Free Saving the Sheriff: A Three River Ranch Novella (Entangled Bliss) by Roxanne Snopek Page B

of Twinridge. Desiree Burke, Zach’s fiancée, who mostly lives in sin with him, far as I can tell.”
    Desiree stepped forward, slanting a dark look at Bliss, and stuck out her hand.
    “Actually, I run a therapeutic riding center here at Three River’s arena,” she explained. Then she smiled, as if in approval. “I see Red from time to time, helping Carson with the mustangs. He’s a good man.”
    Color rose in Red’s neck. “I don’t do much.”
    “You’ve done enough to earn Carson’s trust,” said Zach, greeting them both in turn. “I know I promised him I’d look in on you, but the weather got too ugly.”
    “And I told him I’d be fine,” said Red with a smile. “This is Francesca Sylva. I happened onto her on Christmas Eve, just before the storm hit. Probably won’t find her car until spring.”
    Red rested a light hand on the small of her back and instinctively, she leaned toward him.
    “Call me Frankie.” But before she could say more, Bliss took both her cold hands in hers and looked her up and down, her lined face full of concern.
    “Thank the Lord the sheriff found you! Did you crash your car? Are you hurt?”
    “No, no!” Frankie hastened to reassure her. But, again, the sense of being cared for swept through her. “I got…turned around. Red’s taken excellent care of me. Keeping the fire going and the wood stocked.”
    “And it turns out Frankie’s quite a hand with a propane stove and a can opener,” added Red. “She’s been a godsend helping out with the livestock, too.”
    Bliss’s eyes narrowed. She pursed her lips. “Well then. I’m glad to hear it.”
    “Thought I’d give you a hand with the chores,” said Zach, looking out toward the barns.
    Red immediately began pulling on his boots. “Have you got power at your place?”
    “Backup generator,” said Zach. “You can’t run a commercial establishment without one these days. But Three River’s not set up that way.”
    They stomped out, letting the door slam behind them. She and Red had only spent a couple of days together, but now Frankie felt oddly alone without him. Especially since the women seemed to think she and Red were…together. And she didn’t know how to explain that they weren’t, since that meant she’d have to tell them what had brought her to the ranch.
    Plus there were two of them and only one of her. And despite the fact that she hadn’t wanted to be here in the first place, she didn’t exactly want to dwell on the fact that she was leaving soon.
    “What Zach didn’t say is that our house is just as cold and dark as yours,” said Des, shaking snow off her jeans. “All the juice goes to keeping the barns humming but can we divert a little so I can take a bath? ¡Mierda!”
    A mass of glossy black curls tumbled over Des’s collar. Frankie quickly pulled her own lank hair into a ponytail, trying to remember if she’d brushed her teeth.
    “No one said you can’t take a bath,” said Bliss.
    “Right.” Des shuddered. “In snowmelt. Isn’t that right up there with waterboarding?”
    “So.” Bliss leaned toward Frankie as if sharing a secret. “How are you really, honey? My heart goes out to you. Spending Christmas away from your people, stranded with a perfect stranger.”
    “He is pretty perfect, isn’t he?” Des waggled her eyebrows. “Consider yourself warned, Frankie. Something about these mountains convinces previously sane women to give up Starbucks for saddle sores. Or maybe you’re not single?”
    “Oh, I’m single,” answered Frankie. The flood of female conversation was comforting, if overwhelming. “And fine, really and truly.”
    “Good!” said Bliss with a wink. “Happy to hear it.”
    The women moved to the fire, Bliss and Des on either side of Frankie, peeling their outerwear to let the warmth inside.
    “My, this feels good after that ride.” Bliss sighed. “I thought my hands might be frozen in the hang-on-for-dear-life position.”
    She flexed her