Picture Perfect (Butler Island) by Nikki Rittenberry Read Free Book Online Page A

a change. The avocado-green
countertops had been replaced with black-speckled Formica; the outdated
linoleum floor now covered with gray porcelain tile and the walls were painted
a lighter shade of gray. The cabinets appeared to be the same, however they’d
been painted white, brightening the once dull room.
    She inquired about the renovations
and was told that it’d taken place four years earlier. And the kitchen wasn’t
the only place to receive a facelift: the entire station had undergone one as
well.
    “If you’d like a tour, I can show you
around”, Grant offered.
    “Thank you. That’d be great!”
    They wound their way around the entire
station: The bunk room where they slept, the “corral” that housed a row of
black leather recliners and a wall-mounted T.V. for evening relaxation, the
small weight room, and finally the bay where they’d stumbled upon one another
earlier.
    “So… Have you given any thought to my
dinner invitation?”
    Olivia bit her bottom lip and crossed
her arms. “You are a persistent thing, aren’t you?”
    He studied her. She was clearly
debating with herself.
    Face it, Womack, she’s not
interested! “C’mon, you mean to tell me that the ‘daredevil’ is afraid to have
dinner with me?”
    That sounded like a challenge… “Alright,
what time?” she questioned.
    “How about I pick you up at seven?”
    “How about I meet you at your place
at seven?” She countered.
    Grant couldn’t contain his smile. As
usual, she needed to have the upper hand.
     “Deal.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 5
     
     
     
    Hmmm… a pair of jeans or a slinky
dress?
      It’d been over a year since
her last date. Being a freelance photographer wasn’t like other jobs. Natural
and man-made disasters were never planned in advance. She couldn’t glance at
her schedule and predict when or where her next adventure would take her. Her
frequent travels over the past year kept her far too busy for a relationship
and after the horrific experience from her last date, she hadn’t been overly
eager to get back into the dating game.
    Why are you obsessing over your
wardrobe? This isn’t a real date, remember? Grant is just a friend.
     A friend who happens to kiss as
though his life depended on it…
    Olivia searched through her closet
and finally decided on a long, navy maxi-dress, a fitted denim jacket, and a
pair of silver sandals. The final ensemble was dressier than her normal
everyday attire, yet still casual. She wanted to look nice, but she also didn’t
want to give Grant the impression that she’d put a lot of thought into tonight.
    You have put a lot of thought into
it—in fact, that’s all you’ve been thinking about since you left the fire
station yesterday!
    Okay, so maybe she was a little
excited. Was that so terrible?
     Clearly they were attracted to one
another and they had a good time whenever
they were together. Their feelings for one another weren’t serious—they
were just having fun. It wasn’t like she was going to sleep with him or
anything—  
    “Where are you going tonight?” Ty
asked as she approached the front door.
    “Um, just having dinner with a
friend.”
     She wasn’t exactly sure why she’d
said that. She wasn’t sixteen; she was twenty-seven—an adult. He couldn’t
“forbid” her to have dinner with Grant. And besides, her and Grant were
“friends.” A man and a woman could have dinner together without labeling it a
“date”, couldn’t they?
     
     
    Raising the
bottle to his lips, Grant took another large pull from his beer and then placed
it on the counter. He hadn’t planned on
drinking before his date with Olivia, but as the minutes ticked by it be came clear that he needed something to calm his nerves.
    Quit acting like a fucking wuss! It’s
not even a real date—you practically dared her to have dinner with you…
    Yeah, not one of his finest moments.
    The doorbell rang, and after chugging
the remainder of his beer, he hurried