The Courtship of Dani Read Online Free PDF Page B

usual, you look gorgeous," he said quietly, a debonair smile growing on his face as his eyes swept over her from the strappy pale-blue sandals on her feet to the glorious mane of hair.
    "Thanks." Dani stepped back and motioned him in. "Make yourself at home while I get my things."
    When she returned a few minutes later with her purse and a light cashmere stole, Phil was standing by her cherry-wood block-front chest, his slender, elegant hand running back and forth over its smooth surface, his expression thoughtful.
    "Oh no you don't," Dani said with mock severity. "You're not getting that chest back. I don't care if you do have a rich buyer looking for one just like it. It's mine and I'm not parting with it."
    Phil turned his head and gave her a calculating look, his hazel eyes glinting. "As a matter of fact..." he began, only to have Dani cut him off.
    "Forget it, friend."
    "Just kidding," Phil assured her with a laugh. "Anyway, would I do that to you? I know how much you love your treasures."
    Dani smiled. Yes, Phil knew her passion for antiques better than anyone, since he was the one who had introduced her to them. They had met over six years ago when, inexplicably drawn by the lady's desk in the window, she had entered his very exclusive, very expensive antique gallery. She had been instantly captivated by the beauty and timeless elegance of the old pieces, and Phil had been quick to encourage her interest. The meeting had marked the beginning of a deep, comfortable friendship and Dani's abiding love for things from the past.
    "Actually," Phil said in a ruminating voice, "I was thinking that you might be interested in the piecrust table I got in today. It's of the same period and in excellent shape."
    Dani groaned. "Why do you tempt me like that, you beast. You know that now I'll have to see it. And if I see it I'll have to have it, even though I said I wasn't going to buy anything else for a while."
    An indulgent smile wreathed Phil's thin, aristocratic features. "If I didn't tell you about the new pieces I get in you'd have a fit, and you know it. Anyway, I like the best ones to go to someone who has a special affinity for them."
    Dani ran her fingertips lovingly over the smooth surface of the cherry-wood chest and smiled. Yes, she had an attachment to antiques that went far beyond a mere appreciation of beautiful things. Whenever she looked at the craftsmanship and the rich patina of age each piece bore, whenever she thought of the loving care they had to have been given over the years to have survived in such excellent condition, she pondered the countless lives they had borne witness to and wondered how many hands had touched them. It was strangely comforting, giving her a sense of kinship with all those former owners. A feeling of roots. Of permanence. Of belonging.
    "All right, you win. I'll be by tomorrow to look at the table." Smiling, Dani looped her arm through his and urged him toward the door. "Now, how about that dinner you promised me. I'm starved."
    During the drive downtown Dani relaxed, while Phil told her about an estate sale he had attended in England the week before. Idly, her eyes ran over his attractive profile, his dark hair with its precision cut, his nattily clad body, and she wondered, not for the first time, why there had never been anything of a romantic nature between them. They had common interests, they enjoyed each other's company and genuinely liked each other. Dani knew that if she ever needed him, for any reason, Phil would be there for her as she would be for him. They shared a deep affection yet there was no spark; they were simply the best of friends.
    "Who is it we're meeting?" Dani asked as they surrendered Phil's car to the parking attendant and walked into the posh restaurant.
    "My banker, Paul Haggerty, and his wife, and another couple whom I don't know."
    "Oh, I know Mr. Haggerty." Dani smiled up at him in pleased surprise. "He was a client of mine about three or four years