Crossroad to Love (Fab Five Series) - By Anna Kristell Page 0,47

after all. He would speak to Shane about the possibility. And Katy would be coming back to Dallas to work on the designing of the party room, and possibly the office and other restaurants. And then, there was her son, would he approve of her seeing someone after all these years? And would he approve of him? Ryan asked himself all these questions and many more as he lay down on the bed.

He could not remember the last time he had been this happy. “I wonder what time the florist opens in the morning?” he asked aloud just before he finally fell asleep. I have not ordered flowers for a woman in a very long time. It was time to get back in the groove. He had a pretty little lady to woo. His yellow rose. Ryan could not wait to get to the restaurant in the morning and tell Chloe and Shane about his evening with his beautiful little Katy. I feel like a teenager after his first date.

Little did he know that, like Michael, his world would soon come crashing down around him once again.

CHAPTER 17

Morning dawned with the brilliant Texas sun shining brightly through Ryan’s bedroom window. He rolled out of bed and walked briskly into the kitchen, grabbing a phone book. He started the coffee pot and went to the desk to look for a florist. He located one and ordered two dozen yellow roses to be delivered to Katy at her suite. Will she be surprised? He wished he could be a fly on the wall to see her face when they arrived. Oh, but life is good and getting better all the time.

He walked back upstairs carrying his mug of hot coffee, singing to himself as thoughts of last night entered his head. Once he’d had a hot shower, he shaved, dressed, grabbed another cup of the steaming black coffee for the road, and headed out the door to work. As he drove down the expressway to the restaurant, he was already thinking of the next time he would see the beautiful little lady from Chicago. My yellow rose.

He entered the restaurant with a smile on his face and hugged a stunned Chloe, who had just walked into the dining room from the office. He picked her up and swung her around, and kissed her cheek when set her back down. “Good morning, sweet sister-in-law of mine.”

“Well, someone is sure in a good mood this morning. I take it y’all had a good time last night?” Chloe laughed as she looked up at her handsome brother-in-law.

“You could say that, Chloe, my sweet. Katy is wonderful.”

“Oh, Ryan, I am so happy for you. You deserve the best, you know.” Chloe could not have been happier for him. Ryan was more like a brother than brother-in–law, and she truly wanted him to be as happy as she and Shane had been all these years.

“And Katy is the best. I never knew women like her existed. I never ran across one before. Except for you, my love, and alas, my dear little brother found you first,” he teased her with a grin.

“What’s going on out here? Y’all flirting with my gal, bro?” Shane asked as he entered the dining room in time to hear the two of them laughing.

“Ryan was just telling me about his date last night. It seems your brother is quite smitten with a certain little gal from Chicago.”

“I never thought I’d see the day when my big brother was actually ‘smitten’ with anyone, let alone a Yankee gal.” Shane laughed as he patted Ryan on the back. “I’m happy for you, bro. Does this mean your playboy days are over? Whatever will the women of Dallas do?”

Laughing together, the three of them walked toward the office to begin the day’s work.

At about that same time, in their hotel suite, the ‘Fab Four’ were just forcing themselves awake after their few short hours of sleep when there was a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” yelled Lizzie as she poured herself a cup of hazelnut coffee.

“Who could be calling at this hour?” Angie asked sleepily.

“It is morning, honey, it just doesn’t seem like it to us.” Katy laughed at her sleepy friend. Angie seemed to be in a little better spirits this morning, although Katy could tell the evening’s events had taken a definite toll on her. Angie had dark circles under her eyes and her eyelids were puffy from crying most of the