Anna's Courage (Rose Island Book 1) by Kristin Noel Fischer Read Free Book Online

expression crossed her face. “Sure, anytime.”
    Anna
    As I rode away from Nick, I tried not to picture him strolling around the island on a bicycle with the adorable Gabby waving from the bike seat behind him. Could anything tug at my heartstrings more than this strong man and precious baby?
    Chastising myself for being weak and so easily lured by romantic notions, I cycled up to Main Street. The heavenly scent of freshly baked bread from Vicki’s Bakery greeted me, and colorful pansies spilled over terracotta planters in front of every shop. Bianca had been responsible for the flower initiative, and this year, the winter flowers were spectacular.
    I passed the bakery and continued next door to The Last Tangle where I found my sister-in-law checking the large appointment book that sat on the front counter separating the waiting room from the hairstylists.
    Bianca, dressed in an expensive silk blouse and a Hermes scarf, greeted me with a smile. Although she was talented enough to make more money working in an upscale salon in Houston or on a movie set, Bianca loved living on the island and owning her own business. The salon had room for two more stylists, but currently, we were the only two who worked there.
    “How’d the meeting go?” she asked, brushing back a strand of auburn hair. At thirty-six, she was a stunning, full-figured woman. She’d never been married but had been briefly engaged to her college sweetheart who’d broken her heart when he chose to marry someone else.
    I hung my bag on the hook next to my station. “The Kempners are pregnant with triplets.”
    Bianca’s eyes bulged. “Wow.”
    “That’s what I said.”
    “Their little boys are so cute,” Bianca said. “But triplets! They’ll have eight boys under the age of nine.”
    I nodded. “Hailey would probably be a real blessing to Caroline.”
    “More like cheap labor,” Bianca said sarcastically. “So, what’s Nick going to do? Did you ask him about keeping the girls himself?”
    I sighed. “He says he can’t because of his job, but he’s so good with them. Patient, kind, loving. Plus, Ethan and Ivana must’ve had some confidence in him to name him as the girls’ legal guardian.”
    Bianca narrowed her eyes and studied me carefully. “Oh, wow.”
    “What?” I looked down, thinking I must have coffee or something on my shirt. “I don’t see anything.”
    “You like him,” she stated.
    A warm tingly feeling danced through my body. “Who? Nick? No, I don’t.” Grinning, I walked to the front of the salon and opened the blinds. I flipped over the “We’re Open” sign and waited for my racing pulse to slow.
    “Are you saying you don’t like him?” Bianca asked in her typical middle child, provoking way.
    “I’m saying he’s nice and good-looking, but we’re just friends.”
    “You kissed him.”
    My lips and cheeks tingled at the memory. “That was almost a year ago, and it didn’t mean anything.”
    “Of course it meant something. You’re not exactly the kind of girl who goes around offering meaningless kisses to handsome men. By the way, you’re blushing. A sure sign that you’re enamored with Nick Peterson.”
    I refrained from touching my face and forced a casual laugh. “Enamored? That’s a very big word to use this early in the morning.”
    Humming a popular love song to herself, Bianca ran a finger down the names in the appointment book. “It’s okay, you know.”
    “What’s okay?”
    “Being enamored with Nick. Feeling something for him. Even falling in love with him is okay.”
    My breath stalled. “I’m not falling in love with him or even enamored. I’m just trying to help him sort out things with the girls. He’s leaving next week, and I feel sorry for the whole family, don’t you?”
    Bianca’s face crumpled. “Oh, honey, I do. My heart breaks for those little girls, Nick, and even grumpy Grandpa Jack. The whole thing hits too close to home, reminding me of losing Marcus.”
    “I