Always A Bridesmaid (Left At the Altar) by Jana Richards Read Free Book Online Page A

from behind her was truly inspiring.
    He caught up with her once more. "Tell me something personal about yourself."
    "Something personal?"
    "Yeah, in case someone asks me a question about you I should know."
    The truth was he really wanted to get to know her, though he couldn't quite explain the reason why.
    "Okay, sure. Well, I have six older brothers. I'm the youngest in the family."
    "Six older brothers! That's amazing. I always wanted a brother or sister, but since my mother never remarried after my Dad died, it didn't happen."
    "That's too bad. Was your mom widowed quite young?"
    "She was only thirty-two. Tell me about your parents. Are they still together?"
    "Oh yes, for over forty years now. They were both born in Italy and came to Canada as children. They met as teenagers in high school and have been together ever since."
    "They sound very close."
    "They're inseparable. If I ever get married, that's the kind of marriage I'd like." She looked away. "But they're a hard act to follow. Relationships like that don't come around very often."
    "I know what you mean. Look at me. Engaged twice, cheated on and dumped twice by the same woman. Not exactly a great track record."
    "I'd say you've had extraordinarily bad luck."
    "Yeah." Or have I just been looking in the wrong direction?
    "So now you have to answer a personal question for me," she said. "How did you get into the adventure travel business?"
    "Kind of by accident, really. My main business is as a consultant. Businesses come to me to find out what they could be doing better, or what direction the business should take. My friend Mike owned a travel agency. Do you remember Mike? He was a groomsman at my wedding last year."
    "Yes, I remember him. He's a nice guy."
    "He is. Anyway, the travel agency was losing money and on the verging of going broke. So many people book their own flights and their vacations online these days that they weren't getting enough business. He came to me to try to find a solution. The only way a travel agency can flourish is if they can provide a service the consumer can't get anywhere else. We found the service that worked for my friend Mike was creating made-to-order adventure themed tours like African safaris or cruises to Antarctica. We also arrange volunteer vacations, like working in orphanages in Kenya. A lot of people want a unique experience on their vacation and that's what the company tries to provide."
    "It sounds like a lot of fun."
    "Mostly I'm a silent partner. I bought into the company as an investment, and Mike and his staff arrange all of the adventures. I've gone on a couple of the trips and had amazing experiences."
    "So mostly you're some kind of business guru, riding in on your white horse to save the day."
    He chuckled. "Not quite. Sometimes the best decision is to pull the plug and just put that puppy out of her misery. But it's not a decision I make lightly, especially when people's jobs and livelihoods are at stake."
    She grinned up at him. "I don't know. You still sound like a white knight to me."
    Charmed by her sense of humor, he laughed and shook his head. "Tell me about losing weight. How did you do it?"
    "Do you really want to know? It's not very exciting."
    "Yeah, I really want to know."
    "There's no magic formula, I'm sorry to say. The only thing I can do is eat less and exercise more." He heard her long exhale of breath. "When I started I could barely walk around a block, let alone run. I hate to admit it now, but I was really fat."
    "Is that why Chantal's remark last night upset you?"
    Her cheeks pinkened with her blush. "My weight's been a problem all my life. I may have lost the pounds, but not the issues. It's still a sensitive subject for me."
    "How much weight are we talking about?"
    "Over fifty pounds."
    "Very impressive."
    "I just never want to go back there, you know? I don't want to be fat again. That's why I'm running this morning." She took a deep breath. "Losing weight was the hardest thing I've ever