Year of Living Blonde (Sweet Life in Seattle, Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Get a grip. She opens the fridge and sees the croissant dough is ready for tomorrow. She runs down the list of things they’re getting low on and adds a few more items.
    When Carlos tells her he’s headed out, she manages a weak smile. “Take a loaf of rosemary bread with you.”
    Finally, she leaves and gets into her van. The incident with Espresso Breve replays itself on the ride home, along with a fresh wave of embarrassment.
    Pulling up to the house, she sees Lindsay’s red MINI Cooper is still parked in her driveway. Then just as she wonders if this day could get any worse, she realizes it’s about to get a whole lot worse. The MINI isn’t the only car parked there.
    Peter’s black Lexus is sitting right behind it.

    It’s a shock to see Peter standing in the entryway. Then she notices that standing beside him and still carrying a backpack is Chloe.
    “Hi, sweetheart!” Natalie hugs her daughter. Immediately, she’s surrounded by Chloe’s familiar citrus shampoo smell.
    “Hi, Mom.” Chloe grins when they pull apart.
    “I didn’t know you were coming back today. I thought you were staying with Grandma and Grandpa.”
    “Daddy picked me up early. I guess it’s not a good time right now.”
    “Oh? Is everything okay?” She looks up at Peter.
    “It’s fine,” he says in a tight voice.
    Natalie’s eyes stay on Peter. Part of her is glad he’s here, but the other part is overwhelmed by a sense of betrayal. It’s only been a week, but it feels longer. In fact, he even looks different to her.
    Peter meets Natalie’s gaze, but quickly looks away.
    Is he still with her? Glancing at Chloe, she wonders what he’s told her. Chloe doesn’t seem upset, so he probably hasn’t said anything.
    Does that mean there’s still hope?
    Lindsay makes an appearance, walking into the living room wearing the same jeans from last night. She’s borrowed one of Natalie’s shirts and, even though it’s too large, Lindsay makes it look stylish. Her hair is wet and it’s obvious she’s just taken a shower.
    Natalie quickly scans the house and unfortunately, the place is still a mess. There are half-eaten plates of food and empty bottles of wine. It doesn’t look like her sister had a chance to clean up anything. In fact, she probably just woke up, not that Natalie can blame her, if she’d been able to sleep in today, she certainly would have.
    “Aunt Lindsay!” Chloe squeals and drops her backpack, as she runs over.
    “Hey, Girlie-Whirly!” Lindsay says as the two of them hug and jump up and down with excitement at seeing each other.
    They head over to the couch, where Chloe searches for something inside her backpack to show Lindsay.
    “I found some more horses I wanted to show you,” Chloe tells her. “I think they’re in my bedroom. I’ll be right back!” Chloe desperately wanted a horse of her own, but it was such a big responsibility that Natalie and Peter both agreed to wait until she was a teenager before getting her one. In the meantime, she was learning everything she could.
    As Chloe leaves the room, Natalie feels awkward standing next to Peter. She wishes she’d had some warning so she could have at least pulled herself together. The two of them have a lot to talk about. She’s about to ask him if he’ll stay while she goes and takes a shower, but then sees him surveying the living room with distaste.
    “What the hell happened here? Did you have some kind of party?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “And maybe you can explain this.” Peter pulls out his cell phone. A few seconds later, he puts it on speaker and holds the phone up.
    At first, all Natalie can hear is a bunch of loud rock music. But then she recognizes Guns N’ Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle.”
    Oh, no.
    Dread rises as she hears a slurred voice talking over the music. It takes her a second to realize that it’s her own drunk self who’s come on the line.
    “And if you think you’re going to take away my HOME or my DAUGHTER,