Talk Me Down Read Online Free PDF Page B

stairs.”
    “I don’t date women in Tumble Creek.”
    “Seriously?” Yes, he was probably being serious. He’d always been too logical for his own good. “Come on, Ben. What do you do, fly north when the days get longer? Do you have a set migration route or do you have a different set of stops each year?”
    “I…It’s complicated.”
    “Huh. I’ll say.” She brushed past him, making sure to inhale his scent when she got close. Mmm. Cold air and forests. Nothing complicated about that. He reached past to open the door and his chest brushed her back. Nice. She wasn’t giving up that easy.
    Grinning, she walked down the uneven steps and waited for him at the bottom. “It’s not complicated,” she finally said. “I promise you I’m a simple girl.”
    He didn’t look as if he believed her. It probably didn’t help that a man across the street started shouting her name. Please don’t let it be one of Cameron’s boys, she prayed as she turned toward the sound of a car door slamming.
    “Molly Jennings, is that you? I was just on my way to your house.” Mr. Randolph was heading for his trunk.
    “Hi there, Mr. Randolph.”
    He popped the trunk, then reappeared with a big vase of roses. “These are for you.”
    “Oh, good God,” she groaned, though she did manage to paste a smile on her face.
    The flowers bounced jauntily in the man’s arms as he jogged across the street. “Two dozen roses. This young man must think real highly of you.” Mr. Randolph shifted the flowers to one hand, fumbling for the note. “Was it Devlin or Evan?” He patted around for his reading glasses.
    “Devon,” Molly snapped, reaching for the damn flowers. She caught the smirk on Ben’s mouth and sent him a glare.
    “Simple, huh?” he muttered. “Just another Denver guy, Molly?”
    “Yes. He’s a friend. From Denver.”
    Mr. Randolph exploded with laughter, totally overdoing it in Molly’s opinion. “A friend! Ha! Those are long stems. Forty dollars a dozen. What’ve you been up to down in Denver, Ms. Jennings?”
    “Nothing.”
    “You one of them rich business women?”
    “No.” She tried to leave it at that, but Mr. Randolph just waited, his rheumy blue eyes staring hard. Molly sighed. She’d been through this before. She knew the easy way out. “I do some sensitive work for a tech company. Nothing exciting though.”
    “A techie, huh? Well, congratulations on the flowers. I’ll be seeing you around. Good to have you back.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Randolph.”
    She watched him go, ignoring the burning sensation at the back of her neck. The older man waved and disappeared into his flower, gift and fly-fishing shop, leaving Molly with no choice but to turn around and meet Ben’s hard eyes.
    “So you work for a tech company.”
    “No.”
    “Then you’re a liar.”
    “Yes. I’ve found it’s a lot easier than the truth.”
    “The truth being?”
    “That I don’t discuss my work with anyone.”
    He rocked back on his heels a little, looking her up and down with a suspicious glare. “And why is that, Molly?”
    “That’s none of your business. Plus it’s complicated, and I know how you hate complications.”
    Ben didn’t look any friendlier at that. In fact, Molly felt an undignified urge to squirm under his examination and blurt out a false confession. When he put his hands on his hips, she could see his big gun, and not the big gun she was interested in, either. She clutched the flowers hard to her chest.
    “I won’t have anything illegal going on here.”
    “I’m not—”
    “Is that clear?”
    “Jeez Louise, Ben!” She threw up one hand and waved it in frustration. “Who do you think I am?”
    He looked her up and down one more time, sweeping her body with little tingles. “I have no idea anymore.”
    “I’m just Molly Jennings, all grown up. And hopefully charming as hell.”
    “It shouldn’t be any mystery to you why I don’t appreciate the excitement of a secret life. I wouldn’t