Once Upon a Proposal by Allison Leigh Read Free Book Online Page A

eleven, usually.”
    â€œWhere’s it located? I could give you a lift home.”
    Her eyes narrowed a little. Her voice cooled—entering the same territory it had been in when she was dealing with her wannabe suitor, Tim. “I have a car.”
    â€œThis is coming out wrong,” he admitted, exhaling. “I’m not trying to sound like a stalker.”
    She shifted and placed her palms flat on the gleaming glass countertop. Her fingers were long and slender, the nails cut short and unvarnished. The only jewelry she wore was a narrow watch with an equally narrow leather band. “Why don’t you tell me what this is, then?”
    â€œThere’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Somewhere a little more private.”
    â€œIs Fiona all right?”
    â€œYeah,” he assured quickly. “Fine as always. This doesn’t concern her at all.” He lowered his voice. “It’s about my children, actually.”
    The wariness didn’t entirely leave her face. She looked over at Todd. “What about them? I suppose Fiona told you that I had a job as a nanny a few years ago, but—”
    â€œNo, actually, she hasn’t. But child care’s not the kind of help I’m looking for.”
    â€œThen what—”
    â€œI’ll tell you everything, just not here. Not now.”
    Her gaze dropped to the counter, to his hand, which had covered hers. Then she looked up again, her shoulder moving in a faint shrug beneath the gleaming brown ringlets spilling over it. “All right.” She slipped her hands from beneath his and tucked them back in her apron pockets. “If it can’t wait until you come to work on the floor this weekend, you can meet me at Tommi’s place. The Corner Bistro.” She told himwhere it was located. “If you want the best meal you’ve ever had, then come early before she shuts down the kitchen.”
    He wasn’t worried about finding a good meal. He was worried about losing his children for good. “Thanks. I’ll see you tonight.”
    Then, before he could second-guess what he was even contemplating, he peeled Todd away from the game, and quickly left.
    Â 
    â€œYou wanted a private place to talk.” Bobbie untied the red apron from her hips and neatly folded it before sitting down across from Gabe. “You’ve got it.”
    All of the other tables in her sister’s small bistro had been emptied. The other servers had finished their duties and departed for the evening. Even Tommi—after sending ping-ponging looks of concern between Bobbie and the lone man occupying a table near the wine bar—had finished her tasks in the kitchen and gone to her apartment upstairs, leaving Bobbie the responsibility of locking the back door after herself when she left.
    â€œWant a glass?” He held up the wine bottle that was sitting in the center of the table.
    Drinking one of her sister’s very excellent wines was one thing. Drinking that wine while alone with the man she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about was another. She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
    He refilled his own glass. His dishes had been cleared away—by Bobbie herself, who’d prayed all evening that she wouldn’t do something stupid, like spill his entree in his lap. It was one prayer that she’d been granted, at least. “Only thing better than a good wine is a cold beer. And you’re right about the food,” he offered now. “Your sister is a remarkable chef.”
    â€œI’ll tell her you said so.” She was immensely proud of hersister’s accomplishment where the Bistro was concerned. But she didn’t want to talk about Tommi. “So, what is it, exactly, that you wanted to talk to me about?”
    He took a sip of his wine. He’d abandoned the fine slacks and shirt of that afternoon and replaced them with black jeans and a thickly woven black