Hearts Under Construction Read Online Free Page B

Cole join Jax in the parking lot. Her stomach knotted. With a glance at the glove compartment, she decided even the hidden candy bar could do little to calm her spirits. Just one day, she told herself. No big deal, right? She would go along for Jax’s sake.
    She took a deep breath; the tomato-juice diet wasn’t working and it made her too edgy. Someone at the office had told her about a new low-carb diet. She decided she’d like to try that one. Once her car pulled up at the traffic light, Ellie glanced again at the glove compartment. Her fingers danced lightly on the steering wheel. The light stayed red. Finally, she reached over and pulled out the candy bar. Maybe she’d try the low-carb thing next week.
     
     
    The doorbell rang much too soon. Ellie grabbed her canvas bag and purse then headed for the door.
    “Good morning.” Jax and Alex met her with a smile. She wondered why they both came to the door. Probably afraid I would back out and it would take two of them to haul me, kicking and screaming, to the car. She smiled with the thought.
    “Hi.” Although Ellie did not want to go on this outing, she had to admit she felt a twinge of excitement. The day already boasted of warmth, sunshine and fun. She followed Jax and Alex to the car, taking note of their appearance. Ellie decided Jax looked nice in his navy shorts, a white pullover with a navy collar and stylish sandals.
    Auburn hair fanned across Alex’s shoulders in waves. That color was reflected by a chunky necklace of browns and tans nestled at the throat of her cream-colored blouse. Brown shorts with a matching belt and sandals completed her outfit. At her side, she carried a cream wide-brimmed hat. She appeared to have just stepped out of a modeling shoot.
    Ellie glanced down at her own sensible shorts outfit. They say you can tell a lot about people by the clothes they wear. She imagined her clothes said she hadn’t glanced at a fashion magazine in months. Besides, the inside of a person was what really counted. She tried to ignore the storm gathering around her heart. Come to think of it, she wasn’t exactly model material in that department, either.
    “Beautiful day,” she said, pulling on her seat belt.
    “We’re going to have so much fun!” Alex said with more enthusiasm than Ellie had ever seen from Jax’s date. Ellie had to admit she was glad she had come after all.
    Jax put on his sunglasses then edged the car out of the driveway.
    “Did Cole already make arrangements to rent the boat, or will we have to do that when we get there?” Ellie asked.
    “Oh, it’s all taken care of. Seems he has a friend there who is loaning us his sailboat.”
    “Of course, he would think of everything,” she muttered under her breath. She looked around the car then up at Jax through the mirror. “Did you bring any chocolate?”
    Jax shook his head. “Eat your energy bar.” He pulled into the blur of traffic.
    Finally, at Cole’s house, Jax went up to the door to let Cole know they were there. Alex chattered about what fun they were going to have, but Ellie didn’t hear much once she saw Cole step outside. She watched as he lifted a cooler, placed it on the porch, then closed the door behind him. He caught up with Jax and walked toward the car. His long legs sported khaki shorts and he wore a comfortable shirt, revealing the strong arms of a disciplined man.
    After some small talk, Jax turned on the radio and they settled into a comfortable ride. Ellie took a deep breath and decided now was as good a time as any to get things straightened out with Cole. She whispered so the others couldn’t hear. “Hey, about the other day—”
    “Forget it. I stepped out of bounds and I’m sorry.”
    The apology surprised her. “Me, too.”
    Cole smiled and winked, chasing the dark mood from her heart. She thought the day might turn out all right after all.
    Once settled on the boat, a warm breeze carried them a good ways onto the lake. Ellie sat with her