From Roses To Thorns - Sequel To "From Nanny To Wife" Read Online Free
Author: kate hopkins
want you to be a good girl for Maggie."
Ryan rose from the bed. "If you give her any trouble there will be no party for you tomorrow."
"I'll be good," Zoe promised.
Ryan turned to Hope the minute they were in the car. "I'm drawing a blank. What do we get her for her birthday?"
Hope smiled. "I know just the thing. When I turned four my parents bought me one of those gumball machine aquariums. I would sit for hours and watch Mr. Fishy."
"Mr. Fishy?"
"That's what I named the fish." Hope grinned. "I know it's not very originally, but it was all I could come up with at the time."
"Where do you suggest we hide the thing?" Ryan asked. "Zoe's birthday isn't until tomorrow."
"I thought we would keep it in our room for tonight and then move it to her room in the morning."
"Fish it is." Ryan started the car, put it in reverse, and backed out of the driveway and onto the street.
Reaching for her seatbelt, Hope fastened it. "What did you do for Zoe's birthday last year?"
"I took her to the zoo," Ryan answered.
"I haven't been to the zoo in years," Hope confessed.
"Then Zoe and I will take you."
Hope reached out and squeezed Ryan's leg. "I'd like that."
Fifteen minutes later, Ryan pulled up in front of J & A Aquarium and shut off the car. He and Hope got out and made their way toward the entrance. The first thing that caught Hope's attention when they stepped into the small shop was the odor of fish and chlorine. Wrinkling her nose, she gazed in Ryan's direction and saw he was eyeing their surroundings with interest.
"Let's find the aquariums first," she said in a low voice.
"Lead the way," Ryan said.
Hope walked from one aisle to the next until she located the aquariums that looked like gumball machines. She picked a box up and opened the top to make sure the globe was not cracked. Satisfied that it was in perfect condition she closed the box and handed it to Ryan. Scanning the shelves, she spotted the rock that resembled gumballs and snatched up a bag.
"What else do we need?" Ryan inquired.
"Besides the fish, a testing kit to check the PH levels in the water, and fish food," Hope said, turning around. "Ah, here's the testing kits." She removed a small plastic box from the shelf. "Mr. Fishy was a Betta and that's what I would like to get Zoe. So let's go look at them and then we'll get the food."
"May I help you?" a young woman asked.
Hope turned to acknowledge her presence. "Yes, please. We'd like to look at the Betta fish."
"Come this way," the woman said. She took them to the back of the shop where she stopped in front of a shelf that contained small plastic see through cups filled with water and covered with a lid. Each cup housed a fish.
Ryan frowned. "Why are they in separate cups?"
"You can't put a Betta fish with other Betta's. Another name for them is Siamese fighting fish because they are, in fact, fighting fish. They will tear at one another, often causing the death of at least one fish before they stop," the woman explained.
"How can you tell the difference between males and females?" Hope asked.
"The male Betta is the one with longer flowing fins. He will flare them in the presence of most other fish. The male also has a longer and larger body. Now the female is usually smaller and much less aggressive. They also have a small white dot on their stomach behind their ventral fins, or the shorter fins on their stomachs. Another difference between male and females is their color. Males tend to be more vibrant in color."
"The red one is beautiful," Hope commented.
The woman picked up the cup and looked closely at the fish. "It's a male."
"We'll take it," Hope said. "Would you show us what kind of food to feed it?"
"Of course."
After paying for everything Hope and Ryan left the shop.
Chapter 4
While everybody was eating breakfast, the next morning Hope moved the gumball machine aquarium from her and Ryan's room to Zoe's room. She placed
Ryan rose from the bed. "If you give her any trouble there will be no party for you tomorrow."
"I'll be good," Zoe promised.
Ryan turned to Hope the minute they were in the car. "I'm drawing a blank. What do we get her for her birthday?"
Hope smiled. "I know just the thing. When I turned four my parents bought me one of those gumball machine aquariums. I would sit for hours and watch Mr. Fishy."
"Mr. Fishy?"
"That's what I named the fish." Hope grinned. "I know it's not very originally, but it was all I could come up with at the time."
"Where do you suggest we hide the thing?" Ryan asked. "Zoe's birthday isn't until tomorrow."
"I thought we would keep it in our room for tonight and then move it to her room in the morning."
"Fish it is." Ryan started the car, put it in reverse, and backed out of the driveway and onto the street.
Reaching for her seatbelt, Hope fastened it. "What did you do for Zoe's birthday last year?"
"I took her to the zoo," Ryan answered.
"I haven't been to the zoo in years," Hope confessed.
"Then Zoe and I will take you."
Hope reached out and squeezed Ryan's leg. "I'd like that."
Fifteen minutes later, Ryan pulled up in front of J & A Aquarium and shut off the car. He and Hope got out and made their way toward the entrance. The first thing that caught Hope's attention when they stepped into the small shop was the odor of fish and chlorine. Wrinkling her nose, she gazed in Ryan's direction and saw he was eyeing their surroundings with interest.
"Let's find the aquariums first," she said in a low voice.
"Lead the way," Ryan said.
Hope walked from one aisle to the next until she located the aquariums that looked like gumball machines. She picked a box up and opened the top to make sure the globe was not cracked. Satisfied that it was in perfect condition she closed the box and handed it to Ryan. Scanning the shelves, she spotted the rock that resembled gumballs and snatched up a bag.
"What else do we need?" Ryan inquired.
"Besides the fish, a testing kit to check the PH levels in the water, and fish food," Hope said, turning around. "Ah, here's the testing kits." She removed a small plastic box from the shelf. "Mr. Fishy was a Betta and that's what I would like to get Zoe. So let's go look at them and then we'll get the food."
"May I help you?" a young woman asked.
Hope turned to acknowledge her presence. "Yes, please. We'd like to look at the Betta fish."
"Come this way," the woman said. She took them to the back of the shop where she stopped in front of a shelf that contained small plastic see through cups filled with water and covered with a lid. Each cup housed a fish.
Ryan frowned. "Why are they in separate cups?"
"You can't put a Betta fish with other Betta's. Another name for them is Siamese fighting fish because they are, in fact, fighting fish. They will tear at one another, often causing the death of at least one fish before they stop," the woman explained.
"How can you tell the difference between males and females?" Hope asked.
"The male Betta is the one with longer flowing fins. He will flare them in the presence of most other fish. The male also has a longer and larger body. Now the female is usually smaller and much less aggressive. They also have a small white dot on their stomach behind their ventral fins, or the shorter fins on their stomachs. Another difference between male and females is their color. Males tend to be more vibrant in color."
"The red one is beautiful," Hope commented.
The woman picked up the cup and looked closely at the fish. "It's a male."
"We'll take it," Hope said. "Would you show us what kind of food to feed it?"
"Of course."
After paying for everything Hope and Ryan left the shop.
Chapter 4
While everybody was eating breakfast, the next morning Hope moved the gumball machine aquarium from her and Ryan's room to Zoe's room. She placed
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