Free The Look-Alike Bride (Crimson Romance) by Kathryn Brocato

you can get a leave of absence,” Leonie said. “You know. A family emergency.”
    “What emergency?” Zara asked gloomily.
    “You’ve got to rescue me, of course.”
    “Rescue you? Are you crazy?” Zara laughed. “Anyone who wants to be rescued from Adam Silverthorne needs a psychiatrist, not a rescuer. Seriously, if he asks you out, go. Don’t even ask. Just go. We don’t want to discourage him.”
    Leonie considered this. “Are you sure?”
    “And don’t forget to behave like me. I don’t want to come home and find out he’s gotten used to you, then he starts wanting to know why I’ve changed.”
    Leonie choked with laughter that was tinged with guilt. “That would definitely be a problem.”
    “Yeah, you’re right.” Zara joined in her mirth. “I don’t know what to tell you, baby. You’ll have to go with your instincts on this one. To tell you the truth, this is something I never expected.”
    “Maybe he’s about to go back to Dallas and wanted to make a friendly gesture. Who knows?” Leonie changed the subject. “Have you had any trouble around here with peeping Toms?”
    “Peeping Toms?” Zara was silent a moment. “Are you saying you think you’re being spied on?”
    “That’s right.”
    Zara spoke over her shoulder to someone. “I’ll have it checked out. It’s possible somebody’s curious about my whereabouts. This is wonderful.”
    Wonderful?
“You’ve just made my day,” Leonie said grumpily.
    “Don’t worry about anything.” Zara laughed. “I’ll be out of pocket for about a week, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me, okay? You’re doing a great job, honey.”
    “Hah.” Leonie rubbed her forehead. “Be careful, you hear? If somebody’s watching me because they think I’m you, it can’t be good.”
    Great, Leonie thought, hanging up the phone. Zara thought the fact that somebody was spying on her was a happy circumstance. What was the world coming to?
    “Guess I’d better keep my mouth shut when Adam’s around,” she told Butch. “If Zara thinks someone may be spying on us, then we’re vindicated.”
    Butch gazed at her from the rug before the huge, stone fireplace. Even though the weather was far too warm for a fire, Butch always seemed to enjoy a warm hearth.
    “Too bad we can’t talk to Adam about it,” she added. “Why is it that men always think women are being hysterical when something like this happens?”
    Butch had no reply, but his intelligent gaze soothed Leonie’s huffy spirit.
    “It’s an insult to working dogs everywhere. You do your job, and the resident security expert says you’re ascribing evil motives to innocent passers-by.”
    Butch’s ears pricked up.
    “That’s right, boy. We can’t let him get away with that. You’ll have to nip him on the leg as a warning.”
    Whether or not Butch found the prospect of tasting Adam’s leg enticing, Leonie feared she found the knowledge of an evening in his company all too enticing. If she had any sense, she’d develop a headache and stay home.
    “My mother didn’t raise me to stand men up,” she told Butch virtuously, peering out at the lake, where the afternoon sun reflected off the water in sheets of silver. “I’m going, and that’s that.”
    She decided to make peace with her scruples by wearing something of Zara’s, namely, her sister’s most conservative outfit. But the raspberry-red silk camisole-style blouse combined with a pair of white cotton slacks were pure Zara and set off every feminine curve. Leonie took one look at herself in the mirror and ruined the effect by tossing a silver windbreaker over the blouse. Riding in an open vehicle like Adam’s Jeep called for a jacket of some kind, she assured herself.
    When Adam arrived a few minutes before five, she made sure he found her waiting, binoculars in one hand, and Butch’s leash in the other. His gaze ran over her swiftly, with just enough admiration to warm Leonie’s heart, but not so much that she