Chill Out by Jana Richards

Author:Jana Richards [Richards, Jana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary, Holiday, Scarred Hero/Heroine, Second Chance Love
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2015-12-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

After sweeping the hair from the floor, Noah refilled Renata’s cup and brought it to her. She looked up from her book and smiled. He tried to ignore the kick to the gut her smile gave him.

“Thank you.” She put down her book and accepted the cup. “You even remembered the milk.”

“Of course.” He had a feeling he’d always remember little details about her. He settled into the armchair across from her.

She tucked her feet beneath her and took a sip. “You’d be amazed how easy it is to forget things about me.”

He studied her, wondering what she meant. Glorious dark hair tumbled midway down her back in gentle waves. Pale, angelic face, womanly curves. But she was more than just a sum of her parts. Even in the short time he’d known her he’d discovered her quick wit and compassion. He wanted to know more. What made Renata Cabral tick?

“You haven’t told me why you chose this particular weekend to come to the cottage.”

Renata sighed. “It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“Then for sure you have to tell me.”

She rolled her eyes. “If you must know, I’m hiding out.”

“Are you wanted by the law or something?”

“Worse. My mother.”

That made him laugh. “What do you mean?”

She set her cup on the end table and turned her attention to Spike, who as usual was curled beside her on the sofa. She stroked him as she spoke.

“You realize what weekend this is, don’t you?”

His mind went blank. “The second weekend in February?”

Her disbelieving glance told him he was an idiot for not knowing. “Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.”

What that had to do with hiding from her mother he had no idea, but he nodded anyway.

“Remember my most recent ex-boyfriend?” When he nodded again, she continued. “Ever since we broke up, my family has been nagging me to start dating again. My Aunt Theresa has gone so far as to introduce me to a couple of ‘potential suitors,’ as she called them. I’m not ready to date again, and even if I was, I don’t think I’d go with Aunt Theresa’s choices.”

“Why is your family so anxious for you to date again?”

She sighed and scratched Spike’s ears. He rolled on his back, inviting a belly rub.

“Next month I’m going to be thirty years old. No one in my family has ever been unmarried at thirty.”

“That’s quite a record. But I still don’t understand why you had to get away this particular weekend.”

“Tomorrow, which we have established is Valentine’s Day, is my second cousin Aurora’s wedding.” She made a face. “How cheesy is that? Getting married on Valentine’s Day? Anyway, showing up at the wedding alone would be bad enough. But my mother and my aunt invited some guy to the wedding they want to fix me up with. I was mortified. They might as well paint a big L for loser on my back.”

Noah had to agree it was a bit much. “So what did you tell them?”

“Caroline and I made up an out-of-town client who was being audited by Revenue Canada.

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