A Reunion And A Ring (Proposals & Promises Book 1) by Gina Wilkins Read Free Book Online Page B

outside.” Gavin nodded toward her phone as he ambled back into the room. “I usually sit on the porch swing for clearer reception.”
    Jenny set her phone aside. “Thanks, but I was just texting with Stevie. Do you remember her?”
    “Of course. She was your best friend in college.”
    “Still is.”
    “Did she marry that guy she was dating? The drummer?”
    Funny. Jenny had almost forgotten the drummer. She suspected Stevie had, too. “No. They broke up not long after... N o.”
    For some reason, she was reluctant to even refer to her breakup with Gavin.
    “She’s still in Little Rock?”
    “Yes. She’s dating another musician,” she confided with a faint smile. “A bass player this time.”
    When it came to romance, Stevie was nothing if not an optimist. Yet Jenny had been increasingly aware that Stevie hadn’t said much about Jenny’s deepening relationship with Thad. She wasn’t sure why. She’d have thought Stevie would agree that Thad appeared to be Jenny’s ideal Mr. Right. He was handsome, wealthy, successful, socially secure. A junior partner in his family-connected, long-established law firm, Thad was already being courted by political-party bigwigs. He was considering a run for state representative in three years, and had already made a few trips to Washington to meet with some big shots there. Everyone they knew—their families, their friends, their associates—seemed to consider them the perfect couple.
    Yet, oddly enough, rather than being as enthusiastic as Jenny might have expected, Stevie had been somewhat restrained in her encouragement for the match. Was Stevie too wrapped up in her own romance, or did she have some doubts about Thad that she wasn’t sharing? Did she question whether Jenny would ever truly be happy in a partnership based on considerations other than what Stevie would consider epic romance?
    Sure, Thad was a confirmed workaholic who sometimes became so immersed in his ongoing projects and future goals that he tended to forget about everyone and everything else, but then Jenny had always been t ype A herself. She didn’t need a man’s constant attention. She genuinely liked Thad and she enjoyed his company when they found time to be together. She was sure they’d get along quite nicely as they built a satisfying future together. Why shouldn’t that be enough?
    Realizing impatiently that she’d allowed her thoughts to wander again, she glanced at her watch. “Should we eat something before we go back out? Are you hungry?”
    Gavin shook his head. “That next round of rain’s not going to hold off much longer. I’ll try to get some more clearing done while I can.”
    She stood and moved toward the cupboards. “I spotted packages of peanut-butter crackers in here. At least eat some of those to protect your stomach from the meds.” She opened a door and motioned toward a top shelf, just above her head. “It was always your favorite snack.”
    He moved behind her to reach the carton. The action brought them very close together. All he’d have had to do was lower his arm to wrap it around her shoulders. She’d have moved aside, but the counter was in the way. Any move she made would only brush her against him. Instead, she froze in place, almost holding her breath until he stepped back, the carton in his hand.
    “You remember my fondness for these, do you?”
    Able to breathe again now that there was a bit more distance between them, she laughed softly, grateful it came out relatively steady. “How could I forget? You stashed them in your car, in your backpack, in your dorm room, in my dorm room. Your friends used to joke that you should buy stock in a cracker company. I’m just a little surprised you haven’t gotten tired of them by now.”
    His mouth quirked into a faint smile as he shrugged. “I don’t eat them as much as I used to, but they’re still a pretty good snack.”
    She watched him rip into a cellophane packet, her smile feeling more natural as