He's Got Her Goat Read Free Page B

Paige’s booth, he'd thought he was done for. Luckily, she got distracted, and he convinced the intern that his ticket to full-time employment was an introduction. In return, Austin had made Sterling promise two things. To be punctual when she called, and to be nice to her. The first wasn’t a problem since Sterling always fulfilled his commitments. And the second, from what little he’d seen of Paige, would be even easier.

 
    Chapter Three

    P AIGE’S TIRES SKIDDED TO A STOP against the gravel driveway. She bounded from the car with keys in hand while trying to figure out which wholesale customers would be least bothered by a delay in delivery. With only two batches curing on the kitchen table, she resigned herself to pulling another all-nighter. Her house key was poised to meet the lock when the heavy oak door groaned open on its own.
    Could she have forgotten to lock up? She poked her head in and shouted, “Hello?”
    She listened. Not a sound. Chills raced up her spine.
    Taking half a step forward, she scanned the room and relaxed. It looked the same as she’d left it. A mess. Every surface was either crammed with bottles of crushed herbs and essential oils, stacked with curing soap tins and blankets for wrapping them, or littered with printouts of orders and new recipes. In the kitchen the sink overflowed with crusty muffin tins that she used for soap forms. No way someone would even think about breaking in. They wouldn’t be able to find anything even if they did. She must not have pulled the door all the way shut behind her.
    Feeling foolish, she rushed to the end of the hall where a stack of boxes sat ready to be mailed. The sound of packing tape tearing off the first box was a bit painful. All that work would have to be redone, and her invoices would be wrong, but what other choice did she have?
    Ripping open another box, she groaned at the thought of tracking their replacement. The format for a simple spreadsheet appeared in her mind. It would save hours of work and should only take a few minutes to create. She rushed to the computer sitting on the arm of her sofa. Before her fingers could touch the keyboard, her heart leapt in her chest. The laptop was open.
    She clearly remembered slamming it shut once she heard Blanche out at the barn, right before her shower. In fact, she’d been so excited about the first day of the market and had so little sleep that she’d shut it too hard and worried she might have damaged the case. No doubt about it. Someone had been here.
    A second later, a board creaked on the other side of the house. Her head shot up, and she held her breath. Every nerve in her body jolted on alert. All was silent for a full minute. Then a rustling sound came from her bedroom. That was it. Her legs seemed to have a mind of their own as they propelled her out the door.
    Pulling out her cellphone, she dialed.
    “911. What is your emergency?”
    “I think there is someone in my house. I live alone in a rural area. When I got home, my door was open.” She was panting out of fear.
    “We’ll send someone out immediately. Stay on the line until they arrive.”
    “I will. Should I wait outside?” she asked.
    No reply.
    She reworded her concern. “Would it be better if I got in my car and locked the doors?”
    Still no reply.
    She held her cell out and looked at the screen. It was black. The little red light on the side was blinking. Her battery was dead.
    Pocketing the phone, she tapped her foot on the front step and peered through the open doorway. Between school loans and the costs of starting her fledging business, she didn’t have anything left worth taking. The only thing of value she could think of was behind her. The goats!
    She sprinted across the gravel driveway to the old barn. Her milking goats were kept in the side paddock which butted against the yard. They rushed forward as soon as they saw her, braying and leaping up against the fence to present their heads for a good