Read Luck of the Draw (A Betting on Romance Novel Book 1) for Free Online Page B

“I’m going to start putting some things away upstairs,” she announced. “You stay here, all right?”
    “’k ay.”
    But when Kate returned a few minutes later, Liam was gone.
    “Liam? Liam!” Kate skidded to a halt outside the bathroom. “I thought I told you Mr. Pearson was working. Come on. Let’s get your sunscreen on. I’m done unpacking.”
    Ruth’s grandson searched in his toolbox and pulled something out. “It’s Jim,” he corrected. “And he’s not bothering me. We were just getting acquainted. Weren’t we, Bud?” Jim reached behind the tank to attach a thin hose.
    Liam nodded earnestly.
    “Well, I’ll get him out of your hair so you can finish.”
    She made a grab for Liam, but he scooted over to the far side of Jim’s legs, which were, at the moment, splayed across the bathroom floor. She tried not to stare as she pondered how to extricate her uncooperative son.
    “I’m nearly finished. Don’t worry about the sunscreen, by the way.” Jim stood and fiddled with the floatie thing in the tank before setting the cover on. “This time of day, you need bug repellent more than sunscreen.”
    Kate turned toward the tiny window at the far end of the room. Crap. Now that he mentioned it, the sun wasn’t as brilliant as it had been when they’d first arrived. “I’m sorry, Liam. I guess it took me longer to get organized than I thought it would. Maybe we can swim tomorrow.”
    “But you promised!”
    “Why don’t we have a special dinner instead? We can have pizza!” She turned to Jim. “I’m assuming there’s a place nearby?”
    “Right in town.” He began collecting his tools. “All set.”
    “Great.”
    They stared at one another a moment before she briskly patted Liam on the shoulder. “Well, Pumpkin, we should go get that pizza, don’t you think?”
    “Can he eat with us?” Liam asked.
    Jim tossed a wrench into his toolbox and avoided Kate’s eyes. “Thanks for the invite, Buddy, but it’s been a long day. Maybe another time.”
    “You’re more than welcome to join us,” Kate lied, stuffing a wad of unruly hair behind her ear. It slid out again, undeterred.  “But we’d understand if you’re too busy.”
    “I’m not busy,” he assured Liam before looking up at Kate. “But I’ll bet your mom is tired after her long drive.”
    “Not tired at all.” Kate assured them. She eyed Jim again. “But maybe Mr. Pearson isn’t hungry.”
    “I skipped lunch,” he said.
    “Really?” she challenged.
    “Really.”
    She swallowed, the air inexplicably charged. She had no idea what was going on between them, but it didn’t feel like disinterest.
    “Well,” she finally said, breaking eye contact, “I’ll need to place our order and get directions. Things have changed so much since I was here ten years ago, I don’t recognize —”
    “I’ll pick it up.”
    “You will?”
    “Sure.” A ghost of a smile played at his lips as he stepped abreast of her in the doorway. He ducked his head and whispered in her ear, “But it doesn’t mean I want any.”
    Kate lifted an eyebrow, heat sizzling to her toes. “Who said I was offering?”
     
     
    “A SALAD. I SHOULD MAKE A SALAD.” Kate stared at the contents of the small refrigerator as if she hadn’t just put away the groceries an hour earlier. As soon as Jim had driven away for the pizza, she’d dashed upstairs to change out of her sweaty travel clothes. “A salad doesn’t make it a date or anything,” she told herself. “It just makes it a well-rounded meal.”
    Retrieving assorted produce from the crisper, Kate set it on the counter. “Liam? Are you being good?” He’d walked by moments earlier with another box of construction vehicles.
    “Liam?”
    “Yup.”
    Kate smiled at the distinctive sound of make-believe engines. “Stay in the house, please.”
    “’kay.”
    Kate pulled a wooden cutting board from beside the sink and ran her hand over its rough surface. Marked and stained from years of