Read Once Upon a Proposal for Free Online Page A

As well as the fact that their father was doing his best to regain partial custody of them. “It’s nice to meet you,” she greeted. “But call me Bobbie. Please.”
    Both of the youngsters had their father’s brilliant blue eyes, but that was all. His hair was as dark a brown as theirs was pale blond. Even their features were different, not as sharply drawn, though she supposed that could just be the difference between youth and maturity.
    â€œHi.” Todd was the first to speak. “You have the curliest hair I ever seen.”
    â€œTodd,” Lisette groaned, rolling her eyes.
    â€œWell she does, ” he defended innocently.
    Bobbie laughed. “It is pretty curly,” she admitted. “I always wanted smooth, blond hair, just like your sister’s.”
    Lisette’s hand flew up to her bun, looking away shyly. “Mother won’t let me cut it,” she said.
    â€œAll right,” Gabe inserted. “Enough talk of hair. Go get in the truck. I’ll be there in a sec.” He gave Bobbie that smile again. “A movie awaits.”
    â€œEnjoy.” She reached for the door. “Wait. Is there a new key for the lock?”
    He shook his head. “It’s already keyed to match the old one.”
    She realized she was staring at his lips again. “Thanks. Yet again.” She smiled, feeling strangely awkward. As if he could read her mind.
    And maybe he could, because his smile widened slightly. “The pleasure was all mine.”
    Then he turned and went after his kids.
    And for the second time that day, Gabriel Gannon left Bobbie with a racing heart.

Chapter Three
    â€œI ’ll have a medium iced mocha with extra cream and a large iced tea.”
    Bobbie’s head whipped up from the inventory sheet she was completing when she recognized the voice on the other side of the counter. She left the paperwork on the tiny desk in the minuscule office and peered around the doorway. Yes. It was Gabriel, looking much more polished and no less devastating in a white button-down shirt and black trousers than when he’d been wearing worn jeans and a T-shirt while muscling her front door out of its frame. Before he could spot her, she pulled her head back into the office like some nervous turtle retreating into its shell.
    What was he doing here?
    She saw herself in the little mirror that Holly, the manager of Between the Bean, kept hanging on the wall in her office. At least her hair was contained in a ponytail. More or less.And she’d put on some makeup that morning before leaving the house.
    Then she rolled her eyes at herself. It wasn’t as if he’d come to the coffee shop to see her . All he’d done was order a drink for himself and his son.
    Chewing the inside of her lip, she tilted her head again, sliding centimeters forward until she could see once more around the doorway.
    â€œBobbie?”
    She straightened like a shot when his gaze fastened on her across the array of pastries and oversized cookies displayed above the counter. “Gabriel.” She stepped out of the office, moving to the counter beside Doreen, who was preparing his order. “What a surprise.” She smiled at the boy standing at his side who was avidly eyeing an enormous chocolate-chip cookie. “Hello, Todd.” The boy was dressed in tan pants and a navy-blue polo shirt—clearly a school uniform.
    The boy grunted a greeting in return. “Can I have a cookie?” he asked his father.
    â€œYour mother will have enough of a fit when she finds out we stopped and got you a mocha.” Gabe handed the boy the change that Doreen had given him and pointed at the arrangement of chairs around a vintage video game in one corner of the small coffee shop. “You can play that game over there, though.”
    Evidently it was a satisfactory substitution, because Todd scooped up the coins and ambled over to the empty corner. Within seconds,