The Wedding Wish (Summer Grooms Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

intrusive.”
    “No. I was being inquisitive. There’s a difference.”
    “What’s the difference?”
    “Inquisitive only becomes intrusive when the other party’s
got something to hide.”
    “Kip! For heaven’s sake.”
    “Fine, fine.” He rattled his paper in front of him. “Isabel’s
a big girl like you say. Just don’t expect me to pick up the pieces…”
    Trudy strode over and snatched away his paper.
    His mouth hung open. “Just what are you doing?”
    “Taking away your shield so I can bop you over the head with
it.”
    With that, she rolled up the paper and popped him on his
crown.
    “Ouch!”
    “Grow up, Kip,” she said, handing him back his paper. “And
think up something better to do than obsess about your only daughter.”
    “Only child,” he corrected as she walked away.
    Trudy waved one hand in the air and strode out the door,
leaving Kip alone with his thoughts, and— oh no, not that —a totally torn sports section.

 
    Isabel lowered her menu in front of her after having perused
the delicious selections. She and Robert were out on yet another date. They’d
seen each other every Saturday for the past several weeks and lots of weekdays
in between. Most nights, they both were studying, and on Fridays, Robert worked
late at the lab. “Everything looks so good,” she told him. “I’m having trouble
making up my mind.”
    “I’ll probably have the porter house steak,” he told her. “With
an order of jalapeño fries on the side.” That sounded great, and Isabel was
tempted, but there was also a lovely sounding salmon.
    “I’m thinking of the fish.”
    “Then why not go for it? If you want to do surf and turf, we
can share.”
    The solution sounded perfect, but before she could say so,
Robert’s cell rang.
    “I’m sorry, Isabel,” he said, checking the number. “I’d
better take this.”
    She used the opportunity to excuse herself to the rest room.
She needed to avail herself of the facilities and wanted to check her makeup
besides. She’d taken care to look good, and Robert seemed to appreciate her. But
it was odd that he’d still not tried to make a move. He’d certainly been much
more forward as a kid. Then again, she probably had been too. Now it seemed
they were being adults about it. Taking their time to get to know one another,
although Isabel couldn’t help but feel their getting-to-know-each-other period
was well past done. They’d been on at least half a dozen nighttime dates, and
Robert always insisted on paying. And yet, each time he’d driven her home, he’d
played the perfect gentleman. Isabel worried over why he was keeping his
distance. Could it be he was so caught up in school, he wasn’t prepared to
become intimately involved? Or maybe it was her, and he didn’t feel
romantically inclined. Perhaps he merely thought of them as good friends, with
a fond past as childhood sweethearts? The only other explanation was that he
was seeing someone else, but that certainly seemed impossible. Robert appeared
to have very limited time, and what free time he had he seemed to want to spend
with her. Besides, he’d pretty clearly indicated to her dad there was no one else . At least that there
hadn’t been for quite some time.
    Isabel entered the rest room to find two young women
chatting busily while applying lipstick before the mirror. “That’s what I’m
telling you,” the first one said to the other, clearly upset. “When a guy’s got
something to hide, he always says that.”
    “That’s not true,” the other protested. “He could have meant
anything by it.”
    “ You too? ” the
first one said with emphasis. “I don’t think so, girlfriend. He was talking to
another woman. He just didn’t want you to know it.”
    “So maybe it was his mother?”
    The second girl firmly shook her head. “And he wasn’t
talking about the rock band either.” She capped her lipstick and tucked it back
in her purse, fluffing her hair. “Trust me on this.