His Wedding by Muriel Jensen

Author:Muriel Jensen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

It was after nine in the evening at Long Beach International Airport and the temperature was still in the high nineties. Brian led the way across the vast parking lot, heading for their rental car. He carried two bags, and Janet followed, dragging her tote. Blessedly, there was no humidity, but he missed Losthampton’s coastal breeze. The smells of diesel fuel and hot pavement filled air that felt as though it hadn’t stirred in generations.

Brian found the car, a small silver mid-size, popped the trunk with the remote and put his bags in. He turned to take the tote from Janet and saw that she looked worse than he felt. The flight had been a long one with no food and little leg room. She’d only picked at the salad she’d bought in the terminal at O’Hare, where their flight connected to its second leg after a three-hour wait, and she’d stirred restlessly in her seat most of the way.

He wondered if she was afraid of what they might discover—or that they might hit a dead end and learn nothing. He’d tried to talk to her about it, but she’d answered in monosyllables and pretended interest in the in-flight magazine to fend off further discussion.

She’d looked hot and tired and completely miserable when they finally landed at the Long Beach airport.

“We’ll get a cold drink before we get onto the freeway,” he promised. “You know where we’re going?”

“Yes. I made reservations at a motel just a couple of blocks from where China and I grew up. The doctor’s office building was just a few blocks away. I’ll give you directions.” She gave him a tepid smile. “I’d offer to drive, but I’m so sleepy. I’ll just back-seat drive, instead.”

“Whatever will get us there. How far are we from a shower and dinner?”

“At least an hour,” she said forlornly.

Brian had been to Southern California on business for the November Corporation many times, and the freeways amazed him. Drivers moved at seventy miles an hour with only half a car length between them. Driving toward Paloma tonight reminded him of how happy he was to be living in a small town on Long Island a mere ten minutes from his store.

His life had undergone an enormous change, but he thought he was beginning to get his feet.

As he drove, he looked around him at the six lanes of traffic, the semitruck in the lane beside him, the high-rises all around and realized he wouldn’t have come here by choice—only by the request of Abigail/Janet Grant/Abbott.

God. He was falling in love with her. He remembered watching her across the altar during the wedding, seeing her glossy hair embroidered with flowers, her dark eyes glistening as her sister repeated her vows. She was so full of love for China, and for her rediscovered family and anything and everything in its orbit. And she was attracted to him, heaven knows why.

He couldn’t imagine anything that could mean more trouble for both of them than the desire to be together.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.