Diamond in the Ruff (Matchmaking Mamas Book 13) by Marie Ferrarella Read Free Book Online Page B

nodded his approval. He turned to face her completely as he said, “Good name.”
    That was when she saw it. The tiny dot of white cream just on the inside corner of his lips. Obviously not all of the dessert had made it
into
his mouth. She thought of ignoring it, certain that the more he spoke, the more likely that the cream would eventually disappear one way or another.
    But she didn’t want him to be embarrassed by having one of his patients’ owners point out that his appearance was less than perfect.
    “Um, Dr. Whitman,” she began, completely at a loss as to how to proceed. She’d always felt out of sync pointing out someone else’s flaws or shortcomings. But this was because she’d brought in the pastries so technically the remnants of cream on his face was her fault.
    “Your pastry just made love to my mouth, I think you can call me Chris,” Christopher told her, hoping to dismantle some of the barriers that this woman seemed to have constructed around herself.
    “Chris,” Lily repeated as she tried to begin again.
    He liked the sound of his name on Lily’s tongue. His smile reflected it. “Yes?”
    “You have a little cream on your lip. Well, just below your lip,” she amended. Rather than point to the exact location on his face, she pointed to it on hers. “No, the other side,” she coached when he’d reversed sides to start with. When Christopher managed to find the spot on his second try, she nodded, relieved. “You got it.”
    Amused, Christopher was about to say something to her, but he was stopped by the bell over the door. It rang, announcing the arrival of his next patient: a Himalayan cat who looked none too happy about being in a carrier, or about her forced visit to the animal hospital for that matter.
    The cat’s mistress, a rather matronly-looking brunette with a sunny smile, sighed with relief as she set the carrier down on the floor next to the front desk. “Cedrick is
not
a happy camper today,” she said, stating the obvious. Then, before Christopher could turn to the cat’s file, the woman prompted, “Cedrick’s here for his shots.”
    That was definitely her cue to leave, Lily thought. She’d stayed too long as it was. Theresa’s people were watching Jonathan, but she had a feeling that she was on borrowed time as far as that was concerned.
    “Well, bye,” she called out to Christopher as she opened the door for herself.
    She was surprised to hear his voice following her out of the office as he called, “Don’t forget Sunday.”
    The butterflies she’d just become aware of turned into full-size Rodans in a blink of an eye.
    Lily darted out of the office and hurried to her vehicle.
    * * *
    “You look like someone’s chasing you,” Theresa observed when she all but burst through the front door of the catering shop. “Is everything all right?” the older woman asked.
    “Fine. It’s fine,” Lily answered a little too quickly.
    Theresa opted to leave her answer unchallenged, asking instead, “How did he like your pastries?” When Lily looked at her blankly, her expression not unlike that of a deer caught in the headlights, Theresa prompted helpfully, “The vet, how did he like the pastries that you made for him?”
    “Oh, that. He liked them,” Lily answered. “Sorry, I’m a little preoccupied,” she apologized. “I’m thinking about the desserts for tomorrow night’s event,” she explained. Because she always wanted everything to be perfect—her way of showing Theresa how grateful she was to the woman for taking such an interest in her—she was constantly reviewing what she planned on creating for any given event.
    This time it was Theresa who waved a hand, waving away Lily’s apology. She was far more interested in the topic she had raised.
    “Well, what did he say?” she asked. “Honestly, child, sometimes getting information out of you is just like pulling teeth.” Drawing her over to the side, she repeated her request. “Tell me what he