A Convenient Proposal by Lynnette Kent

Author:Lynnette Kent
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-10-30T23:00:00+00:00

GRIFF WAS SPREADING garlic butter on slices of French bread when a shy tap sounded on the kitchen door.

“Come in,” he called, gesturing with the knife in his hand. “Welcome to Italian night.”

Arden stepped inside, shutting the door quickly behind her.

“I’m the sous-chef,” he told her, going over for a quick kiss. “She gives me the menial tasks. And lets me eat the food when it’s ready, which is the important point.”

“I hope you’ll join us,” his mother added. “I always make more pasta than any of us need to eat.”

“That sounds delicious.” Arden cleared her throat. “Can I help?”

Griff looked at his mother and saw that she was about to refuse…but then, in a split second, she changed her mind. “I’ve put vegetables by the sink.” She brought a big wooden bowl and tongs out of the cabinet. “Would you toss together a salad?”

Arden smiled. “I’d love to.”

His dad came in the door from the garage about seven-thirty. “Viva la pasta!” he shouted, after he’d kissed his wife. “Just what a working vet needs—besides a glass of wine. Anybody else?”

Griff exchanged looks with his mother and with Arden. They all said, “Me” at the same moment.

“Right.” Jake nodded. “It’s been that kind of day.”

Talk over dinner covered the emergencies at the clinic—a Chihuahua having trouble birthing her puppies, a Labrador that had eaten a bath towel and, of course, Rajah’s surgery.

“Sounds like that turned out pretty well, considering,” Jake said. “I called Stacy on my way home. She said the horse is bright-eyed and eating. She also talked about how fabulous you and your assistant were. Who went with you?”

“Arden.”

His dad sent a surprised glance in Arden’s direction. “The surgery didn’t bother you?”

She shook her head. “I thought it was fascinating. Although Griff did most of the hard work. I just wiggled the stupid board loose.” She hadn’t said much else during the cooking or eating process.

“I thought I’d go out there again tomorrow and check up on him.” Griff took a second helping of pasta and tomato sauce. “Stacy was a little squeamish about packing the wound.”

“Enough.” His mother held up a hand. “No graphic details at dinner.”

Griff and his dad rolled their eyes at each other.

“Besides,” she continued, “I have a slight dilemma we should deal with.”

“And what’s that, darlin’?” His dad used his second glass of wine as an excuse to thicken his slight Georgia accent. In the family’s ongoing Gone With the Wind drama, he took the role of Ashley Wilkes.

“Dee Patrick called me this afternoon. She wanted to assure me that the invitation we received for her cocktail party Friday night, in honor of Zelda and Al, included Griff and his fiancée.”

Griff continued to twirl his linguine around his fork, watching the process closely. He could feel Arden’s gaze on his face.

“I wanted to tell you two so you could decide what to do about that. There’s also a dinner party next Saturday at the club, hosted by Trip and Kayli Morgan. I expect I’ll hear from her tomorrow.

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