Harlequin Romance March 2021 Box Set by Cara Colter (best novel books to read .TXT) 📕

catch him staring, he turned on his cell phone light and strode to the wine cabinet in the kitchen.

As he gathered a tray, glasses and wine, he thought about the details that had come back to him after Ronnie had gone to the guest room. He had taken a quick shower, changed into a robe and stretched out on his bed, not bothering to pull back the covers. He had returned to the conversation he had had briefly with Casson after Andy had left the room. Casson had expressed his displeasure with Ronnie’s husband, who had been unable to cope with the situation, and had gotten his own apartment.

“The poor guy wasn’t getting enough attention,” Casson had muttered sarcastically. “Well, Ronnie doesn’t need a guy like that. She has enough on her plate, dealing with a very sick little boy.” He had gone on to say that he loved his cousin and godson and that when Andy had finished his treatment, he was going to suggest to Ronnie that she move to Parry Sound to be closer to him and Justine and the baby they were expecting.

Ronnie had been manager of Casson’s hardware store in Gravenhurst, and he would offer her a position as Provincial Marketing Manager, which she could do from any location. She was more than qualified, having graduated with a master’s in Business Administration and Marketing, and the bonus was that their kids could grow up together. She needed family to be around her and Andy, Casson had said, emotion catching in his throat. And when Franklin’s Resort was built, they would be among the first to stay there for a week’s rest and relaxation.

Red had been seeing Sofia at that time, and the news about Andy’s illness had made him sad, thinking about how devastated he would feel if Marco were undergoing treatment for a life-threatening illness. Red and Casson had moved on to other points of conversation, but after he had left to drive back to Toronto, Red hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Andy. And his mother. Casson had pointed to a picture of both of them from when Andy had turned two. The boy was standing up on a chair at the kitchen table. His little cheeks were puffed up, about to blow out the cake candles, and Ronnie was standing behind his chair, her hands around his waist to ensure he didn’t fall. She was beaming at Andy, and Red remembered thinking what a lovely woman she was.

His memory sharpening, he recalled that in the photo her hair was styled in a pixie cut, which suited her heart-shaped face. Now she had let it grow out. Either way, she was a beauty. A wholesome, natural beauty…

Red started as another branch clattered onto the roof. He forced himself to suspend his daydreaming and fixed a plate with a variety of cheeses and crackers. When he returned to the living room, he set down the tray on a small table between the recliners.

He poured the wine and handed Ronnie a glass. “Cheers,” he said, grinning. “Might as well make the best of this adventure.”

“Cheers,” Ronnie said, giving him a curious look as they clinked glasses. “Is your disposition always this cheerful in the midst of environmental adversity?”

He burst out laughing. “Nobody’s ever asked me such a question. Hmm.” He stroked his jaw. “I generally like to stay positive in adverse environmental conditions and other trying situations,” he said. He twirled his glass and met her gaze, amused that she was still looking at him as if he were some incomprehensible species from another planet.

“Are you following some kind of Eastern philosophy or something like that?” she said, genuine curiosity in her voice. “Surely you can’t stay positive all the time…”

“Well, now, to answer your first question, I do occasionally meditate,” he said. “And as for the second, I have been known to slip into the dark world of negativity when my hockey team is losing zero to three.”

“So you’re a hockey fanatic,” she said, raising her eyebrows.

“You mean hockey fan,” he corrected. “Go, Leafs, go!”

“A Toronto fan…” She smiled. “Just like my son.”

“Since I was a kid. Forever a faithful fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.” He lifted his glass in a mock toast.

Her lips quirked. “A fan with astounding alliteration ability.”

He chuckled. “And you’re a lady with a lovely literary lexicon.”

She laughed. “Okay, enough. I don’t think I can top that.” She took a sip of her wine and then set it down as the pelting against the windows intensified. “If this freezing rain keeps up, you’ll have your own skating rink in your driveway.”

Red saw her brows knit together. “Are you worried about your son?” he said gently.

Her gaze flew to his. “How do you…? Of course. Casson told you about Andy…”

She looked at him with narrowed eyes, almost as if she were speculating how much he knew about her personal life.

“No, I’m not worried about him. At the moment, that is.” She glanced at her watch. “By now, he’s been fed, bathed, read to and tucked into bed.” She shifted her gaze to the fire for a few moments and then suddenly turned toward Red again. “Do you have any kids?”

Red’s eyebrows went up. Ronnie was treading in sensitive waters. The relationship that he and Marco had shared had felt close to a father-son relationship. In fact, they had done what most dads seemed to do with their kids: play sports and games, go to the park, read, help with homework, go fishing… The thought that he wasn’t doing any of those activities anymore struck him hard. Again.

A year may have passed since the breakup with Sofia, but his feelings about Marco hadn’t dulled or changed. He missed the lad. A lot. And he vowed to himself every night that he would never cause himself this kind of grief again… Realizing that Ronnie was waiting for him to respond, he shook his head. “No, I don’t have any children,” he