The Bouquet List by Barbara Deleo Read Free Book Online

Ever.”
    “Really? Why not?”
    “I guess it feels like another expectation for me, like something I’m supposed to do. Even if I did decide to have a ceremony, I couldn’t imagine that he’d be a Greek guy, so a wedding in a flashy place like the Palace wouldn’t suit me. I’m planning on meeting a guy on a beach on the other side of the world and just going where the mood takes us.”
    He couldn’t stop himself from frowning, still trying to reconcile the image he’d always had of Yasmin with the colorful creature sitting in his coupe. Her sexiness had shocked him when they’d met in the tea shop, but now he was more intrigued by the fact that he still felt that way about her when they were clearly so different.
    “How about you?” Her voice softened. “Are you after the big wedding?”
    His fingers curled around the steering wheel. “Absolutely. But I have no illusions. Finding the right person will take time and consideration. I guess it’s like my new restaurant—it’s something I’ve always aspired to, and when the time was right I made it happen. When I do find her, I want a marriage that I can be proud of, a relationship that’s alive and evolving.” Before she could ask him any more he said, “I reckon Nick will want to have a traditional wedding too.”
    “Ooooh, yes. Nick will want to have the expensive white wedding and the wife who does what he tells her to. She’ll be from the right sort of family and know that she’s never quite going to be his equal. He and Dad have always thought that women were a little hopeless.”
    “That’s a little harsh.”
    She looked out her side window and smoothed the fabric of her skirt. “They can be a bit Neanderthal at times.”
    “I think they both care a lot about you.” Lane slowed for a red light and turned to her. “There’s a lot worse you could have in your life than people who are looking out for you.”
    “Of course.”
    “When are you going to tell Nick about what’s happening with your parents?”
    She shrugged. “I’ll let them decide that. I think Dad’s hoping he’ll have Mom back here by the end of the week and that Nick and Ari will be none the wiser, but I don’t like secrets. I tried to Skype Mom after you left this morning, but she wasn’t at my aunt’s. I’ll call her tomorrow and see how she is and what’s she’s going to tell my brothers. Hey, look,” she said, pointing out the window. “You and Nick used to do karate in that old building, didn’t you?”
    “You remember that?”
    “Of course. I used to come watch you sometimes.”
    He sensed she didn’t want to talk about her family anymore, so he turned the conversation back to the restaurant. “We’ll need to win a whole new crowd who want something more contemporary and a little bit European in our redesign. Have you been to Costa’s?”
    Her shoulders relaxed and she stopped stroking the fabric of her dress. “No, but I’ve heard of him. I haven’t been home much since I moved to California for college.”
    “I let Costa know we were coming. I’ve done advisory work for him in the past, so I asked if he could be there tonight for a quick chat after we’ve eaten, and he agreed.”
    “Have you been seeing her for a while?”
    Lane frowned, unsure whom Yasmin was talking about. “Sorry, who?”
    She’d started the fabric-stroking thing again and he sat forward in his seat. Behind that newly confident exterior there were still hints of the reserved girl he’d known, and he couldn’t figure her out. He stopped at a red light. His old high school was on the corner, and he tried to think back to what Yasmin was like when they were younger. Why were his memories of her so vague?
    “The girl tomorrow.”
    “Oh, Lisa. We meet regularly. I have a charity organization that picks up leftover food from supermarkets and restaurants and delivers it to soup kitchens. She coordinates the work, and we catch up from time to time about it. Chances are