Mending Fences Read Free Page B

journalist even less now.
    Oh, well. Going back wasn’t an option anyway. She’d spent every ounce of courage she had when she kissed him. She had to, though. It wasn’t every day a man like that paid attention to a woman like her. And small wonder he managed to keep a succession of starlets and hot young things on his arm. It definitely wasn’t just his bank account they liked. Even catching him off-guard, that was one of the better kisses she’d ever had.
    She shook her head, nearly dislodging Sassy from her shoulder as she tried to clear the memory of his heat, his taste, from her mind. No sense in reliving something that wouldn’t, couldn’t, and shouldn’t ever happen again. He’d shown an interest in her, and that alone made him off limits. She shivered, a thread of cold winnowing through the lingering heat of that brazen kiss. No, a safe little fantasy moment was all she could handle, and even that pushed the envelope.
    Victoria stood and adjusted the rat on her shoulder, then returned the remaining ice cream to the freezer as her cell rang. She glanced at the display. What was Mara calling for at this time of night?
    She answered the call. “Hi, cuz, you’re up late.”
    Her cousin snorted. “God, you’re getting old. It’s so not late yet. Sorry, should have called about this earlier, but I just remembered. Stepmom Number Three had dinner guests tonight, the Campbells. Anyway, they’re heading out before winter kicks in and their usual house-sitter moved to Ohio. And with you needing to move and stuff, I recommended you!”
    All thoughts of Curran Shaw vanished as she gave Mara’s voice her complete attention. “Wait, what? They need a house-sitter? For how long?”
    “All winter, I think. They don’t do snow anymore, so they’re leaving on Thanksgiving-ish. I don’t know, I was in a hurry to get to the party, so I don’t have details, but I’m texting you the number. You have to call them tomorrow or they’ll look for someone else.”
    Mara’s text hit her phone as her cousin said goodbye. The girl could be such a flake, but she might owe Mara big time after this.
    She cuddled Sassy like a baby in the crook of her arm. Even if the pay for the house-sitting was minimal, with free housing she could make huge strides on paying off the student loans that still sucked the life out of her budget after all this time. And she’d have even more time to hunt for a decent apartment.
    Sassy nibbled at her finger and she smiled at her pet. “Don’t worry, pretty girl, I won’t take the job if they have an aversion to rats. Or, if there are cats in the house.” Who was she kidding? She’d take it anyway and just make sure Sassy was well-guarded from kitty claws.
    She needed this so badly and any way she looked at it, she couldn’t see a downside. This would change everything for the better, she was certain. She felt it in her bones.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Two
     
    The third day of January dawned bright and clear, with a gorgeous blue sky and a foot of fresh powder transforming the landscape into a classic winter wonderland. The scenery beckoned to Victoria, begging her to come out for a ride in the frosty New Year air. How could she resist such a delightful invitation from Mother Nature?
    She slipped the bit into the big bay gelding’s mouth and eased the crownpiece over the horse’s ears. She pulled on her gloves and lifted the hood of the parka over her head. Sliding a pair of sunglasses on, she led Old Joe out of the stable and into the perfect morning.
    Sunlight glittered on the snow like diamonds strewn by last night’s storm, coating the surrounding mountainsides and dressing the bare aspen branches in a sparkling blanket. The crisp air tingled in her lungs. She gathered the reins and swung up into the saddle, nudging the bay into a gentle walk across the snowy meadow and onto the trail that meandered through the sparsely populated canyon.
    She intended to squeeze every last moment of