Wedding at Willow Lake Read Online Free Page A

you let your sandwich commune with mine.” Brody stood and poured her coffee. “We’re making strides here.” He handed her the cup and placed a container of creamer on the desk in front of her. Her perfume, light and flowery, mingled with the roast beef and coffee. The combination of sweet and hearty was enough to make a man salivate.
    “They tossed it in that way at the deli.” Her voice was soft and filled with a measure of sincerity. “Besides, I don’t want to argue anymore, Brody.”
    “I didn’t know we were arguing.” He offered her a stir stick as she sprinkled creamer into her brew. “And you said my name just then. Better be careful with that. It might grow on you again.”
    “Now you’re being ridiculous.” Catherine settled back in her seat, scowling at him over the rim of her coffee cup. “It’s bad enough that I have to look at your likeness every day on that infernal gigantic billboard. It stops traffic, you know.”
    “Is that so?” Brody grinned. “Well, I’m glad to hear my marketing budget has been well-spent. And maybe…just maybe…my image will grow on you, too.”
     
    ****
     
    “So, you haven’t told me yet. Why are you kicking things?” Catherine scanned the length of Brody. The years had been good to him. In their younger days he’d been more on the thin side, quick and rangy. His hair was a bit darker now, but remained a mix of sand and sun. His eyes, blue-gray as a churning sea, still made her pulse skitter when he looked at her. It was such an odd feeling…one she’d thought had died the day he left for the Keys. “And yelling at your coffee maker?”
    “The city’s inspection this morning didn’t go quite as planned. The grounds have a few areas that need attention.” He lifted his fingers to make air quotes as he spat the latter words, his gaze darkening to a glower. “I don’t get it. I was provided a list of infractions a few weeks ago and I addressed every item to the last detail, plus a dozen more that weren’t even critical. Everything should be in order.”
    “I went through the same thing with the clinic. Did the inspector’s name happen to be Sam Bivens?”
    “How did you know?”
    “Cousin to John Larder, arch nemesis to all. That family is nit-picky, for sure. Sam went so far as to make up infractions just to keep me from opening. Every trip out that he makes is another payment to the city coffers…or his slippery pocket. He’s going to continue to give you trouble.”
    “I don’t have time for trouble. I’m scheduled to open for business in a few days. I already have bookings lined up for the next six months.”
    “I can pull a few strings for you.”
    “What kind of strings?”
    “I have my ways.” Catherine simply waggled a finger at him. “Don’t sweat it. You’ll be approved for business by morning. Now, next on the agenda is that nasty-looking gash along your finger. What happened?”
    “It’s nothing.” He grabbed a paper towel, pressed it to the wound to stop the flow of blood. He’d been so busy kicking things…and staring at Catherine…that he hadn’t noticed the jagged slice along the back of his left hand. “Jigsaw slipped and grazed me while I was working on a design for the waiting-area benches, that’s all.”
    “You have a first aid kit?”
    “Of course, and it’s the mack-daddy. Hunter brought me a couple of the same kits they stock down at the fire hall. I didn’t want to fail inspection on that account. Silly me, I never imagined that, instead of safety features, the inspector would have an issue with the number of weeds growing alongside the deck.”
    “Where’s the kit?”
    “I’ll never tell.” Brody shook his head. “I don’t like needles, and I know you too well. You’ll try to stitch me up like you did that day I took you fly fishing after graduation.”
    “I only stitched you because you begged me to. You didn’t want to tell your dad you’d been messing with his tackle, and that you