It's In His Smile (A Red River Valley Novel Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

archeological dwelling like a jackhammer hitting solid steel. Watching the excavator fall in right after him with no air left in his lungs to scream was still causing him nightmares. This time, a small, graceful woman who hardly reached chest level had left him breathless by handing him a dog half the size of Talmadge’s shoe and telling him his business about his grandmother.
    He looked down at Bea’s dog, who had erupted into another fit of trembling the second Talmadge’s arm closed around him. What the hell was he supposed to do with a poodle?
    Talmadge drew in a heavy breath. Who was he kidding? It wasn’t just the dog. The truth of Miranda’s words—that Talmadge hadn’t come home to visit Bea enough—or at all the past few years—had hit him square in the chest and drove the nails of guilt and grief straight through his heart. He’d wanted to double over right there on the snowy ground beside the inn where he’d spent so much time growing up.
    Every person at Bea’s funeral had made it a point to tell him how proud she was of him and his work. What Bea hadn’t known was he’d invested every last dime into the master-planned community of Trinity Falls, Washington, where every building, road, school, park, and home would be environmentally efficient. A project on the cutting edge of green living that had attracted attention from environmental and architectural organizations around the world. And then he’d screwed it up by hiring the wrong engineering firm, which had nearly gotten Talmadge killed.
    He didn’t even want to think about the damage to his finances and his professional reputation if he didn’t find a way around this mess. He’d been too ashamed to share those two details with his grandmother.
    Now Bea was gone.
    His stomach twisted so tight that pain lanced into his limbs. He studied Bea’s dog. “Wow,” Talmadge said, taking in Lloyd’s bows and nail polish. “Sorry this happened to you.” This was Bea’s surrogate replacement for the grandson she was so proud of? Maybe Bea wasn’t as proud of him as he’d thought.
    Two skiers slid past, headed toward the lift, and Lloyd let out another high-pitched bark that was more like a squeal. He started to tremble harder.
    Talmadge rolled his eyes and lifted his injured hand to give the dog a gentle pat on top of his fluffy head. Perfume wafted out of the cotton ball’s hair. Talmadge sniffed and jerked his head back. “Seriously? We need to get your man-card back.” Maybe he could drop the dog off at the groomer before leaving Red River. The groomer might even be able to help find Lloyd a new home.
    Another stab of guilt sliced through him. He’d obviously abandoned Bea, and now he was doing the same to her dog.
    Talmadge cradled Lloyd and walked along the sidewalk that led around to the front door, sidestepping patches of packed snow. Weeds popped up through the cracked sidewalk as proof that spring had converged on the Red River Valley. As he followed the crumbling concrete path along the side of the inn, he assessed the dilapidated condition. The loving attention his grandparents had given the property was gone, and the neat grounds were now in disrepair.
    He took the steps up to the front door, pushed it open, and walked through the foyer to the spacious great room to the right. The wake was wrapping up, and several people had filtered out. A few family members lingered to talk in the dining room to the left. Talmadge bent to put the dog down, but Lloyd’s quaking resumed.
    Really? He had to stand here and babysit a trembling dog? But as small as the perfumed pooch was, someone might step on him. He was pretty easy to miss since he was no bigger than a rat, and Talmadge didn’t want to bury both his grandma and her dog in the same day.
    He looked around the room that used to serve as a place for the guests to socialize and relax, hoping for a safe place to put Lloyd. Some of the drywall was torn out, exposing the studs. Bea’s old