Until She Met Daniel Read Online Free PDF Page A

it’s still empty.”
    â€œI’m sorry if I upset the plans.”
    Mandy shrugged. “It’s not your fault. We just wanted to have it extra nice when you got here.”
    â€œWe?” Daniel asked. “How are you involved?”
    â€œI was asked to be on the welcome committee. Anyway, the bed in the upstairs master bedroom is made, so that’s done. It’s on the right at the front of the house as you go up.”
    â€œThank you,” he said and began walking her to the front door.
    â€œOh,
drat.
” She mentally slapped her forehead. “I forgot your office keys. I’ll go get them now.”
    â€œYou’ll be at City Hall tomorrow, won’t you?”
    â€œYeah. Well, barring a blizzard or something,” she qualified.
    â€œRight. Just unlock my office door if you have to step out. I have enough to do here. I can wait until tomorrow for the keys.”
    â€œSure. Say, you’d better turn up the hot water heater in the garage. It’ll just be lukewarm, otherwise.”
    â€œThanks.”
    He turned and disappeared into the house, much to Mandy’s relief. There was something overpowering about Daniel Whittier, making her glad to escape.
    * * *
    B LEARY - EYED , D ANIEL looked out the window at his Jeep Cherokee. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to park it in the garage and catch a nap. Not only had he gotten no sleep the night before, he’d been short on it for the past month. He was thirty-five now, not eighteen, and it was catching up to him.
    Daniel walked through the pleasant sunroom off the kitchen and sure enough, the opposite door opened into a spacious garage. He parked his Jeep in the garage, closed the automatic door and then went up to find the master bedroom Mandy Colson had mentioned. He sank onto the bed, thinking about her. Lord, the woman had made his exhausted brain spin with her verbal detours and runaway mouth.
    But she had an engaging smile that probably turned her boyfriends into melted butter and delighted the senior citizens she worked with.
    His head hit the pillow. More misgivings about his move to Willow’s Eve were attacking. He’d envisioned a tidy ranch home, not a Victorian monster—this place was so huge they’d rattle around like dried peas in a pod. Worse, Samantha might find it overwhelming, or even frightening. Somehow he’d have to find a way to make her feel safe and secure, despite all the changes in her life.
    Closing his eyes, he willed himself to sleep. Perhaps everything would seem more promising once he wasn’t so tired.
    * * *
    F OUR   HOURS   LATER , Daniel woke with a start, and it took a moment to orient himself.
    He’d been grateful when he was offered the job in Willow’s Eve. The timing was perfect and would provide employment while he considered the future. Most of all, it had gotten him cleanly and quickly away from Southern California. Moving was probably best, even if Celia and the mayor hadn’t started dating. Celia was never going to develop maternal feelings, and his daughter would find it increasingly painful as she recognized that her mommy was more interested in Prada shoes than her own child—if she didn’t realize it already. It would be better for Samantha not to be constantly reminded of that hurtful truth. It was hard to feel unwanted, and even worse at only five years old.
    He unpacked the Jeep and stacked everything in the kitchen before exploring the various rooms. The Victorian contained a significant amount of furniture, though some of the pieces were so old-fashioned they were practically antiques. Hell, most of them
were
antiques. It was handy that the house came furnished since his ex-wife had taken almost everything when she left. Daniel hadn’t cared as long as she didn’t use Samantha as a bargaining chip.
    The Victorian had both a formal living room and a flowery parlor connected by French doors; Daniel stood between