Fool's Gold Read Online Free PDF Page B

change,” Mel told her. “I should check in with Naomi at the bookstore, but I’ll be back to help clean up.”
    “You don’t have to do that,” Addie insisted.
    “I know I don’t have to.” Mel squeezed her arm. “I want to.”
    “Well, thanks.” She wanted to say more, but Mel had already turned and gone.
    “Snippy little bitch.” Chloe lit another cigarette as they watched Mel drive off. “This is all her fault.”
    “How could it be? She was just supposed to hold the keys, not mount a round-the-clock guard on the place.” Addie rubbed her hands over her upper arms. “She’s being really nice.”
    Chloe cupped Addie’s chin and pulled her face close for a kiss. “I’ll show you nice, once we’re finally alone in this dump. I can’t wait to get my hands on you.” She caressed one of Addie’s breasts through her T-shirt.

    Sex was the last thing on Addie’s mind.
Or is it?
An image of Mel floated through her head, and she blinked. Maybe sex with the increasingly annoying Chloe wasn’t what she wanted. Melissa Danes, now
she
was another story.

----

    Roy finished with the front room and moved on to the kitchen. Unsure where to start, Addie grabbed a trash bag and began shoving things into it. The task seemed overwhelming, but she forced herself not to think that way and kept working. Chloe was nowhere to be found, which was almost a blessing. The last time Addie had seen her, she’d had her feet propped up on the front porch railing, chain smoking and bitching.
    Addie heard traffic in front of the house but tried to ignore it. If she stopped to look every time someone drove by, she’d never get anything done.
    “Addie, you in here?” Mel’s voice rang out.
    “In the dining room,” she called back and wiped beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
    “Hey!” Mel walked in with a group of people behind her. “Addie Murphy, this is Rance Benning, Jeremy Lovell and Bo Lawson from the Back Breaker Ranch.”
    A tall, dark-haired cowboy removed the trash bag from Addie’s hand and said, “How do, ma’am.”
    She raised her eyebrows, unsure what to say. More people filed in.
    “This is Nate Gills and Rio Adega.” Mel leaned in to her. “They’re Ryan’s partners.
    Cute, huh?” Louder, she added, “This is my boss, Naomi Rivers, and her girlfriend, Courtney Cross. Naomi closed the store early to come and help.”
    Addie looked from the handsome man with short hair to the equally handsome one with long, flowing tresses.
Ryan’s partners?
Cattle Valley was definitely going to be interesting. The two women smiled at her, one blonde, one red-headed, and Addie had no idea which was which. But they seemed friendly, and they were
here
. That meant a lot—at least, she thought it did. She turned to Mel and whispered, “Why are all these people here?”
    Mel smiled. “This is Cattle Valley. This is what we do. Don’t question it, just step aside, and let us get to work.”

    “I’m not going to step aside. Where did that guy go with my trash bag?”
    The short-haired man stepped up behind her. “He’s already filled it and is working on another one. I’m Nate, by the way, in case you missed it in that flurry of introductions. When all this is said and done, I’d love to help you redecorate this place. Now that Tia and her Jamaican voodoo dolls are gone, this house has real potential.”
    Addie managed an uncertain grin. “I think so, too. Thanks, Nate.”
    His eyes twinkled, and he moved next to his partner.
Rio
, Addie recalled. Nate seemed to be giving instructions more than working, and Rio appeared to be giving him crap about it. The look in their eyes when they gazed at one another was one of the most incredible things she’d ever seen. Addie could already tell they had something special, no matter how much they teased each other.
    She wandered to the front room and saw at least six more people working in there. The place looked vastly improved, and Addie felt