Without a Past Read Online Free PDF Page B

with her hand. “The man was a little light in the briefs if you get my drift, but Andi couldn’t have known that. She was only ten at the time.”
    Andi closed her eyes, but not before she spotted Harley’s amused grin. Dang, the man was even cuter when he smiled. Sometimes a girl just can’t catch a break.
    â€œYou weren’t interested, I take it?” he prompted.
    â€œI had my hands full with three little girls and a business. What would I want with another set of socks to wash? But I couldn’t tell that to Andi. She was so determined.”
    Andi tried to catch Harley’s attention to signal him not to believe a word her aunt was saying, but he leaned forward as if fascinated by what he was hearing.
    â€œShe made this elaborate list,” Ida said, using her hands to illustrate. “On tablet paper. We called it the Daddy List.”
    Too embarrassed to look at their guest, Andi crammed two slices of bread in the toaster—itself an antique, but one that worked better than any of the newer models Andi had tried over the years.
    â€œAuntie, please. I’m sure Harley’s not interested.”
    Naturally, Ida Jane ignored her niece.
    â€œEverybody knew about it. She kept it in a ringed binder under her mattress.” Ida lowered her voice theatrically. “Most men considered it an honor to be on the list, and those who didn’t make the cut had their noses a bit out of joint.”
    Andi groaned. She could imagine what Harley was thinking: Poor little orphan girl on her self-imposed mission to find a father for her and her sisters.
    â€œFinally, she gave up on getting a man for me and decided she’d have to find one for herself. So she joined the marines.”
    Desperate for a distraction, Andi grabbed the glass carafe from the coffeemaker and trotted to the table. “More coffee, Auntie?”
    â€œNo, thank you.” Ida covered her cup with her napkin, so Andi moved to the second cup on the table. “Kristin told me I should limit how much caffeine I drink,” her aunt explained. “Says it’s bad for you. She’s a doctor, you know.”
    A doctor? When did Ida decide Kris was a doctor? Andi’s hand wobbled and the stream of black liquid that had been heading for Harley’s cup sloshed over the rim and splashed on his wrist. He jerked his arm, sending drops of coffee in every direction.
    â€œOh, damn, I’m sorry. Quick…” She dashed to the sink to run cold water. “Come here.”
    He followed, but hesitated as if uncertain whether or not to stick his hand under the faucet. Andi grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to the wide, old-fashioned basin. Beneath her fingers, she felt his muscles react to her touch. Sinew, strength and heat.
    She let go, and almost dropped the coffeepot she wascarrying in her other hand. Flustered and embarrassed, she rushed to the opposite counter. It took two tries to return the pot to its slot. “Keep your hand under the water a full minute,” she told him.
    â€œPut butter on it,” Ida Jane said.
    Andi shook her head. “No. That’s an old wives’ tale. Cold water and aloe vera work best.”
    Andi winced at the sour look Ida gave her. “I’ll run out to the porch and snip a stem.”
    â€œYou aren’t burning his eggs, are you?” Ida asked.
    â€œOh, nuts. They’re probably harder than rocks,” she muttered.
    Before she could move, Harley beat her to the stove. With a grace she’d witnessed before—the man seemed naturally good at everything he tried—he smoothly slid the rubber-looking eggs to the plate Andi had left on the counter. “Just the way I like them,” he said, giving her a wink Ida Jane couldn’t see.
    Feeling more than a little flustered, Andi said the first thing that popped into her head. “You seem pretty comfortable in a kitchen. Maybe you were a chef.”
    â€œOr a