It's In His Smile (A Red River Valley Novel Book 3) Read Free Page B

inexplicable thrill of challenge bolted through him. The same thrill he got every time he was faced with a new environmental building project the experts said couldn’t be done.
    “Then it’s a good thing I don’t need your permission to speak,” she said.
    “Still just as sassy as I remember.” His voice dropped to a whisper, and his eyes wandered over her pretty face.
    A breeze kicked up, sending a chill all the way to his bones in Red River’s high mountain altitude. Miranda shivered against the cold blast of air, and the tiny dog wiggled, trying to escape from her grasp. She lunged forward to catch him just as Talmadge did the same. They collided, his good arm sliding around her waist again to steady her.
    Sandwiched between them, Lloyd whimpered. At least he’d helped save the dog from falling even if Miranda was trying to level him with a badass stare.
    He should let her go.
    But hell no. She felt too right against him. His head dipped, and he inhaled a big dose of the tasty scent of her perfume . . . or soap . . . or shampoo . . . or whatever made her smell so delicious that his mouth watered like a Pavlovian dog.
    Not smart.
    That had gotten him neutered once before. His balls were probably still mounted on Miranda’s wall like a trophy she’d taken down on safari.
    But having her so close surprisingly eased the ache of sadness over losing the only mother figure he’d ever really known. And the guilt over having left Bea behind to save the world, one environmentally conscious building at a time.
    Miranda pulled out of his embrace, her long, silky hair bouncing around her shoulders. He instantly regretted letting her go. Her warmth drained away from him, replaced by coldness both in his limbs and around his heart. The ache in his chest and his shoulder throbbed even more, or at least it seemed to, without her softness pressed against him.
    She clutched for the backside of her split pants, no doubt trying to cover herself. Waste of time, because that part of her very feminine anatomy was forever burned into his memory. Had been long before today. Ever since that one time . . . her first time . . . and the only time for him that was worth remembering.

C hapter T wo

    “Lloyd is yours now.” Miranda tried to hand Lloyd to Talmadge again, but he took another step back. She splayed a hand across the gaping hole in her pants. Dang, it was cold out.
    “No. He’s not.” Talmadge absently rubbed his shoulder. “I can’t take care of a dog.”
    “He’s sweet, but I can’t take care of him right now either.” The renovations, a contractor who rarely showed up for work, and a dwindling bank account occupied every minute of every day. She was running short on both time and money. If the Closed sign in the window didn’t turn to Open soon, she’d end up right back at Joe’s waiting tables for the rest of her life.
    Fear sliced through her.
    More tears of grief threatened.
    She beat them back, because as much as she missed Bea, she would not show weakness to anyone in this town again. She’d weathered the fiery looks of condescension and the gossip from a certain group of Red River’s population because of her mother’s reputation. She wasn’t about to go weak and needy now that she was so close to her dream of independence. Or her dream of becoming a respectable business owner and proving that she was nothing like her mother.
    Two skiers slid past and disappeared behind the crop of evergreens, heading toward the lodge. Miranda turned away so they couldn’t see her butt. Which meant her butt was pointing toward Talmadge. Sheee-ut! She spun back around to face him. Why couldn’t he just go away? Leaving hadn’t been a problem for him in the past. At the very least, he could go back inside the inn and leave her alone.
    She gave him the same wicked smile usually reserved for the occasional drunken tourists who got too fresh when she’d waitressed at Joe’s. She’d perfected that look early