The Best Man Read Online Free Page A

at him before unlocking the car doors. “It’s really not a date.”
    Colin leaned closer. “So you’ve said.” His gaze dropped to her lips for a few seconds, but he made no move to kiss her. “I’ve merely sparked your sense of responsibility.”
    He was sparking all kinds of things inside her. She wasn’t sure responsibility was even in the top ten.  “We should go get your stuff. Which hotel are you staying at?”
    Colin gave her the name and address of the hotel as they climbed into her car.
    “Are you hungry at all? I have some granola bars in my bag.”
    His lips twitched. “Is there anything you don’t have in that bag?”
    “A hot tub,” she replied quickly. “But, as soon as I find one that’ll fit, it’s going in.”
    “Obviously.”
    “So, are you? Hungry that is.”
    “Still rather nauseous.”
    Beth nodded. “The paper said that was normal.”
    “As did the doctor.”
    “Right.” Beth drew the word out and nodded. She kept fairly quiet for the rest of the drive and the brief stop at his hotel to collect his suitcase and toiletries.
    She showed him into her guest room. “It’s not as fancy as your hotel was, but … um …”
    “It’s very kind of you to do this. Thank you.”
    “It’s really the least I can do after you swooped in to save me and all.” She smiled at the slight blush her words brought his cheeks. Why don’t I just call him my hero like some twelve-year-old girl with crush? “The remote is on the TV and the guest bathroom is right through that door. Towels are in there. I’m going to go check on some stuff and let you get settled.”
    A water glass had fallen off her nightstand and shattered during the earthquake. Beth swept up the shards of glass, relieved to find her apartment had suffered no serious damage.  
                  She pulled out her binder of take-out menus and headed back to the guest room. Her kitchen rarely contained more than a few containers of yogurt, some diet soda, and a half-empty bottle of wine. Today was no exception.
    Beth stopped in the guestroom doorway. “I’m going to order some takeout. Any preferences?” She held out the binder.
    Colin took it and flipped through the pages, grinning. “You alphabetized your carryout menus.”
    Beth laughed. “Yeah. I guess I’m kind of anal.”
    He choked. “Pardon?”
    “I’m … You don’t say that in England? I like to keep things organized. So ... food. I was thinking Chinese might be good. You could start with some soup and see if you can keep that down or, you know, throw caution to the wind and eat some steamed rice.” She knew she was babbling, but couldn’t make herself stop, not while Colin was watching her with an amused smile. “But maybe you have allergies or you just don’t like to eat Chinese food. If so, we could get Thai, although if you don’t like Chinese you probably don’t like Thai either, right?”
    Colin closed the binder and handed it back to her. “I have no food allergies, and I’ll eat almost anything. Chinese is fine.”
    “Great. I’ll call the Chinese place down the street. Their cartons have cute little pandas on them.” She took the binder back into the kitchen, flipped it open to the right menu and dialed. Colin followed her out and sat on one of the barstools at her kitchen island. She smiled at him before placing an extraordinarily large order. At his arched eyebrow, she covered the phone’s mouthpiece to whisper. “I haven’t gone grocery shopping in a while. I figured it would be good to have some leftovers so you don’t starve before your head heals.” She shrugged. “And I don’t know what you like.”
    He laughed, the deep sound causing a surprising turmoil of sensation in Beth’s stomach, and reached for his wallet to pull out a credit card.
    Beth brushed his hand away and shook her head. “I’ve got it.”
    “No!” He stood up, frowning.
    Beth looked back at him, startled by the forcefulness of his tone.
    He