Rough Edges Read Online Free PDF Page A

you two were married-”
    “I told him to invite you for dinner,” Allie said, “several times.”
    He shook his head. “Naw, I know. It’s my bad.” He turned to her then, allowing Allie to take in the magnificent depths of his eyes. A touch of gold lined the warm, cocoa color, welcoming her as he held her gaze. And just like that it was back – what she’d felt for him in the past. Her heart sped into action as a sudden flashback rushed to her mind, causing her to blush and look down all at once. Had she not known better, Allie would have sworn she’d picked up on Braden’s thoughts in that moment. But could he have been thinking about the encounter the two had shared so many years ago?
    She forced herself to speak up. “So… did you say what hours you’d be interested in?” She couldn’t think of what else to say, only knew she had to say something. Anything to distract her from the images in her mind. The heavy feelings brewing in her heart.
    Braden reached for a napkin, wiped his mouth and came to a stand. “Tomorrow will be fine. If you could come, say from nine until noon or so that’d be good. Whatever minimum wage is these days, I’ll double that for your pay to start, if that works.”
    She eyed his plate as he headed toward the door, noting he’d only eaten one of the slices. “Three hours a day?” she confirmed climbing off the barstool.
    “That’s good, isn’t it? Part-time like you mentioned?”
    Allie nodded, realizing it was perfect. She’d still have plenty of time to do her jewelry on the side. Which was good, seeing that her marketing efforts were starting to pay off. Perhaps between the two she’d be making close to her old wage sooner than she thought. “So tomorrow?” she confirmed.
    “Mmm, hmm,” he mumbled, reaching for the door.
    She dashed forward to catch him. “Wait.”
    Braden dropped his arm, turned to face her. Allie hadn’t realized how close she’d gotten. Not until she felt the heat of him against her arm as he grazed her.
    A knot of nerves twisted in her stomach. An audible gulp slunk past her throat. She’d nearly forgotten what she meant to say. “I wanted to ask you what I should wear. Do you want me to dress professionally or…” She paused in talking as he ran a slow gaze over her body. “I mean, I wouldn’t wear sweats or anything, but I could dress up, or just do Levi’s. Whatever you want.”
    Braden shook his head, reaching for the door once more. “Doesn’t matter to me,” he said, and then headed out the door.
    The exchange had been so strange that Allie had to replay it several times. The way he’d been looking at the family pictures. And why had he suddenly stood up to leave? He hadn’t even finished his food.
    His bad? He’d admitted that Terrance had in fact extended dinner invitations; he’d simply declined all along, just as Terrance said. Allie knew it was silly to be offended after all these years, but she could hardly help it. Still, in those moments just now in her home, Braden had gotten closer to her than he used to allow – physically nudging her as he walked by. And his gaze, moving over her in a slow, lingering motion that nearly set her skin ablaze. He was different. More bold suddenly.
    Of course, they were both available now – that’s what was different. Back when they were teens, the chemistry between them was met with equal opposition: her close friend, Misty, who had the hots for Braden back in junior high, had staked her claim on him even after things didn’t work out. Allie had been waiting for Misty to get over Braden when she fell for his best friend, Terrance. And while Terrance had owned nearly all of her affection, Allie could never quite shake the effect Braden Fox had on her. She’d always felt guilty for the unexplainable pull she felt. In fact, a bit of guilt lingered even still. But that final element – the opposition – was wiped clean. And her ability to explore things with him was finally an