A Santini's Heart (The Santinis Book 10) Read Online Free PDF

morning. But he was trying his best to get her to talk. Tia had a legendary temper, but if she concentrated on something else, she tended to forget she was mad.
    “I saw it. Just was making conversation.”
    She turned abruptly and he almost ran into her.
    “I appreciate it, but I just need to work through my mad. Once I do, I will be nice to you. Otherwise, just steer clear.”
    “Now, Tia, you know I can’t let you do that.”
    “And why can’t you let me do that?”
    “I want to help.”
    “I don’t need to be fixed. I don’t need the legendary Santini smile or that “gee, shucks,” manner to make me feel better. I need work. Physical work.”
    “I—”
    “Stop. Just stop. Just leave me alone and I will be better off. I’m not broken.”
    She said it so loud, a few of the horses whinnied. Tia settled her hands on her hips and sighed as she looked down at the ground. She mumbled something under her breath, then she looked up.
    “I didn’t say you were broken.”
    “The attitude, Santini. I know you well enough to know you don’t like any kind of agitation. I want to be mad. Let me work through it. I don’t need you making it worse.”
    “I’m not trying to make it worse.” But now he was getting mad. Why couldn’t the woman just accept what he offered at face value?
    “But you are. You always do. In fact, you make it ten times worse. Just…go away.”
    Then, she turned and strode off. It was odd behavior from a woman he never really could get a handle on. Carlos wanted to follow her and insist she tell him what was wrong. Fortunately, he had been raised by a smart woman, and had contended with his evil sister Elena. He knew when to let a woman have time to cool off.
    He glanced at his horse Merry—named for her Christmas Day birth four years earlier. He shook his head.
    “Women are just not worth it. Except for you, love,” he said as he approached the paddock.
    Merry seemed to nod in agreement before letting him pet her.
    “Lots of work today. I better get to it.”
    And with that, he decided to start the day. Tia wasn’t the only one who did better when she was busy.

    * * *
    B y six , Tia was ready for a gallon of sweet iced tea. It had decided to turn damned hot, and worse, there was a storm brewing in the west. She could see the thunderheads as she stomped up to the house. She hadn’t talked to Carlos since this morning. They had been cordial in front of their clients, but both of them had avoided working together. It was like each of them knew there was trouble coming down the road. It simmered in the air between them.
    She stepped onto the covered front porch, just as she heard a crack of thunder. Dammit, she wasn’t going to get home before the rain. And worse, if this was going to be a bitch of a storm, she really didn’t want to be around, but part of her knew she had to stay. Storms were always tricky business with horses, and while Carlos could probably handle it, she was enough of a professional to make sure he wasn’t tested.
    Someone was trying to just mess with her. She had been close to grabbing Carlos and kissing him earlier. It was the reason she had stepped away, said horrible things, and then pretended it was his fault. They would be better off if they both kept their distance.
    Still, they did have a business to run, so she needed to check in with him before she left. She took off her boots, which were covered in muck and dust; placing them beside his boots that were in the same state. She walked down the hallway looking for him. He had done a fantastic job of making her old home his. He’d refinished the floor on the first level, and had given the walls a fresh coat of paint. He also demolished the wall between the kitchen and dining room, creating an open feel to the entire place like it was a different house. The kitchen itself spoke of a man who liked to cook. He’d installed a six-burner Viking stove, along with lots of open shelving. He’d arranged the items