Project Love (Cascade Brides Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

day for a
trail hike. Maybe to Multnomah Falls or Crown Point on the Columbia
Gorge. She hadn't visited the landmarks in ages. Too busy
working...or bettering her community. And less animals starving in
the streets or being put down in kill shelters was an
improvement. So, not a waste of time. She just wished her aching feet
agreed.
    Once it was four, she walked back to the animal clinic
and handed in the sign. The staff had a table filled with goodies for
the event volunteers, but Charity didn't stay. Just entering the
building had her sneezing. She kept her eyes away from the glass case
filled with adorable cats lounging on carpeted shelves or playing
with balls of strings. Stop! Look away!
    She walked the eight blocks back to her apartment,
thinking longingly of a hot bath. And after that, maybe a
movie—something girly and romantic. Her stomach growled. Add to
that a yummy dinner. Then she remembered she hadn't been grocery
shopping in a week and the refrigerator promised to be distressingly
empty. There was an Asian place on the way home. She could stop for
take-out, which meant no prep and no clean-up. Win-win.
    Two blocks later, Charity entered the Viking Burger
restaurant. Despite the name, there wasn't a burger to be found. The
place sold fried rice, meat and veggies, and yakisoba. She suspected
the owners didn't see any point changing the name from the previous
restaurant because the sign was still perfectly good. Ignoring the
painted walls which featured a burly guy in a horned hat, she ordered
a beef and broccoli combo.
    “ We're out.”
    Charity blinked at the kid who stood behind the counter,
checking his phone. “You're out of beef and broccoli?”
    “ Out.” He returned to his phone.
    She sighed. “Okay, what about chicken chow mein and
egg foo young?”
    Once the kid finished texting, he rang up the order.
“$9.99.”
    Charity was tempted to make a face. At least
McDonald's has a value menu . She handed over a ten and waited for
the order to be filled. Her evening plans were getting off to a
wobbly start.
    When she had her bag with its warm Styrofoam containers,
she walked the rest of the way home with a slower tread. Once inside
her apartment, she plunked the food and her purse on the table, and
headed into the bathroom to start filling the tub. Except it was
already full. With something that looked distinctly slimy. “Holly?”
    Her roommate popped her head in the bathroom. “Don't
mess with that. I'm waiting for when the conditions are perfect.”
    “ Conditions?”
    “ I'm hand-marbling wallpaper,” the redhead said in a
long-suffering tone. “Don't move around too much. It stirs up the
dust.”
    Charity stifled an impulse to pout. “Dust.” She left
the bathroom and headed back into the living room. Surely she could
count on at least a movie to accompany her dinner. For some reason,
the TV was about ten feet from where it was the last time she watched
it. Then again Holly was big on rearranging furniture. When Charity
turned on the old console, all she got was snow.
    “ Holly, the TV's not working.”
    “ You didn't pay the cable bill,” Holly said from her
bedroom. “Anyway, the noise bugs me. Quiet really is better for my
project.”
    Guess I'll commune with my thoughts . At least
there was a hot meal in the offing. But when she opened her bag, the
egg foo young gravy had leaked everywhere and the chow mein was cold.

    ***

    “ I hate Mondays.”
    Jessie smacked Charity's arm as he went past with a
broom. “Cheer up.”
    “ Why?”
    “ 'Cause I said so and I'm the boss.”
    She made a face at him, which just made him laugh.
Charity glanced at her other co-worker—a transfer from the west
side store named Amy, who had corn silk blonde hair and cornflower
blue eyes. Corn everywhere. Maybe she told corny puns, too.
    “ So everything is pretty much the same here,” Amy
said after perusing the shop's interior.
    Charity nodded. “At least that's what I've been told.”
    Amy's eyes