Takin' The Reins Read Online Free PDF Page B

I’ll call you to arrange a time to meet. What’s your cell phone number?” He pulled his cell out of his pocket and was ready to add her contact info into his phone. But it was too soon to be giving out her number to a stranger, no matter how good looking he was.
    “Why don’t I call you?” she suggested.
    He looked up. “Oh, I get it. You don’t want me to have your number.” She didn’t say anything. He snapped his phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket. “That’s fine. I understand. A woman has to be cautious. Is the land-line phone at Lydia’s still working? That number’s in the book.”
    Jordan shrugged. “I don’t know. I honestly didn’t think to check.”
    “I’ll try calling it tomorrow,” he said. “If it’s not on, I’ll swing by. How will that be? Maybe we can have lunch together.”
    “That’s possible,” she began. He didn’t give her time to say more.
    “Cool! I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He waved and strode off in the opposite direction.
    “Bye,” she called to his back. She climbed into her Jeep and dropped her head onto the steering wheel for a moment’s respite. What a day. Her head was starting to pound. She started the engine and slipped the vehicle into gear. Today had been full of surprises. She wondered. What would tomorrow bring?
     
     

 
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Jordan lay in the lumpy bed staring up at a water stain on the ceiling. It was hot in the house, but she still had a sheet pulled up to her chin. Adjusting to country living might take some time. It was so quiet here. Every creak the house made startled her. The sheet was like a shield, protecting her from any boogey monsters that might be lurking under the bed, just like when she was a child and afraid of the dark.
    The moon’s rays shimmered through the thin curtain that clung to the bedroom window. Night insects chirped and twittered outside. It all kept her awake—not that she could sleep anyway. The events of the day kept turning over in her brain. She checked the clock on the bedside table. It was only nine o’clock. She’d never been to bed this early in her adult life. After punching down the pillow for the third time and kicking the sheet off, she replayed her first day in New Mexico once more.
    After leaving the café, she picked up groceries and cleaning supplies at the local store and thoroughly scrubbed the bathroom. With a sparkling tub beckoning, she ran a bubble bath and soaked for an hour. Once refreshed and free of the afternoon headache, she slipped into an oversized tee shirt and crawled into Lydia’s old iron bed. Now, although she should be feeling relaxed, she had trouble turning off her thoughts.
    The silence was akin to Chinese water torture. Jordan was used to the noises of the city. With a grunt, she slipped out of bed and flipped on the light, and then went into the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the fridge. She padded back to the bedroom and retrieved a small notebook and pen from her purse. Returning to the living room, she plopped into the big armchair and switched on the small table lamp. The light was just enough to see by. On the top of the page in the notebook she wrote: To-Do List.
    First thing on the list was to look for new curtains and buy a television. How could Lydia not have owned a TV? Next, choose paint colors for the walls—Southwestern tones throughout. Third, have Cole Roberts give her an estimate on the work to be done to the house, inside and out, including a new courtyard. Next, clean out the horse stalls, buy hay, and have the neighbor bring the horses back. Also, she’d need to call a landscaper…
    Jordan halted her pen in midair and stared at the paper. This was the kind of list a new homeowner would make. It was still hard to believe. She was the new homeowner! Grinning, she set down the notebook and let her gaze drift around the room. The little adobe’s surroundings were simple, and that’s exactly how she liked it. Since Drew