Second Chance Bride (A Sapphire Bay Novella) Read Online Free

intimate, like one of the private tables along the windows.
    The hostess greeted them with a smile. “Name?”
    Genie glanced at her name tag—Angela—vaguely hearing Donnie say, “Taylor.”
    The girl perused her list. “Donnie or Richard?”
    “Donnie.”
    “Great.” With a nod, she added, “We got a table with a great view over here for you.” Angela pointed to the other side of the ship.
    “Wonderful.” Donnie held Genie’s hand as they followed the waitress to one of the tables midway along the starboard windows.
    Thankfully, the tables were intimate. Just two diners for each. Genie liked that idea. Donnie pulled her chair out, and once she’d seated herself, he did the same.
    “Would you care for some wine?” he asked.
    She nodded. “Sure. I’ve love a glass.”
    O nce the hostess heard Donnie’s request for a bottle of wine, she ambled away. He’d ended up ordering a pinot. His first requests had been Argiolas Vermentino or Turley Zinfandel, neither of which they had on board the ship. Donnie could already see tons of changes needing to be made if he bought the ship. Trouble was, he wasn’t sure where to begin.
    Instead of dwelling on the dinner cruise’s inadequacies, he settled his sights on Genie. She was such a beautiful woman. He couldn’t understand how she’d come to be here in paradise all alone. Oh well, if someone had been dumb enough to let her go…Donnie’s gain. He just wished he could be sure she liked him more than his money.
    Their salads came, and while they ate, they chitchatted about nothing to personal. Genie said only that she was in Hawaii to get away from it all , and was enjoying her respite.
    The show was Hawaiian in every sense of the word, but Donnie had seen better. Every so often, Genie would look at him and smile. He got the feeling she was a little bored by the show, but every time her eyes met his, hers sparkled.
    He leaned her way, asking, “What do you think of the show?”
    It took a moment before she said, “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
    “Well, if you ask me,” he said, “they could invest a few bucks and hire some quality entertainment.”
    “That would be a start.” Her voice remained neutral, but from the perplexity lurking in her eyes, Donnie figured she felt the same about it as him.
    Like a bolt of lightning, it hit Donnie. Who better to know how to give this place a much needed shot in the arm but a woman hoping for a fabulous evening? At least that’s what he’d like to think she was counting on. Donnie leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “So what would you do to this ship if you owned it? How would you turn it into the best dinner cruise on the island?”
    “Well…” She hesitated, clearly mulling it over. “Assuming that I’ve already taken care of the entertainment.” She gazed around the dining room. “Are we in the economy section?” she asked, then looked at him with sweet eyes that made him forget that he might’ve been insulted.
    It was impossible to ignore or dismiss her admiring gaze. It wrapped him in pleasure. “No.” Donnie shook his head and laughed to himself. “We’re in the royal treatment section.”
    “Well, it’s worse than I thought then.” Her eyes filled with an odd mixture of wariness and joy. “First, the dining room needs to be redesigned. It’s nice, but not nice enough to expect people to pay royal treatment prices. I’d rearrange the dining room completely. It’s too crowded in here.” She shook her head. “If people are paying for luxury, it should start with privacy.” Genie shrugged, and Donnie tended to agree. “And where is the Captain?” she asked. “People like dining at the Captain’s table on cruise ships. So why not here?” Genie gave the room another once-over while Donnie was making mental notes of everything she said. “I’d probably do something with the decks too. Make it enticing for couples to steal a romantic moment against