Free A November Bride by Beth Vogt Page A

the Hartnett kids. What they were offering her was the chance to pursue some new adventures, as well as the chance to be closer to her parents. And what was holding her here except her beloved routine? Of course, no one in Oregon would know her as the girl who freaked out on the local morning news show—not that the incident bothered her anymore. Much.
    And then there was Erik . . . but what exactly was going on between them, anyway? Why the sudden romantic turn in their friendship? And what would happen in a few months when his internal warning system blared?
    At the sound of an elephant trumpeting through her bedroom, Sadie’s hand slid off the page, ripping it partway from the binding.
    An elephant? She silenced her phone before answering it.
    “Hello?”
    “Hey, Sadie Jehoshaphat!”
    “Now you’re messing with my ringtones and guessing some obscure Bible name? Honestly, Erik, if you’re calling to say you’re sorry for the other night, you now have two reasons to apologize.”
    “I’m calling to ask if you’ll go out with me.”
    “I’m not even certain I’m talking to you.”
    “Well, talk to me long enough to say, ‘Yes, Erik, I’ll go out with you.’ ”
    Sadie choked on her giggle.
    “You can’t be that mad at me if you’re laughing.”
    Sadie ran her fingers through her unwashed hair. “Erik . . .”
    “Yes, I’ll go out with you.”
    It was useless to resist the man—and did she even want to? “Yes, I’ll go out with you.”
    “Perfect. I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock.”
    “Tonight?”
    “No, this morning. See you then.”
    When he hung up, Sadie stared at the screen. This morning?
    Where were they going? What should she wear—and how was she supposed to be ready in an hour?
    When Erik showed up, Sadie had showered and changed into a pair of comfortable jeans—ones that she normally wore around the house. She accessorized them with a yellow sweater, opting to wear her hair loose. She applied her makeup but finally gave in and slipped on her glasses, an admission to a lurking headache. In all the years they’d known each other, Erik might have seen her wear her glasses a dozen times.
    When she opened the door after Erik’s knock, the first words out of his mouth were, “Forgive me?”
    He bowed his head, looking at her through lowered lashes, his bottom lip poking out like a pouty three-year-old’s.
    No way was she responding to that. “Overdoing it a bit, aren’t you?”
    “And I thought I had it down pretty well.”
    “I know you too well.”
    “I disagree.” He lifted her hand and pressed a warm kiss against it. “You know me perfectly.”
    Sadie fought the desire to step into Erik’s arms and give him a real good-morning kiss. She wasn’t sure what had gotten into her best friend, but she liked it—a lot.
    “So where are we going?”
    “To breakfast.”
    “Perfect. I’m starving.” Sadie linked her arm through his, enjoying the feel of his fingers intertwined between hers. “And where are we going for breakfast?”
    “Have you ever gone to the Brown Palace’s brunch?”
    “No—but isn’t that served on Sundays?”
    “Yes, but I didn’t know that when I planned this date. And the Broadmoor’s brunch is—”
    “On Sunday too.”
    “And it’s also where you did your culinary training, so why would you want to go eat there?”
    “Well, there is that.”
    Erik ushered her into his car. “I did find a very elite place to eat.”
    “Really? Where?”
    “My apartment. I thought I’d make you breakfast.”
    “What?”
    “Don’t worry. We’re being chaperoned.”
    “You’re kidding me.”
    “No. If we’re going to be careful about being alone in your house now that we’re dating, we need to uphold the same standards at my apartment.”
    She had to wait to continue the conversation until Erik was settled in the driver’s seat. “You did not ask someoneto come to your house and chaperone us. We’re adults, not teenagers.”
    “Agreed.”