Tempting Fate by Lisa Mondello Read Free Book Online Page A

it.
    "For God's sakes, why not?" He genuinely looked aghast. His clear blue eyes were darker in color, and his mouth agape.
    "Not everyone has a close-knit family," she said softly, taking the frame from his hand and returning it to its rightful place.
    She could feel his eyes probed her, seeking the answer to his questions. It made her insides churn.
    "What could they have possibly done to make you leave?"
    She straightened her spine and swung around to face him. "It was a mutual thing, Kyle. I'd prefer not to dredge up the past. Can we talk about something else, please?"
    He drew in a deep breath and for the first time Lauren saw the muscles of his chest expand against the hunter green cotton shirt he wore. He was strong in form where she had always considered herself strong in will. Why did the man make her insides crazy? She had an unfamiliar feeling of longing to touch him coupled with the terror of wanting to fly like a bat out of hell.
    He smiled wickedly. "Okay, dinner on Sunday."
    "What about it?" she asked as if she didn't already know what he was getting at.
    "I've already spilled the beans and told my parents you were coming. To be perfectly honest, your presence there could help me redeem myself after the Thanksgiving fiasco."
    She laughed, remembering Judy's mention of a perfectly basted turkey and decided to tease him. "Kyle, don't tell me you ate all the turkey. You're a grown man-"
    "I wasn't the one who ate all the turkey. Anyway, you're never grown as far as your parents are concerned. Mine still think of me as the twelve year old dirty-faced kid that got deposited on their doorstep." His smile was wide and did wonders to help dissipate the tension caused by the mention of her parents.
    Her mouth dropped open. "You were twelve?"
    "Yeah. Here my folks were praying for a baby. You can imagine their surprise when all they got was a juvenile delinquent." He rubbed his face with his hand and shook his head as if in remembrance.
    "I'm sure you weren't that bad or you wouldn't have ended up as successful as you are now," she suggested.
    "Oh, success was a long time coming. The road getting to today has been pretty rocky." He dropped his gaze from her and circled the rim of his mug with the edge of his thumb.
    "Tell me about it," she urged, suddenly intrigued.
    He gave a quick smile. "Maybe someday."
    "How am I going to help you redeem yourself if I don't know your story?"
    "Does that mean you're coming?"
    She'd backed herself into a corner with that one. "You know, I hadn't planned on going tonight. It was a spur of the moment decision. What would you have done if I hadn't shown up?"
    He squinted one eye as he looked at her and said, "I probably would have been in the dog house."
    "Why's that?"
    "Let's just say that my mother is a maniac about three things-breakfast, lunch and dinner." He laughed hard and added, "And she doesn't share my need for taking in strays of the four legged variety."
    "This sounds like a good story."
    "Come on Sunday and I'll tell you about it."
    She couldn't figure out why this meant so much to Kyle. But after meeting his folks, she had to admit the idea of a family Sunday sounded appealing. In fact, it seemed downright heavenly. She missed her own parents so much that she couldn't resist even a few hours in the company of nice people like the Prestons.
    "We'll be there."
    * * *
    Lauren slammed the car door and stood in the driveway gazing at the Preston home. The house was something out of a Currier and Ives picture print. The lighted Christmas tree as well as the tiny white lights illuminating each window could be seen from the street and were the first thing to catch Lauren's attention. Snow clung to the evergreen garland strung around the railing and banister of the Farmers porch giving the house a welcoming quality.
    With her gloved hand placed over her chest, she fought her emotions. It reminded her of her grandmother's home in upstate New York where she'd spent the holidays as a