MacKenzie's Lady Read Online Free PDF Page A

doodled aimlessly on a sheet of paper. Her other hand rubbed unconsciously at her aching muscles. Usually she enjoyed her time in the classroom. She shifted and stifled a grimace of pain as her muscles protested. Yes, she was definitely going to have to kill Maryann.
    On the other hand, she couldn't entirely blame her roommate for her current discomfort. Maryann had only suggested that Holly take up running; she hadn't dragged her out of the house and forced her to pant and puff her way around the block. Still, Maryann had caught her at a vulnerable moment. She knew that Holly had been restless lately.
    Perhaps she wouldn't actually kill her, just maim her a bit. Maryann insisted that it had been less than a mile but Holly couldn't believe that. It was impossible to become a physical wreck after running less than a mile.
    She glanced at the clock again. Twenty more minutes. The days had been getting longer for the past month, ever since that ridiculous trip to Tijuana. Damn! Why couldn't she just put that whole foolish incident out of her mind? It was over a month now and she still thought of it at odd moments. It even haunted her dreams.
    Holly felt her cheeks grow warm. He had no business intruding on her sleep like that. And she had no business remembering him as vividly as she did. She was not going to think about it anymore. She made the same promise to herself every day, and one of these days, it was going to come true.
    It was over half an hour before she was able to turn the light off. Her small charges had gone home to cookies and milk, and the room had been tidied. She bent to pick up her tote bag and groaned softly as she straightened. Damn. What was wrong with being comfortably out of shape? Where was it written that everyone should have a rock-hard body and the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound? She would settle for being able to get from one place to another at a brisk walk. The idea of dragging her sleepy body through the streets at dawn, all in the name of being fit, was ridiculous and painful,
    It was raining—a damp, depressing drizzle. Holly stared across the parking lot at her car. Why hadn't she thought to bring an umbrella? Because if she had, it wouldn't have rained. With a resigned sigh, she left the shelter of the brick school building and picked her way through the puddles in the parking lot.
    She was damp and chilled when-she reached the car. Her cold fingers struggled for a moment with the key before the lock yielded and she was able to slide into the car. She murmured a soft plea as she turned the key in the ignition. The ten-year-old Fiat had been a graduation present from her parents and she dearly loved the car, but there was no denying that Baby could be very temperamental, especially when it was cold and wet. Holly had never gathered the necessary courage to actually tackle the intimidating mass of wires and mysterious parts that resided under the hood. Besides, no matter what people told her, she was convinced that the reason Baby balked was simply that she hated the rain.
    Today was one of those days. Holly coaxed and pleaded to no avail. The engine turned over with a sullen whine but it refused to catch. She finally gave up and sat staring at the instrument panel in frustration. There was no sense in calling home. Maryann was working the evening shift at the hospital this week. Everyone else Holly could think of was either working or out of town. A glance outside the window told her that it was still raining and the heavy cloud cover was blocking out the sunlight.
    She jerked her head around, startled, as someone tapped on her window. She blinked several times to clear her vision, convinced that she was hallucinating. The last time she had seen that man, he had been standing in the hot sun in an alley in Tijuana. He tapped on the window again, gesturing to her to roll it down. She obliged dazedly, still unable to believe her eyes.
    He rested one hand on the top of the door,