Mad About The Man Read Online Free PDF

many miles for their education. Sophie had never stopped talking to the town's youngsters about their heritage, or trying to find a way to have them stay closer to home for their studies.
    "Ledan made a point of how the younger genera tion moves on as soon as they can," Gaby said mo rosely. "Great revelation—they need jobs and incen tive and we don't have a whole lot of either around here."
    Sophie, her white hair wound into its customary severe knot at her nape, rested a gnarled hand on Gaby's forearm. "We aren't beaten. Six years ago you brought something special to this town. What we should be looking for are more ways to get people like you interested, people who won't want to change things. You liked the place enough to decide to run a business here that most folks would have taken to a big city. And it works just fine, doesn't it?"
    Gaby nodded. "There's no denying we need much more than I'm doing if there's going to be a perma nent fix."
    "Don't tell me you're giving up on us, too, girl."
    "I'm not giving up. Just trying to be realistic. Ledan's got what it takes to be very persuasive." And totally unforgettable. She tamped down that thought. "He already talked—or had one of his people talk the Bartletts into selling."
    Sophie turned down her mouth, sending ripples of wrinkles across her thin, pink skin. "Abe Bartlett's spineless. Forget him. Put your mind to how we can get more people like you to move out here."
    "Easier said than—Mae, sit still."
    "I just wanna go look out the window."
    The pattern was predictable. Mae had a fascination with what the locals called The Table; a table in the window, covered with an orange vinyl cloth and set for three diners. Three chairs were tipped up at those place settings.
    "You can look out of the window from here," Gaby said. "You know what happened the last time you sat at The Table."
    Mae wiggled but said nothing.
    "Sis didn't speak to you for a week, and she wouldn't let you help for another week after that."
    The Table was kept exclusively for Sis's three si lent brothers, and it was understood that no one else ever sat there. It was said to have the best view in the place. That was true: a view of the corner gas station with a tiny sliver of distant mountain—if you pressed your nose to the glass.
    Sophie took a fork and moved aside Mae's slice of toast, revealing the congealed remnants of a sunny- side up fried egg. "Concentrate on finishing the good food your mother's paying for," she said severely. "You'll never do well in school if you don't eat prop erly. And you're too thin."
    Mae sighed and waited until Sophie looked at Gaby again before performing the egg's burial once more.
    "The committee against Ledan is coming along nicely," Sophie said. "Artie and Freda are on board. And Barney—though sometimes I wish that gaudy hacienda of his would just disappear. Caleb at the gas station—and his wife, of course. And every one of them is taking a section of the town and visiting peo ple personally. I'm planning a meeting for two weeks from tonight in the Women's Auxiliary Hall."
    "This is going to be a tough fight." Gaby looked up as Sis approached with fresh coffee. Sis was al most as silent as her brothers and refilled Gaby's mug without a word. She set down a second mug for So phie and retreated. "Ledan's opening an office above my place."
    "What!"
    "Mommy says it isn't nice to say what," Mae said pompously. "You're supposed to say excuse me, or I beg your pardon."
    Sophie ignored her. "Ledan's going to use that empty space up there? Isn't it just an old storage area?"
    "He says it's going to be renovated." She lifted her loose hair from her neck. "Imagine the noise and mess that's going to mean."
    "What's he like?"
    Gaby met the other woman's light eyes, and her mind immediately slid away, back to yesterday and the moment when Jacques Ledan had faced her in the shop. Today, as then, her legs felt weak and achy. Just what she needed, a sexy rush over a man who