She Can Run Read Online Free PDF Page B

Jack drove up, but as soon as he walked into the barnyard, they’d fallen into complete silence. The boy kept one wary eye on him and the little girl refused to look at him at all. Just like this morning in the kitchen, when the children had nearly climbed the wall to get as far away as possible from him. Normal kids weren’t afraid to walk into rooms. Normal kids weren’t this meek and quiet. He’d felt like an ogre, especially when Mrs. Harris told him later that they’d settled in fine after he’d left the kitchen.
    The afternoon sun beat down on the top of his head. He wiped his brow on his sleeve and sidestepped into the very edge of shade, trying not to get too close to the horse. His toe caught on a rock, twisting his leg. Fire shot through his knee. He breathed through his nose and waited for the pain to recede to a manageable throb.
    Crinkling her brow, Beth nodded toward his leg. “Shouldn’t you stay off that?”
    “It’s OK.” She was right. He should have his leg elevated and packed in ice. But he’d already sucked up his pride driving the short distance to the barn in Danny’s golf cart. Interviewing his prospective new employee from the sofa would make him feel like total waste of space. A man could only take so much humiliation.
    She looked doubtful but turned her attention back to grooming the horse, continuing to run the brush rhythmically along the length of its neck.
    “I’ve decided to accept the terms of my uncle’s will.”
    He watched Beth’s hand freeze mid-sweep as she waited for him to continue. The arm that poked out of her T-shirt sleeve was way too thin, but her worn jeans hugged a nicely curved ass.
    “Which makes me the new owner of this estate,” he added.
    She jolted back into action without a word, moving away from him, down the horse’s body to clean its belly with long strokes.
    Most nervous people were prone to chatter. He’d questioned hundreds of scared people: criminals, victims, and everything in-between. Beth had clearly learned to control her emotions somewhere along the line. But when? And why?
    When silence didn’t provoke a comment, Jack prodded her for a response. “I thought you’d want to know that you still have a job. If you want it, that is.”
    “Really?” Beth stopped and turned to face him.
    Daylight brought out the pallor of her skin and emphasized the dark circles under those fascinating green eyes. Had she looked this exhausted last night? Maybe if he hadn’t been totally shit-faced, he’d be able to remember. He must have made a great first impression. Regret nagged at him.
    Way to go, O’Malley.
    She lowered her voice. “You don’t have to do that. You don’t even know me.”
    “Uncle Danny hired you. That’s good enough for me.” He gestured to the beast standing behind her. “Obviously you can handle the horses. What sort of responsibilities did you and my uncle discuss?” The employment letter Danny had given her was ridiculously vague.
    “I have some bookkeeping experience. He wanted me to get estimates for a new roof and some landscaping.”
    As if unhappy with her lapse in attention, the horse bumped her with its nose. The nudge nearly knocked her off her feet. Without turning, she reached back and patted its neck.
    “All of those things still need to be done,” Jack pointed out. “I’ve never even owned a house.”
    “I don’t know.” She turned back to the horse, leaning into a bucket of supplies to exchange the brush for a small metal pick.
    Was she going to turn him down? And what was the deal with this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach?
    “How about a trial period? Say two weeks? We’ll see how it works out for all of us. Then if you’re not happy here, I’ll have time to find someone else for the job.” Jack held his breath as she bent down to lift the horse’s hoof. The waistband of her jeans sagged, revealing the top band of a black satin thong. Jack’s brain short-circuited and redirected his