To Have and to Hold by Gina Robinson Read Free Book Online Page A

pointed, ground her coffee fresh, sliced a hunk of bread, and popped it in the toaster.
    I grabbed the envelope and tried not to gasp when I glanced inside and saw a thousand dollars in cash and a shiny new credit card. Not a black card, unfortunately. Jus evidently thought I needed a much lower credit limit. Maybe he was right to be cautious, haha. There was a sticky note attached to the credit card: I added you to this account.
    It was written in block letter print, like engineers use. Fairly neat. Legible, which was all that mattered. The sight of it made my pulse race and brought a smile to my face. There was something about Jus…
    The toast popped up. Magda buttered it and set it before me on the counter along with a crystal bowl of fresh, homemade strawberry jam.
    "Mr. Justin said strawberry is your favorite. The strawberry crop is good this year. I just made a large batch last week. Now that I know this, I'll make another this afternoon." Magda set a cup of coffee in front of me while I marveled that Jus remembered I loved strawberries, and strawberry jam was an absolute weakness of mine.
    "Speaking of Mr. Justin," Magda said, "you need to take better care of him."
    I looked at her, startled. Magda apparently held an old-fashioned view of marriage. Like somehow Jus was my charge. "How so?"
    "He left the house wearing that ugly brown shirt of his and the greenish jeans he likes. It doesn't go together. Mr. Justin has no sense of color. I can't argue him out of wearing those colors together. Believe me, I've tried. He gets defensive. I know my place and value my job, so I keep my mouth shut now." She gave me a sly look. "You have more pull with him and a good sense of style."
    She was obviously offering the olive branch, bonding with me by worrying over how Jus dressed and looked. She was so cute, almost motherly in her concern for his image.
    "I can't change him." I meant it.
    She arched an eyebrow.
    I laughed. " Much . He was wearing mismatched colors?" I frowned.
    "Yes, and after he looked so nice yesterday when you dressed him." She sighed. "You know what I think? I'm tempted to sew little tags in his clothes so he knows what goes with what. Like that children's clothing line from years ago when mine were small." She chuckled.
    I didn't exactly dress him. An image flashed through my mind. Sliding an expensive, perfectly tailored shirt over his broad shoulders. I knew exactly the cut. Round armholes instead of the standard oval, for a slimmer fit across the chest. Buttoning mother-of-pearl buttons one by one up his hard chest. Lingering just enough to touch and tease him. An "accidental" touch here and there. Zipping the fly of handsewn slacks…
    I felt myself flush. Great clothes and a good body were my weakness…
    "It will be bad for his new image, and yours, if you let him slip out like that again." She sighed heavily.
    Magda startled me out of my fantasy. Her tone was scolding. Clearly she thought I needed to get up and see him off properly. To take care of my guy. Living in a sorority house had taught me many things. Rule number one—never alienate the help. I needed Magda on my side.
    "You're right!" I smiled at her. "We can't let him go out looking like…usual."
    She smiled, pleased and satisfied with herself, as she nodded. "His business is known for its fashion and flair, and there is Mr. Justin in his sad, mismatching colors…" She shook her head.
    Obviously unfashionable. I flashed her a conspiratorial smile, knowing full well I was being manipulated.
    "You've shown me the light, Magda. Attacking his closet and, for lack of a better word, streamlining his wardrobe is now a priority on my list of things to do."
    "You should go shopping for him, too." She busied herself wiping down the milk frother, tossing the comment off nearly under her breath.
    She was good.
    "I should go shopping for him," I said, as if it was all my idea. "Fun!"
    "It will be a nice break from all the paperwork to change your name."