Sweet Serenade (Riverbend Romance 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

figured she was quiet. Introspective. He liked that. But she seemed quieter than he’d expected. Never before had he felt like he needed to be the one to carry a conversation.
    “It’s sure a beautiful day.” Like that. Who talked to a gorgeous woman about the weather? The great conversationalist Reed Daniels, that’s who. Yeah, he was pathetic.
    “Is this typical for June?”
    Well, if she was going to go along with it... “We usually get a lot of rain this time of year. That and the heat get the mosquitoes hatching in droves.” Again, like she didn’t know.
    “At least they’re not usually a problem out on the water.”
    “True.” One benefit of paddling as opposed to backpacking. “There’s a picnic area up a few kilometers. I figured we could have lunch there. After that it’s not far to the put-in spot for the rapids.”
    Carly smiled at him, her eyes gleaming, probably with curiosity about what kind of picnic a guy like him would pack. “Sounds good.”
    She had the most stunning smile he’d ever seen. Wide and generous. He’d never spent any time looking at a woman’s lips before, but hers deserved some consideration. He shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable. Thinking about lips meant thinking about kissing. And that was crazy. They’d barely met. All his friends figured him to be the slowest mover on the planet. If they could only see inside his brain right now, they’d amend their opinion in a hurry. It was too early to fall in love, for sure, but he was definitely sliding headlong into like.

    ~*~

    Carly watched Reed spread a red-checked tablecloth on the picnic table and set a wicker basket on the end of it. Just when she’d thought she couldn’t be more impressed by this quiet man he went all out on something like this. Their first date. Frankly, she’d expected bags of take-out from a drive-through.
    He shot her a glance as he lifted two plates from the basket.
    “Can I help?” she asked.
    His devastating dimple creased his left cheek. “I’ve got it. Have a seat.”
    Carly straddled the picnic bench. “This looks really good. Impressive.”
    Had his face just turned a wee bit pink under his tan? “I didn’t make it myself. And besides, it’s not really as fancy as it looks. Loco-To-Go offers picnics like this for a deposit.” He arranged a sandwich on each plate.
    “That’s awesome.”  
    Reed gave her an apologetic grin. “Mind if I say grace?”
    “Please do.”
    He ducked his head. “Lord, thank You for this beautiful day and for this great food. I ask for safety on the river today, and thank You for the chance to enjoy Your great outdoors with Carly. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
    Short, sweet, and to the point. She could like that in a man.
    Plus good taste in food. The whole-grain bread was amazing and once filled with sprouts and thinly sliced ham and cheese, even better. Sugar-snap peas had never tasted so good. Maybe she’d never had any this fresh before.
    But when Reed assembled two strawberry shortcakes from biscuits, a jar of sliced berries, and another of whipped cream, Carly knew she could love this man forever. He slid the plate across the picnic table toward her and handed her a fork. Just the brush of his fingers against hers sent her insides spinning.
    His gaze met hers. Eyes such a deep brown, but with a glimmer of something else. A little smile curved his mouth, punctuated by that dimple.
    Carly turned her fingers to clasp his, the utensil sliding to the tablecloth. “Reed, thank you. This picnic has been amazing. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.” Not even close.
    Reed’s thumb rubbed the back of her hand. “It’s my pleasure. I-I haven’t done this for anyone before, either.”
    “Then I’m even more honored.”
    The silence stretched between them for several more seconds. Then Reed let go, picked her fork off the table, and handed it back to her. “I think you’ll like their version of shortcake. Give it a