Lakeside Romance Read Online Free Page A

books and thrust it at him.
    He took it, caught the return address—Shelby Lake County Juvenile Detention Center—and his gut tightened. He shoved it in his back pocket, planning to add it to the rest later. “Thanks for dropping it off.”
    â€œYou’re welcome.” She turned away from the door and started across the porch. Before he could close the door, she turned back to him. “You’re probably going to think I’m a nut or something, but I could smell something amazing coming from your place, so I wondered who did your cooking.” Her words tumbled over her lips so quickly and without a breath in between that Alec was thankful she didn’t just pass out from the effort.
    â€œMy cooking?”
    She shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, something smells so great.”
    Was she wrangling for an invitation?
    â€œI do my own cooking.”
    â€œYou made...” She paused, lifted her nose and inhaled deeply a moment before letting out the pent up breath slowly. A smile spread easily across her face as if it was something she did often. “It smells fantastic. What is it, by the way?”
    â€œZuppa Toscana and Italian herb bread.”
    â€œSounds like something you’d get in a restaurant. My friend Melissa is an amazing cook, too.” Sarah shifted the load in her arms again. Alec caught a glimpse of one of the titles and recognized it as a cookbook he had sitting on the shelf next to his fridge. “Would you like a job?”
    He scowled “A job? I have a job.”
    â€œRight.” She waved a hand as if dismissing her offer. “I’m sure you do. This isn’t even a regular job. Especially since you wouldn’t get paid.”
    â€œThat sounds really appealing.” He folded his arms over his chest and pressed a shoulder against the doorjamb.
    She laughed, a sound that stirred a dormant feeling inside him. “Actually it’s a temporary volunteer position. I’m overseeing a new summer outreach program through the youth ministry at my church. We’re helping teenagers learn basic life skills such as cooking, cleaning, budgeting, etcetera. My program partner, who is this amazing chef, had emergency surgery last night, so now she won’t be able to do the cooking portion of the program. And, well, as you saw last night with the popcorn fiasco, I’m not exactly Martha Stewart.”
    Did this woman ever breathe between sentences? Another time, he might’ve found her rambling endearing...
    He straightened and reached for the stack of books. He turned them over to read the titles on the spines, then curled them into the crook of his arm. “Did Billy put you up to this?”
    â€œWho?” She shot him a questioning look.
    â€œNever mind. So let me see if I’m understanding you correctly... You’re looking for someone to help you teach teenagers to cook?”
    She rubbed her hands over the red creases the stack of books had left on her arms. “Yes, actually. Are you interested?”
    Placing his free hand in the front pocket of his jeans, he laughed and shook his head. “No. Not in a million years, sister.”
    â€œBut—” Her brows knitted together.
    â€œI’m sorry.” He handed the cookbooks back to her. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to take some food to my uncle.”
    Even though Gran would lecture him on his rudeness, he closed the door and walked back to the kitchen, not waiting to see if his babbling neighbor continued to stand on his front porch.
    The last thing in the world he wanted was to hang out with a bunch of teenagers. No, thank you. He wasn’t going down that road again.
    He flicked the heat off under the sputtering soup, stirred it a final time and then ladled some into several glass bowls. After packing the single servings into a shallow box along with the bread, Alec carried the food out the back kitchen door and followed the sidewalk trailing