The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection: Nine Historical Romances Celebrate Marrying for All the Right Reasons by Gina Welborn and Kathleen Y’Barbo Erica Vetsch Connie Stevens Gabrielle Meyer Shannon McNear Cynthia Hickey Susanne Dietze Amanda Barratt Page B
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floral arrangements of apology for them, but it wouldn’t stop the interruptions. The one place he could avoid females was on his bicycle.
Except for one, but he didn’t mind that so much.
Josie, her trousers replaced by a navy-blue skirt, coasted toward him at a languid speed on her Yellow Fellow. A wide grin split her face. If only that grin arose from a fondness for him. “Look who’s training,” she called.
Daniel slowed his cycle and hopped off. “Seems you’re taking advantage of a pleasant Saturday morning, too.”
She alighted from her cycle and laid it on the ground. “A bit of it. Mrs. Predmore’s luncheon is in a few hours.”
And miles the other direction, just up the street from Josie’s home on Nob Hill. He couldn’t suppress a grin as he set his bicycle beside hers. “I think you missed a turn.”
A tiny smile pulled at one rosy cheek. “I needed to clear my head. Wilson and Nora return today, and I’m not sure what to say to him.”
She and Daniel, both. He’d prayed to forgive, and he knew he needed to confront Wilson, but all he sensed from the Lord was a strange sensation to let it go, for now. “It’s made me a target, that’s for sure.”
For females, and for a heavy load of ribbing from his friends.
“What happened with that woman, back in your office?”
The one with hollow cheeks, of course. His exhalation was long. “Not enough. One of her children is ill. She hasn’t had a man in her life in years. Just the sort of woman who could be helped by the Ladies’ Aid Society, but she refused. I gave her money for the doctor, and I promised to mention her to my friend at the Palace Hotel, who’s hiring, but I can’t marry her.” All he could do was pray.
The air grew heavy between them.
“You did what you could.” Then she grinned. “There’s no Mothers’ Home yet, anyway. Pity there isn’t an architect willing to design one for me.”
“Touché.” He laughed. “But you’re not perfect, either. Should I tell Estelle York you almost dropped her cat?”
“You wouldn’t dare. I caught the basket.” She swatted his shoulder.
His legs didn’t ache anymore. In fact, he felt more relaxed than he had since this whole debacle started. Maybe it had been too long since he laughed. “I think I’ll avoid Wilson altogether tonight and go to the Tivoli. That comic opera is ending its run.”
Her clear eyes widened. “
The Chimes of Normandy
? I’ve wanted to see it. Oh.” She covered her cheeks with her hands. “I’m not inviting myself. That just tumbled out. I’ll ask Fannie and Pablo Jiménez. We might see you there.”
He shouldn’t. But he couldn’t help it. “Why don’t we all go together? If you don’t think they’d mind.” Pablo Jiménez cycled, too, and whenever they met they discussed the sport.
She hopped on her toes. “They won’t mind.”
“I shall procure four tickets, then. If it doesn’t work, that’s fine. Your parents might object, after all.” Although they both knew her parents wouldn’t care that Daniel escorted her, or the Jiménezes chaperoned. They might not even notice her missing.
“I look forward to your call. You can visit Thisbe.” She wiggled her brows.
“And who, pray tell, is Thisbe?”
“Your cat.” Her gaze left his face, and her smile changed. “Good morning, Olive.”
For the briefest of seconds, Daniel had the urge to leap back on his cycle. Instead he prayed for strength and smiled. “Miss Gloss.”
He’d hoped for the weekend off from the raven-haired lady who’d happened to be outside Whitstone & Blair every morning when he went into work. She walked a small dog, which Josie greeted at once with a playful pat. Olive’s eyes flashed with curiosity as her gaze flickered between him and Josie. “Out riding together?”
Josie moved from the dog to her Yellow Fellow. “Just ran into each other, but I must be off. Mrs. Predmore’s tea is today. Have you reconsidered attending,
Except for one, but he didn’t mind that so much.
Josie, her trousers replaced by a navy-blue skirt, coasted toward him at a languid speed on her Yellow Fellow. A wide grin split her face. If only that grin arose from a fondness for him. “Look who’s training,” she called.
Daniel slowed his cycle and hopped off. “Seems you’re taking advantage of a pleasant Saturday morning, too.”
She alighted from her cycle and laid it on the ground. “A bit of it. Mrs. Predmore’s luncheon is in a few hours.”
And miles the other direction, just up the street from Josie’s home on Nob Hill. He couldn’t suppress a grin as he set his bicycle beside hers. “I think you missed a turn.”
A tiny smile pulled at one rosy cheek. “I needed to clear my head. Wilson and Nora return today, and I’m not sure what to say to him.”
She and Daniel, both. He’d prayed to forgive, and he knew he needed to confront Wilson, but all he sensed from the Lord was a strange sensation to let it go, for now. “It’s made me a target, that’s for sure.”
For females, and for a heavy load of ribbing from his friends.
“What happened with that woman, back in your office?”
The one with hollow cheeks, of course. His exhalation was long. “Not enough. One of her children is ill. She hasn’t had a man in her life in years. Just the sort of woman who could be helped by the Ladies’ Aid Society, but she refused. I gave her money for the doctor, and I promised to mention her to my friend at the Palace Hotel, who’s hiring, but I can’t marry her.” All he could do was pray.
The air grew heavy between them.
“You did what you could.” Then she grinned. “There’s no Mothers’ Home yet, anyway. Pity there isn’t an architect willing to design one for me.”
“Touché.” He laughed. “But you’re not perfect, either. Should I tell Estelle York you almost dropped her cat?”
“You wouldn’t dare. I caught the basket.” She swatted his shoulder.
His legs didn’t ache anymore. In fact, he felt more relaxed than he had since this whole debacle started. Maybe it had been too long since he laughed. “I think I’ll avoid Wilson altogether tonight and go to the Tivoli. That comic opera is ending its run.”
Her clear eyes widened. “
The Chimes of Normandy
? I’ve wanted to see it. Oh.” She covered her cheeks with her hands. “I’m not inviting myself. That just tumbled out. I’ll ask Fannie and Pablo Jiménez. We might see you there.”
He shouldn’t. But he couldn’t help it. “Why don’t we all go together? If you don’t think they’d mind.” Pablo Jiménez cycled, too, and whenever they met they discussed the sport.
She hopped on her toes. “They won’t mind.”
“I shall procure four tickets, then. If it doesn’t work, that’s fine. Your parents might object, after all.” Although they both knew her parents wouldn’t care that Daniel escorted her, or the Jiménezes chaperoned. They might not even notice her missing.
“I look forward to your call. You can visit Thisbe.” She wiggled her brows.
“And who, pray tell, is Thisbe?”
“Your cat.” Her gaze left his face, and her smile changed. “Good morning, Olive.”
For the briefest of seconds, Daniel had the urge to leap back on his cycle. Instead he prayed for strength and smiled. “Miss Gloss.”
He’d hoped for the weekend off from the raven-haired lady who’d happened to be outside Whitstone & Blair every morning when he went into work. She walked a small dog, which Josie greeted at once with a playful pat. Olive’s eyes flashed with curiosity as her gaze flickered between him and Josie. “Out riding together?”
Josie moved from the dog to her Yellow Fellow. “Just ran into each other, but I must be off. Mrs. Predmore’s tea is today. Have you reconsidered attending,
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