Adding Up to Marriage Read Online Free PDF

“but I’m the only one living there. Nobody comes to visit much, so if the mess doesn’t bother me, who cares?”
    Silas’s eyes narrowed slightly. Did she even hear the loneliness weighing down her words? A loneliness he might not have even noticed if his own hadn’t been all up in his face that night, whispering insane ideas in his ear, like…like maybe they could use their respective loneliness to their mutual advantage—
    The idea caught him so short he actually had to grab the edge of the counter. Fortunately, Jewel had bopped back into the living room to continue straightening, so she missed it. Whew.
    Silas swiveled unsteadily on the stool to watch her righting pictures, putting lamps back, as it struck him how little he actually knew about her. Except for whatever floated in Tierra Rosa’s ether, like a free-for-all wireless signal. “You have any family nearby?”
    â€œMy mother’s in Albuquerque, but we don’t see each other much. Haven’t seen my dad in years. Or my stepdads, for that matter.”
    â€œStep dads? ”
    â€œDos,” she said holding up two fingers. “One’s in Denver, the other’s in Montana. Or Wyoming. I forget which. Both remarried. No, wait, the one in Denver is divorced again. I think. Can’t keep track, don’t really care.”
    Although she still periodically flashed smiles in his direction as she talked, her “chipper” was definitely fading fast. So when she bent over to gather the boys’ cars—affording Silas a nice, long look at a rather appealing backside, actually—he said, “Forget it, if the boys dragged allthat stuff out here, they can clean it up tomorrow before school. Besides, you’re obviously exhausted.”
    She straightened, stretching out the muscles in her back. “And it won’t drive you insane in the meantime?”
    â€œYes. But that’s my problem, not yours.”
    Laughing, Jewel dumped the cars she’d already picked up, a moment before headlight beams streaked through the frosted glass insets alongside the front door. She went to gather her jacket and purse—both somewhat long in the tooth, Silas noticed—and it occurred to him she probably wasn’t exactly raking it in, doing what she did. Not that he was, either, but the ends tended to overlap more than not. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket, digging out several bills.
    â€œHere,” he said, laying the cash on the counter. “This is for you.”
    She turned, frowning at the money as if it was foreign currency, before aiming the frown at Silas. “Excuse me?”
    â€œFor watching the kids. Cooking my dinner.” When she stood there, gawking at him, he added, “If nothing else, consider it hazard pay.”
    Her face went bright red. “Ohmigosh! I was just helping out! Being a good neighbor! I c-can’t.”
    She said, eying the money like it was a candy bar and she’d given up chocolate for Lent.
    â€œAnd I’m sure you don’t want to make me feel bad, like I took advantage of you. Please, Jewel. Take the money.”
    Her gaze flicked from the money to him, then back to the money. “You sure? I mean…maybe we could come to some sort of other arrangement.” When his brows lifted, she said, “Like you helping me with my taxes or something.”
    Which, since he doubted she had pension plans and investments and the like to sort through, would probably takehim ten minutes. Tops. He got up, scooped the bills off the counter and walked over to her, pressing the money into her palm, and her hand was warm and soft and strong all at once and he liked the feel of it in his way too much. Sad. “Doing your taxes is a given. Now get out of here before Patrice wakes the entire town with her horn honking.”
    For a long moment, their gazes tangled. Damned if he didn’t like that way too much, too. Which was