Jealous in July (Spring River Valley Book 7) by Clarice Wynter Read Free Book Online Page B

change.”
    Before he could take a bite, Chase’s gaze landed on Riley who was heading in their direction. Damn, just when he wanted the guy to continue his power lunches eaten over his desk, he decide d to show up with a heaping tray of food.
    Brenda’s eyes tracked to him as well, but they didn’t light up as they usually did when the object of her affection arrived. In fact, she gave no reaction at all, even when Riley asked if one of the two empty seats at their table was taken.
    Chase shrugged. “All yours.” Damn . What else could he say?
    Riley slumped into his seat and sighed. “I was ordered to take lunch now because I’ll probably be working through dinner. Brenda, thanks for your help with the files. I won’t be able to work with you this afternoon. Tyler called me into a one-o’clock meeting with the people from TCL Trucking. Now that they’re going global, they’ll be needing tons of contracts drawn up. Maybe tomorrow we can steal a few minutes to finish up.”
    “Sure, no problem. Just buzz me whenever you need me.”
    Chase grinned. “TCL’s global account. Sounds like big money for the firm.”
    “Dry stuff,” Riley said between bites of his lunch. “But lucrative.”
    Brenda’s eyes seemed to glaze over. Chase debated with himself. Should he let her wallow in Riley’s boring dissertation on trucking contracts so she could get an idea of what a date with him might be like? Or should he make his next calculated move?
    The latter won out. He pointed his fork at his lunch. “You know, Brenda, this reminds me of the beef Wellington they serve at Taverna Fiora. We should give it a try the next time we go there.”
    He caught the momentary panic in her eyes, but she recovered quickly and nodded. “ All right, as long as I can have their blueberry cheesecake again for dessert. That was fantastic.”
    “Taverna Fiora?” Riley managed to look mildly surprised. “Do you two go there often?”
    “We’ve only been once so far…together,” Chase replied pointedly.
    “I was there for a wedding reception once. Before the new manager took over. It’s mu ch nicer now.” Brenda dug into her food, clearly struggling not to gawk at Riley.
    “So the food there is good?”
    “It’s awesome,” Chase said. “And the atmosphere is very…roman—”
    “Festive,” Brenda cut in. “Very festive.”
    “Good to know. A friend of mine is supposed to be coming back from Iraq in a few months, and a bunch of us are looking for a place to hold his welcome home party. I knew TF catered, but I wasn’t sure how the place was inside.” He focused on Brenda. “Would you say it’s a nice place for a non-wedding party?”
    “Oh, sure. The outdoor garden is a bit intimate, but the regular banquet rooms are good for any occasion, I would think.”
    “I’ll have to suggest it to my friends. Maybe I’ll check it out one of these weekends if I get some free time. I have to admit, I’m a little jealous of you two.”
    Chase and Brenda locked eyes while Riley picked at his food. They both remained silent, until he spoke again.
    “I haven’t been out to a good restaurant in longer than I can remember. The delivery guy from Romanelli’s Pizza thinks I have a crush on him. It’s a little creepy.”
    Brenda stared , and Chase raised a brow.
    Riley eyed them both clinically. “Guys, it’s a joke. I order in so much…wow…this is a tough crowd.” He laughed.
    “So you don’t get out much?” Chase asked.
    “That’s sort of what I was implying with the pizza remark. But, yeah. Essentially, if I’m not here, I’m at home with my face in a book. The last time I went on a date was…oh, gosh, back in May.”
    “Oh? That’s not really that far back…” Brenda’s cheeks flushed , and her stare hardened.
    Riley didn’t seem to notice. “ Somebody fixed me up on a blind date, but it didn’t go well. I got called in to work in the middle of dinner, and as it turns out, my date went home with the