she’ll have been worth the wait.”

    Ventura stared down at Richard’s business card in a sweat. For three weeks, she’d been pounding the pavement, cold-calling , and applying online, and so far she’d had only two meager interviews, neither of which had panned out. It was impossible to believe that with a graduate degree she couldn’t even land a secretarial job, but in this competitive market, that was how it seemed. And now, she was running out of money.
    She pulled a tissue from the box on the table to dab her damp forehead and too-hot neck. Since theirs was a basement apartment, Nanette didn’t believe air-conditioning was warranted. But by mid-June in Washington, even basement apartments were broiling hot. Not that Ventura blamed Nanette for pinching pennies. She basically lived on a widow’s pension supplemented by her meager rental income. Though this place was stretching her thin, it was far less expensive than any other place Ventura might rent on her own. And what she’d lost in privacy, she’d gained in a special new friend. It seemed she and Mary became closer every day. If only Ventura were gainfully employed, she’d feel