Crossroad To Love (Fab Five Series) by Anna Kristell Read Free Book Online Page A

strolled into the restaurant, which had a pleasant
atmosphere. The dining room was tastefully decorated in shades of mauve and
gray and a fire was burning in the huge stone fireplace in one corner. Fresh
flowers served as centerpieces on each table. Everyone was bustling about doing
his or her job, but everything seemed to be running quite smoothly.
    “Marianne, this is lovely. I am so glad you suggested this
place,” Angie stated in awe.
    The others quickly agreed with her.
    “Welcome to Chloe’s Place, would this be your first time
here?” asked the man who had just walked up to greet them.
    The four women stared at the man in disbelief. He had to be
the most gorgeous hunk of manhood any of them had ever seen. He was tall and
well-groomed, with dark hair and big brown eyes that held a tiny fleck of gold
in each of them. He looked to be in his forties, very muscular and definitely
all man. Now, Michael, Jon, and Rex were all good-looking men, but there was
definitely something different about this one.
    Katy could not seem to take her eyes off him. He smiled at
her and she struggled to regain her composure as she answered, “Yes, it is. We
are visiting Dallas and heard great things about ‘Chloe’s Place,’ so we thought
we’d try it out.”
    “We will try to live up to the good things you have heard,
then. I am Ryan O’Grady.  I own the restaurant with my brother and
sister-in-law, Shane and Chloe. And you lovely ladies are…?”
    “We are the ‘Fab Four,’” Angie laughed.
    Ryan gave them a quizzical look and Lizzie laughingly
explained, “It’s a childhood nickname we gave ourselves when we were growing up
in Indiana. I am Lizzie from Ohio, this is Marianne, who actually lives near
Dallas, that’s Angie from Iowa, and you have already had the pleasure of
speaking to Katy, who hails from Chicago.”
    The gold flecks in Ryan’s eyes sparkled as he answered,
“Indiana you say? I lived there once, a lifetime ago, in Indianapolis. It is a
pleasure for us to be serving the ‘Fab Four’ this evening. May I show you to a
table, ladies?” He led them to a table near the beautiful fireplace. After they
were seated, he took their drink orders and handed them menus. “Your waiter
will be with you shortly. I’ll check back with you ladies later and see how you
are doing. It has been a pleasure.” He winked at Katy as he turned to go.
    “Wow, did you girls check out those eyes of his?” Angie
asked.
    “Eyes, schmeyes, I was too busy checking out the rest of
him,” laughed Lizzie.
    “No wonder he’s Dallas’s most eligible bachelor,” Marianne
added.
    “What did you think of him, Katy?” Angie nudged her friend,
who had been very quiet. The wink had not been missed.
    “I think that I have never been as attracted to a man in all
my life,” Katy quietly answered.
    The other three looked at her in surprise. Katy had not so
much as shown the slightest bit of interest in a man since Bill’s death, other
than the occasional casual date. Maybe she really was ready to move on.
    “Well, on that note, let’s think about ordering some food,
because, honey, I don’t think Ryan O’Grady is on the menu tonight,” Lizzie said
as they all burst into yet another fit of girlish giggles.
    The waiter soon brought their drinks and they placed their
orders. Marianne ordered the filet mignon, Angie a seafood dish, Katy a shrimp
salad, and Lizzie the prime rib.
    As they settled back to enjoy their drinks and each other’s
company, a woman walked toward their table. Katy noticed her first-she was
strikingly beautiful, probably in her mid-thirties, with short, blonde, bobbed
hair. 
    The woman greeted them with a genuine smile as she stopped
at their table and introduced herself, “Hi, I’m Chloe O’Grady. Ryan said there
was a lively bunch of gals that I needed to meet sitting in this corner.
Welcome to our restaurant.”
    “Are we being too loud? We’re sorry, we haven’t seen each
other for a long time and