All He Ever Dreamed by Shannon Stacey Read Free Book Online Page B

“See?”
    “I’ve never been in your basement, either. Or Lauren’s. Really, that would be weird. ‘Hey there, wanna see my foundation?’”
    “Good point.”
    “I have to find out what Max does for work before Josh does or I’ll have to wash his stupid truck for a year.” Katie gave her best smile. “I bet if you went on a date with Max, he’d tell you.”
    “If it was oral for a year, I might take that bullet for you, but washing vehicles? No.”
    “You’re always complaining there are no good single guys in Whitford. Max is hot and he has a really great couch. You could have sex on it and cement your non-spinster status. You know, just in case there’s a time limit on the had-sex thing.”
    “I hate sports,” Hailey said, and Katie had to admit that could be a problem. “And he never talks to me when he’s in the library. He’s really…awkward.”
    “Really? I don’t think he’s awkward.”
    “Well, maybe if I was just one of the guys, wearing white cotton underwear while screaming obscenities at the television because some dude didn’t throw a ball right, he wouldn’t be awkward with me, either.”
    “I don’t think he knows what kind of underwear we have on.”
    “The point is, I’m not banging Max Crawford in his torture chamber in the basement so you don’t have to wash Josh’s truck.”
    “When you put it like that, I guess it does sound a little out of bounds, favor-wise.”
    Hailey laughed. “Just a little. Why don’t you go on a date with him? Find out what he does and make Josh jealous at the same time.”
    “I’m not allowed to use feminine wiles, as Josh called it.”
    “It’s so cute he thinks you even know how to do that.”
    Katie managed to look offended. “Hey, I have feminine wiles.”
    Hailey downed the last of her hot chocolate and set down her mug with a thump. “Prove it. If you’re wily enough to get Josh Kowalski into those white cotton panties, I’ll wash his truck for a year.”

Chapter Four
    Josh was exhausted. He’d spent more than a few nights praying for snow, but now he’d had enough. Because he’d wasted so much time on the damn Christmas decorations, he was behind on everything else. But trimming the tree while Rosie micromanaged from the couch sounded even worse than dealing with a foot of wet, heavy snow instead of getting the barn ready.
    Part of their plan to spruce up the lodge included redoing the floor out there, because they allowed guests to park their snowmobiles in the barn. It kept them snow-free and it made people feel more secure than just pulling them into the yard. But, thanks to the renovations, there was building debris all over the damn place and he had to clean it up, so Mother Nature had kicked him in the balls by dropping double the white stuff they’d expected.
    The plow made quick work of the driveway and cut a wide path to the barn, but thanks to the raised landscaping his mother had chosen to line the walkways many years ago, the sidewalks leading to the doors had to be done by snowblower.
    He’d just fired it up when he saw Andy Miller’s truck coming up the drive, and he could have cried in relief. He needed the help.
    “Would’ve been here earlier,” Andy said when he’d parked alongside Josh’s truck, “but I had to stop and help a lady get her car out of the ditch.”
    “I didn’t know you were coming. You do know it’s Sunday, right?”
    “Got nothing better to do. I called Rose this morning, but she forbade me from visiting because of the snow. Rather be here than sit on my ass in front of the TV all day.”
    “I can use the help.” That was the understatement of the year. Not only was he dog tired, but his leg wasn’t too happy about the cold. “When I called her last night, she was still waiting for the doctor to do his late rounds. Is she still scheduled to get out tomorrow?”
    Andy nodded, pulling on his gloves. “That’s the plan. She sounded good, but we’re going to have to duct tape