A Texas Chance Read Online Free PDF Page B

been in all the major cities of this country as well as several abroad and, as a single woman, caution was ingrained. The faceless woman was right, but she felt safe in this neighborhood. The more she walked through the area, the more she fell in love with it. SoCo might be trendy now, but the neighborhoods surrounding it still held their original charm, their hometown feel. Here and there the original modest dwelling had been replaced by new construction that took up almost the entire lot, but for the most part, the neighborhood remained a mix of young families drawn to the center of the city and old people who’d been around a long time. Not to mention neighbors who made sure perfect strangers were all right when they fell.
    “You have a nice night now,” she called to the woman.
    “Next time you’re by, you come visit. Name’s Mrs. Ransom.”
    “I’m Sophie Carlisle, and I’d like that. Thank you.” She sincerely hoped that once the hotel was up and fully staffed, she’d have time for such luxuries.
    Visit with neighbors . Imagine that .
    The worry that dogged her lifted a little with this pleasant glimpse of a possible future. She wouldn’t be making social calls anytime soon, but somewhere down the road…
    Maybe she’d invite her new acquaintance, Mrs. Ransom, to a preview party, along with other neighbors. She’d already been planning an event for important figures in Austin who had contacts with those in the income brackets to afford her prices. Why not mix the two? It was such an Austin way to do things, mingling the glamorous with the down-home. That was her vision for the hotel, as well, to create the cachet of an exclusive hotel with the ambience of take-off-your-shoes-and-relax comfort. Everything she was doing was intended to make her guests feel that they’d entered a refuge, your grandmother’s home with five-star service and absolute privacy…and the option to mingle for those who wanted it.
    She had hammocks ready to hang between trees for a lazy afternoon, bent willow furniture that was ideal for sitting on the porch with a glass of cold tea, and a variety of overstuffed chairs and sofas perfect for napping or settling in with a good book.
    Lost in dreams of how her hotel would look, she nearly tripped over a lump at the edge of the sidewalk before realizing it was a dog. Her foot connected with his side before she could catch herself, but the animal only whimpered and didn’t move. She glanced around for signs of an owner, but the street was empty. She crouched, though not too close, as she scanned the long-haired form of what appeared to be an Irish setter. The dappled moonlight obscured her vision, and she dug in her purse for the little flashlight attached to her key chain.
    “Hey, fella,” she said, hesitating before touching him. This dog couldn’t be in less knowledgeable hands. She’d never had a pet, though as a child she’d wanted one badly.
    She couldn’t see any foaming at the mouth or anything—wasn’t that what dogs with rabies did? As she scanned the dog’s face, the eyes were sad and lost. The tail wagged faintly and he looked up, then his head collapsed back to the sidewalk.
    “What’s wrong, buddy?” Gingerly she ran her hands over matted fur. When she reached the dog’s hindquarters, he yelped. What had happened? Was he injured?
    What should she do? Clearly she couldn’t pick up the dog, for fear of injuring him further, to say nothing of potential harm to herself, but she couldn’t just walk away.
    In her hotel management days, she’d always made certain she and every one of her staff was trained in first aid and CPR, but none of that applied here.
    Except one thing might. Keep the patient calm . “You’re okay, boy,” she said, and stroked his head.
    The animal trembled, but as she continued to stroke and talk, he settled and closed his eyes.
    Don’t die . Please don’t die . Sophie shivered. She’d lost too many people in her life. She’d lain