That Runaway Summer Read Online Free PDF Page B

you’re staring at her?”
    “She’s pretty,” Dan said lamely.
    “So go for it,” Stanley said. “Stop working so hard and have some fun.”
    The young waitress made another pass by their table, presenting Dan with a calzone and setting an individual pepperoni pizza in front of Stanley.
    “Wrong again, sweetheart,” Stanley said. “We both ordered fettuccine Alfredo.”
    Her lower lip quivered and she appeared to fight tears as she picked up the plates. “These must belong to that couple over there. Forgive me. Please.”
    “Don’t give it another thought,” Dan said, but she was already moving away.
    Nothing but linoleum floor stretched between the waitress and the table where Jill dined with the pharmacist. There was absolutely no reason the girl should stumble, but she did. The calzone, the pizza and the plates went momentarily airborne, then clattered to the floor.
    Dan leaped up from his chair, reaching the scene of the calamity in seconds. Jill was already there, her hand supporting the young girl’s elbow. “Are you all right?”
    “I’m fine,” the waitress wailed, “but the food’s ruined!”
    “Don’t you worry about that.” Jill patted her arm soothingly. Today she was dressed in another eye-catching outfit: pink, turquoise and white madras shorts that skimmed her knees, a lacy turquoise camisole blouse and dangling earrings. “Everyone makes mistakes when they start out waitressing. If they say they don’t, they’re lying.”
    “Really?”
    “Really,” Jill said.
    Dan bent, retrieved the tray, an overturned plate and the calzone. Jill crouched beside him, picking up the other plate and the pizza, which had miraculously landed tomato-sauce side up.
    “If it isn’t my matchmaker’s choice.” Jill’s smile was impish, the light reaching eyes he now realized were green.
    “But not yours,” he said.
    “Ditto.” She kept smiling at him, appearing genuinely glad to run into him. If he’d learned one thing about her in their short acquaintance, though, it was that she was unfailingly friendly. “Where did you come from?”
    He gestured behind them. “I’m having lunch with my boss. I would have waved, but your back was to me.”
    “Likely story.” She winked at him. “Oops. Shouldn’t have done that. Don’t worry. I stand by what I said the other night. You’re safe from my attentions.”
    Yet she obviously welcomed the pharmacist’s interest.
    “Thanks so much for helping me pick this up,” the waitress said to them both, taking the tray from Dan. “You two are the best.”
    “Hang in there.” Jill got to her feet and Dan followed suit. “Once you get over the opening-day jitters, you’ll make a fabulous waitress.”
    The girl beamed at her. Dan found himself smiling at Jill, too, and curiously reluctant to part from her once the waitress headed back to the kitchen.
    “One more thing before I go.” Jill’s eyes opened so wide that white was visible all around the green irises. “Beware the matchmaker. We’ve got some breathing room because she’s leaving for Hawaii soon, but she’s not convinced we aren’t perfect for each other. She might try another ambush.”
    She grinned and turned back to her table before Dan could say anything. That was probably a good thing, because he should keep the response that came to mind to himself until he figured out what to do about it.
    Because if Penelope made another stab at setting him up with Jill, he’d be all for it.

    “S O WHAT DID YOU WANT to talk to me about?” Jill kept her attention fixed on Chad, fighting the temptation to turn around and sneak another look at Dan.
    So far, Jill had done most of the talking. She didn’t mind. Chad was a quiet sort. If she didn’t press him on the reason he’d asked her to lunch, however, the bill might arrive before he got around to discussing the subject.
    He adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses. Was he stalling for time? Could Penelope have been right? Was Chad screwing