More of Me Read Online Free Page B

to make a couple of calls.” That was when Julie’s earlier words about having her arms full came back to her. She looked up at Ryder and smiled sheepishly. “Or I will once she’s done with her bottle.”
    â€œI can hold her if that will help.”
    Casey looked at him as if he’d suddenly grown a second head. “You…you want to hold her?”
    Standing, Ryder came around the desk and held out her arms. “Sure. I’ll admit that I haven’t held a lot of babies, but I have held a couple in my time. Plus, you’ll be right here if she absolutely hates me.”
    Warily, Casey stood and placed Savannah in Ryder’s waiting arms. The baby cooed up at him, and while she was still occupied in sizing up the newcomer, Casey made quick work of her calls. The manager of each venue had no problem with them stopping by for a tour, and when she hung up the phone, Casey couldn’t help but smile at Ryder making goofy faces to keep Savannah smiling. Her first instinct was to say that he was a natural, but it seemed far too intimate a comment, and if she was going to survive the afternoon with him, she knew she was going to have to keep herself in total professional mode.
    â€œOkay, I have arrangements made with each of the locations, and we have our first appointment at three today.”
    Ryder nodded but didn’t look up; the baby’s big blue eyes held him mesmerized, but no matter how hard he studied her face, he didn’t see a trace of Casey there. “She must favor her father,” he said as casually as he could.
    Glad that Ryder wasn’t looking at her, Casey wondered at his odd comment before she realized that he must think that she was Savannah’s mother. She did some quick thinking. It might be just the thing to make sure that Ryder kept his distance and didn’t tempt her. “She does, actually,” she said and then rose to take the baby from him. “It’s barely one; why don’t you meet me back here at two thirty and then we can head over to the first venue?”
    Ryder didn’t want to leave; suddenly he wanted—no, needed—to know what had been going on in Casey’s life since he had moved away. “Have you had lunch yet?” he asked, grasping at straws.
    â€œUm, no. Savannah had only just woken up when you arrived, and I needed to get her changed and fed first. I was going to call in something to the deli and go pick it up.”
    Ryder waved a hand at her. “Tell you what, tell me what it is that you’d like, I’ll go and pick up lunch for the both of us, and then you can fill me in on my cousin’s wedding. I’ve never done anything like this before, and I don’t want to look like a complete idiot when we tour these places today.”
    â€œThere’s not that much to know—” she began, but Ryder cut her off.
    â€œWhen I’m at a wedding, all I pay attention to is whether there’s an open bar or not. I have no idea about seating arrangements or acoustics or if there’s someplace nice for pictures. Please, Case, I don’t want to let Mac or Gina down.”
    How could she possibly argue with that?
    â€œAll right,” she sighed as she placed Savannah down in the portable crib and found her notepad to write down her lunch order. Handing it to him, she smiled weakly. “I appreciate you doing the run for me. It’s not always easy getting in and out of the deli quickly with a baby in tow.”
    Not trusting himself to comment on that, Ryder simply smiled and said, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Chapter 3
    â€œI cannot believe there is this much to know.”
    â€œAnd believe me, I’m just giving you the Reader’s Digest version.”
    Shaking his head, Ryder took a minute to let the information sink in. For ninety minutes, he had listened to Casey talk about all the features that are important to a bride and groom