All She Ever Wanted by Barbara Freethy Read Free Book Online Page A

to please and desperate desire for love had been both endearing and irritating when they were in college, and having heard the raw vulnerability in Laura's voice just now, Natalie suspected those needs had not disappeared in the last ten years.
    "You haven't said anything in at least a minute." Laura's brows drew together in a frown. "Did I say something wrong?"
    "I was just thinking."
    "You were always good at thinking before you speak. I'd still like to learn how to do that. Drew often complains that I talk when I shouldn't, especially at law-firm cocktail parties. Did I tell you that Drew works at my father's firm?"
    "That keeps it all in the family."
    "A little too much all in the family. I feel like we can't get away from my parents. And the more we're all together, the more Drew acts as critical of me as they do. Sometimes I don't think any of them believe I have a brain in my head."
    "Well, they're wrong," Natalie said, not just because it was expected, but because it was true. Laura might have a desperate need to please, but she wasn't dumb; she never had been.
    "Thanks. That's nice of you to say. But to be fair, my brilliant conversation for most of the past eight years has been about kids, diapers, potty training, sleep deprivation, elementary school teacher selection, PTA gossip ... It's not exactly brain surgery. Hey, do you do that? Brain surgery?"
    "Absolutely not. You remember how bad I was at sewing, don't you?"
    Laura grinned as they both remembered a particularly bad hem job.
    Their orders were called, and Laura jumped to her feet. "I'll get those." She was back in a moment with their drinks.
    Natalie took a sip of coffee, feeling immediately more relaxed. Oddly enough, she was happy to see Laura again. They'd parted under such tense circumstances that she never would have predicted they could come back together so easily. She had to admit it was nice to talk to someone who wasn't involved in her current life, someone who didn't know squat about medicine or hospital politics, someone she didn't have to impress with her intellect or medical knowledge. The last ten years had been exhausting. She'd run like a rat on a wheel, never stopping to catch her breath or look around for fear she'd fall off that wheel and never get back on. She'd never let anyone get close enough to see her true self ... whatever that was. Not only did she not have time for relationships, she had little time for personal introspection. In fact, she hadn't done this much thinking about anything that didn't involve a disease or a medical procedure in . .. she couldn't remember how long.
    "I can't believe we live so close to each other," Laura said, interrupting her thoughts. She sent Natalie a quizzical smile. "It didn't bother you that Cole—"
    "No." Natalie cut off the question she knew was coming. "It's a big city. A lot of years have passed."
    "Sure. You're right. I'm not completely surprised you ended up here. You always loved this city. After your first trip home with Emily, you talked endlessly about the cable cars, the narrow hills, the bridges. You were in love."
    And not just with the city but with Cole.
    "So what happened to Cole?" Laura asked. "I noticed the bandage on his head."
    "His girlfriend threw a stapler at him."
    Laura's eyes widened. "Really?"
    "That's what he said in the emergency room. Josh was with him. Do you remember Josh? He was one of the twins who grew up next door to the Parish family."
    "The laughing, smiling one, or the dark, brooding one?"
    "Laughing, smiling. The other one was Dylan."
    "Right, the magician. I wonder what happened to him."
    "I have no idea."
    "What did you do when you saw Cole?"
    "I was startled." Which was an understatement to say the least. Natalie didn't bother to explain that she'd taken off and Cole had made it his business to find her. Instead, she said, "I told him about the book and the signing. That's why we were together today."
    "So, any lingering sparks?" Laura asked, a curious