Misplaced Innocence Read Online Free PDF Page A

shipped from some truck stop in Illinois. It wasn’t as if she suspected someone would be able to track her down, she just knew it was an inevitable part of running away from what you didn’t like.
    Charisma was so caught up in her thoughts she didn’t hear Bill until he was directly behind her. The irritation in his expression let her know he’d already spoken to her several times. “Sorry, Bill,” she said automatically. “I was just thinking.”
    He harrumphed at her, but looked less annoyed. “You on your way home now?”
    She nodded, “I did as much as I can today, but I’ll be back tomorrow to start the bulk of the painting.” Charisma smiled. This was the first time in a long time she had found a reason to paint outside of her illustrating career, and she found she had missed it terribly. She should have remembered the difference between creating art for money’s sake and creating art for one’s own sake.  
    “Okay, then. I’ll look for you tomorrow. I’ll be here.”  
    She smiled at the dry joke, as if he didn’t know he was being funny, as if he weren’t trying. But she could tell from the littlest of twinkles in the depths of his blue eyes that he was kidding. “I know you will.”
    The air was cooler now, and Scruffy had settled herself down outside the shop door to enjoy the breeze and the sounds of the town. Not that there were many sounds in this town, but from the way the dark ears were pricked upwards and her eyes were open just enough so she could survey the area around her, Charisma knew the dog was enjoying the change in scenery.
    “Let’s get home, you mutt, you,” Charisma said as she swung the passenger side door open. Scruffy bounded in and quickly sat facing the windshield, as if she might miss something important. Charisma chuckled to herself. “Been a long day for you, huh? Don’t worry, there’s some good dinner for you at home and maybe we can watch some television before we go to bed. Oh yes,” she added as an afterthought, “my life has definitely hit pathetic.” Charisma looked sidelong at the dog and mumbled under her breath, “And then some.”

    ~*~

    Jared tried not to roll his eyes at Mary Anne Billings as she held the perturbed cat out toward him. Her unnaturally blonde eyebrows were knitted together in what looked like genuine concern, but he’d grown up with Mary Anne, back when she had been stick-legged and had dark eyebrows, and knew that looks were, with Mary Anne, very deceiving. And, he was familiar with that expression on her face, the one that said, ‘Oh please, I just don’t know what I would do without you and I really need your help and if you don’t do this for me, I’ll just die.’ Intimately familiar, as a matter of fact.  
    He finally cleared his throat. Several times, actually, before she paused to take a breath. He took advantage of the moment. “Mary Anne, there’s really nothing wrong with Schnookums,” he almost winced as he said the name. If ever he’d heard a misnomer, that would be it. The peach and grey long haired cat always had a sour expression on his face and never missed an opportunity to bite or claw at Jared. Or, anyone really, who wasn’t Mary Anne. “I’m sure it’s just a little hairball and by tomorrow he’ll be fine.”
    “Oh, but really, Jared,” her eyelashes went a flutter, just like he’d anticipated. Of course, knowing it was coming and being completely prepared for it were two very different things. The glimpse of green beneath the sooty lashes could be a man’s undoing, and if there was one thing Jared knew, it was that Mary Anne was entirely aware of this. She never missed an opportunity to bat her eyelashes at him. “I would be so much more comfortable if you would come over for a little while, just to watch him. We could have dinner. Rent a movie. At the end of the night we can see how he is.”
    Her eyes were so genuine and earnest. It was amazing how a women lying so thoroughly through her