Valentine Wishes (Baxter Academy Book 1) Read Free Page A

two iced teas instead of one.” I shrug. “On you, of course.” I laugh. “I told Seamus to charge them to you.”
    “I’ll make sure and settle the tab.” He laughs. “I’d still like to take you to dinner, but…” He gestures to his clothing and holds out a dirty hand. “I’m not sure you want to be seen with me right now.”
    Maybe he is trying to get out of this. I’d be disappointed, of course. He is good looking and seems nice. “We can grab a pizza and go sit somewhere,” I offer and wait for him to make up and excuse.
    “Really?” His blue eyes light with hopefulness. “You wouldn’t mind?”
    He really does want to have dinner and I can’t help the giddiness bubbling inside, even though I try desperately to appear calm. “You know that little park area on Baxter Lane, right past the planation?”
    “The one that runs along the lake? The private drive?”
    “Yep. There’s a picnic area and beach on the lake. We can go there.”
    “That’s private property,” he reminds me.
    I laugh. “I know. My family owns it.” More specifically, me and my brothers own that small piece of land. It was my parents’ property but they never got a chance to build on it before they were killed. None of us will be building on that site now and turned it into a park like place to be used by all of the families for large gatherings. “Let’s call and order a pizza from Antonio’s and take it there.”
    He’s grinning. “Perfect. What do you like on your pizza?” He asks as he grabs his phone.
    “Anything but anchovies,” I answer, grinning. This is going to be so much better than sitting at Sullivan’s. Not that I don’t like Sullivan’s. But it was getting noisy with the Friday night dinner crowd, and at the lake, I’ll be able to have Brett Robak all to myself.
    He calls in the order and closes his phone.
    “I’ll meet you at Antonio’s and then you can follow me to the lake.”
    “Sounds like a plan.”
    Then he completely surprises me by walking me to the driver’s side of my car and opening the door. I can’t remember the last time a guy opened a door for me. I think I’m liking this guy even more and more.

    S he could have waited for me in the car, but Jacqueline follows me into Antonio’s and goes to the counter with me. The pizza isn’t ready yet so I duck into the bathroom. I can’t believe Jacqueline still wants to go out with me. Not only are my hands dirty, but there is a smudge of dirt on my forehead. Probably from wiping the sweat away. I grab paper towels and get them wet and soapy and try to scrub as much gunk from my face and hands as I can. Nothing can be done about the clothes, which are probably ruined, but at least the rest of me is clean.
    She’s standing with the box of pizza and a plain brown sack when I come back out.
    “You clean up well, Brett Robak.” She laughs.
    I go to the counter to pay for the pizza but she already has. “I could have gotten it.”
    “This date has already cost you a tire and two iced teas. It’s the least I could do.”
    I follow her out and help her into the little red car then get into my own and follow her to the lake. I’ve only been back here once, and that was when I was riding with Uncle Quinn and he was showing me the area. It’s a very quiet, private community. Does Jacqueline live in one of those large lakefront houses? She said her family owned this land. Which made sense. She is a Baxter. One of those Baxters, who are rich and into the arts. They even run a summer art camp for underprivileged kids.
    Jackie pulls into a small dirt parking lot and stops her car. I follow and she takes me to a picnic table closer to the lake and puts the box down. It’s a great night. The temperature is in the upper seventies, the sky is blue and the lake calm.
    She opens the sack and takes out two sodas, plastic forks and knives, as well as napkins before opening the box. You can’t pick up a slice of pizza from Antonio’s. You need a