Read True To You (Taking Chances #2) for Free Online Page B

Had anyone ever described her in those terms? Certainly not in the past few years. But Ben’s words seemed to resonate within her heart. “Maybe there is an adventurous spirit buried deep down inside of me. I guess it just needed the right opportunity to come out.”
    “Then you’ve come to the right guy.” Ben took the helmet from her and placed it back into the trunk. “We’ll take the scenic route on the way home so you can fly some more.”
    A giddiness rose up in Melanie’s chest as she contemplated another chance to sit with her arms wrapped around Ben. “Sure, I’d like that.”
    “All right. I don’t know about you, but I’m starved.” He carried his own helmet under one arm, then gestured for them to go. “Let’s eat.”
    They entered the restaurant and were led to a booth in the corner of the room. Melanie sat down first, followed by Ben who slid in beside her. After a few minutes of perusing the menu, they placed their order.
    “I need to make a call if you don’t mind,” Ben told Melanie as the server brought over two glasses of water. “Just to let my sister know I’ll be home later than expected.”
    “Of course.”
    He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed. “Hey, Ash. I’m eating dinner with a friend, so I’ll be home a little late.” He paused. “Back to School Night went well. We had a good turnout.” Another pause. “Yes, it’s a female friend. I’ll tell you more when I get home, okay? Love you, bye.” He hung up and put the phone away.
    Melanie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing. You and your sister must be close. I don’t think I’ve ever said the “L word” to Sam or Billie before.” She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had said it to her either, at least not since she had left Hong Kong.
    “Well, I think life’s too short to not tell people how important they are to you. How do you show your sisters you care if you don’t say it?”
    “I do all my big sister duties. I help them with their schoolwork and watch out for them, you know, keep them out of trouble. I go to their school events when my parents can’t. In my family, that’s how we show each other we care, through our actions.”
    “Those are good things to do, no doubt, but it’s nice to hear the “L word”, too. You can never say it too much. People don’t get tired of hearing it either. Ash and I always exchange “I love you’s” at the end of our phone calls. It’s something we picked up from our parents.”
    “It sounds like a good family tradition to have.” She took a sip of her water. “Did you say your sister’s name is Ash? That wouldn’t be short for Ashton, would it? Sam is always talking about how cute Ashton Kutcher is.”
    “No, as much as my sister likes That ‘70s Show , she wouldn’t have wanted to be named after a boy. It’s short for Ashlynn. She’s named after my grandparents on my mom’s side; my grandfather was called Ash and my grandmother, Lynn.”
    She blinked in surprise. “What a meaningful name. What about you? Were you named after any relatives?”
    “My dad and his dad and his dad. It goes back as far as our family can remember.”
    “Really? Your family has some great traditions. But what would have happened if there had been no sons?”
    He shrugged. “I’m not sure. We haven’t faced that situation yet. I suppose it would skip a generation. I wouldn’t want my daughter, if I were to have one, to be mistaken for a boy whenever her teacher did roll call.”
    “I know what you mean. I’m sure you thought Billie was a boy before you met her.”
    “The thought did cross my mind. But the way her name is spelled, it could be a name of either gender.” He paused. “Out of curiosity, is Sammie’s spelled with an “ie”, too?”
    “Yes, it is. This will sound crazy, but my mother wanted them to be given male names. That was the solution she came up with to compensate for my family’s lack of Y