Wine & Roses Read Online Free PDF Page B

shouldn’t be surprised; now with her third husband, Marguerite considered herself an expert on the enigmatic inner workings of the male mind, with a definite bent toward cynicism.
    “So you figure he’s really interested in you?”
    “Why not? I’m not a withered old crone quite yet.” Abby stirred milk into her tea with vigorous strokes. She didn’t mean to react with such a sour tone, but Marguerite had hit a particularly sensitive nerve. Abby would never forget Colin’s reaction once word reached him that she’d been seen flirting with Jason at her birthday party. In a jealous rage Colin had derided her for embarrassing both him and herself, and scoffed at the ridiculous notion that any man as young, successful and handsome as Jason Brinleigh would look twice at a middle-aged woman whose physical appeal was in rapid decline.
    Though it still hurt to remember his words, Abby had taken a measure of satisfaction from the previous night’s confirmation that Colin’s theory was entirely wrong.
    “Of course not,” Marguerite said. “You’re a very attractive woman. But you are nearly a decade older than Jason. If you’re looking for a fling, then I’d say go for it. But I know you, Abby, and you’re the type who’s sure to get emotionally attached. And the fact is that for the long term, a single guy in his early thirties is looking for someone his age or younger—someone whose biological clock isn’t headed toward the stroke of midnight.”
    Abby gave her friend a sharp look, wishing she hadn’t mentioned the escapade with Jason to her at all. “Are you trying to be cruel?”
    “I’m just trying to save you from being hurt, Abby, because I care about you.”
    Settling back onto the sofa, Abby paused to sip her hot tea. She had no intention of getting hurt, and every intention of keeping her expectations at a reasonable level. Falling in love wasn’t part of her plan at this point in her life, and though she enjoyed Jason’s company a great deal, she was hardly emotionally attached to him. Living alone in this house, lonely as it was at times, gave her the solitude and quiet she needed to write. After Colin died she chose to stay on the peaceful tree-lined street where they had lived together, unwilling to leave behind the gorgeous view of the vast waters of Lake Ontario stretching beyond the horizon.
    “Do you really think he’s only after the inn?” she wondered, casting her mind back to the subtleties of her conversations with Jason.
    “It’s not for me to say,” Marguerite said airily, having already planted the seed of doubt in Abby’s mind. “But it’s something to keep an eye on if you plan on seeing him again.”
    “It’s not like I’ve fallen head over heels in love with him,” Abby pointed out. “We’re both happy being single. It’s just nice to be with someone again. Someone who finds me desirable.” She knew Marguerite understood her intimation without having to add: unlike Colin .
    Marguerite offered a warm smile of compassion. “Well, then, I can’t wait to hear what happens next.”
    “I’m quite keen to see myself,” Abby replied, though her enthusiasm had been somewhat tempered by Marguerite’s remarks. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but she realized it was wise advice despite the discomfort it caused.
    What would happen next? Abby wished she knew. She wasn’t sure whether to expect Jason to call her, since she hadn’t asked him to. Having been out of the dating game so long, she had no idea what the protocols were now.
    As Marguerite chattered on about problems she was having with her housekeeper, Abby nodded sympathetically, though she was only half-listening, her mind preoccupied with speculating whether her friend might be right about Jason.
    Before long a solution came to her: the simple way to find out was to decline to sell him the inn. His reaction would make his motives clear.

     
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Inside The Roses, Jason had to