Sweet Harmonies Read Online Free PDF Page A

like the rare and special gift that she was.
    This meant, to his way of thinking, that she
was worth planning a proper courtship for, and being patient while
that plan played out. Karina was worth waiting for.
    And, anyway, truth be told, that was more in
line with how Ryan liked to operate, anyway. At home, with girls
he'd dated in the past, he had always been respectful – of them, of
their families. He had most often asked their fathers for
permission to see their daughters before asking the young lady out.
That thinking may be outdated but it just felt right to him, like
the proper order of things.
    There were some stark differences, though,
when it came to his past experiences with dating girls and what he
was facing with Karina.
    First and foremost was that Karina was above
and beyond any woman he'd ever seen, let alone dated, when it came
to beauty, charm, grace...just all-around “Wow” factor. So, there
was that. Ryan was far more taken with her than he had ever been
with any woman in the past. So, right off the bat, the stakes were
much higher for him.
    Second, this felt different because it was
the first time he was pursuing a girl that he hadn't known for his
entire life. At home, in Montana, he had lived in an insular
community. It wasn't hard to tell which girls had their eyes on
him, and targeted his affections accordingly. There was very little
risk.
    Even going and talking to their fathers, a
task which would seem monumentally challenging to most teenagers
and young men in their twenties, had been tempered by the fact that
their fathers, also, had known him since he was born. They knew he
was a good boy, and was not out to take advantage of their precious
daughter.
    But Karina? Pursuing her was going to be a
total roll of the dice. He didn't know her family situation, he
didn't know what she liked to talk about – damn it, he didn't even
know if she was attracted to him. A total crapshoot.
    But, he reasoned, if anyone was worth taking
a chance on, it was this raven-haired beauty. She was a
one-in-a-million girl, a once-in-a-lifetime girl. And Ryan didn't
care what the risk might be, he was going after her.
    Besides, he told himself with a mischievous
smile, this was exactly the kind of situation that courtship
rituals were created for. Sure, she may not be interested in him
now. She might be, she might not. Who knows? But, if she wasn't, it
was very possibly because she didn't know what a good guy he was –
and that's what he planned to show her, step by patient step.
    Yes, he had all the time in the world.
Combine that with an unshakable will to win the heart of Karina
Blackstone. He was certain he would be victorious. He just needed
to come up with a solid plan, and stick to it.
    As he toweled off and pulled on his clothes,
he considered where he should start. He didn't want to rush things.
This was an important day in the scope of their relationship, the
first day they were spending together. Her impressions of him today
would form the foundation of what she thought of him well into the
future.
    So, today's mission? Twofold. One – to make
sure, through his words and behavior, that there was no doubt in
her mind about his intention to pursue her. Second – to show her,
through his tireless and uncomplaining physical effort when moving
boxes and furniture, that he was strong in both body and
character.
    If he accomplished those two feats today,
regardless of whether or not she showed any interest or inclination
toward him yet, he would consider his plan on track.
    He shook his head. That was what he
considered to be wrong with romance nowadays. And, yes, he did
realize that he sounded more like someone Sue Ann's age than his
own when he said that, and he smiled ruefully when thinking about
it. But the truth was, there were a lot of things that other guys
his age did that he thought were ludicrous.
    He thought they put WAY too much stock in
pursuing women that wouldn't put up too much of a roadblock.