Free Tangled Up in You by Rachel Gibson Page A

Pest Control can get out here. Its easier than hunting for a smelly carcass.
    Thanks. No man has ever given me she paused and looked at the box. A Mouse Motel 500.
    He chuckled. They had a Mouse Motel 200, but I thought you deserved the best.
    She opened the door wide. Would you like to come in? She should tell him why she was in Truly, but not right now. She just wasnt in the mood for another confrontation.
    I cant stay long. He stepped past her, bringing with him the scent of the outdoors and woodsy soap. My sister is expecting me for dinner.
    I always wanted a sister. Somewhere to go for holidays besides a friends house.
    If you knew Meg, you might consider yourself lucky.
    She shut the door and moved into the living room beside him. She had to admit, it was strange having him in her house. Not just because he was Mick Hennessy, but because it had been a long time since shed let a man in her home. The energy seemed to change, the air to sexually charge. Why?
    Meg can be He smiled and glanced about the room. A horrible cook, he said, but Maddie got the feeling that wasnt what hed been about to say. The kind of cook who thinks shes a lot better than she actually is, which means shell never get better. If shes thrown peas in a casserole and calls it dinner, Im out of there. His gaze returned to hers and he pointed to her drink. Hard day?
    Yeah.
    More mice feasting on your granola bars?
    She shook her head. Hed remembered that?
    What happened?
    She was fairly certain hed hear about it soon enough. Nothing important. Do you have time for a drink?
    Do you have a beer?
    Just ultra.
    He made a face. Dont tell me you count carbs.
    Oh, yeah. She moved into the kitchen and he followed close behind. If I dont, I get a huge behind. She looked over her shoulder and watched his gaze slide down her back to her butt.
    You look pretty good to me.
    Exactly. As if he had all day, his gaze slid back up to her face. I have vodka, gin, and Crown Royal.
    His lids lowered a fraction over his eyes, making his dark lashes look very long. Crown.
    She opened a cupboard and raised onto the balls of her feet. Maddie recognized the look in his eyes. She hadnt had sex in four years, but she remembered that look.
    Ill get that, he said as he moved close behind her and reached to the top shelf.
    She dropped to her heels and turned. He was so close that if she leaned forward just a little, she could bury her nose in his neck. The sides of his open shirt brushed her breasts and she held her breath.
    He looked into her eyes as he handed her the old-fashioned glass. Here you go. He took a step back.
    Thank, you. She moved around him and opened the freezer. The cold air felt good against her heated cheeks. This absolutely could not be happening. Not with him, and if hed been any other man, she could not be held responsible for how badly she might use and abuse his body.
    Are you from Idaho? he asked as he leaned a hip into the counter and folded his arms across his chest. Or are you a transplant?
    I was born and raised in Boise. Except for the five months shed lived in Truly and the six years shed lived in Southern California attending UCLA. She tossed a few ice cubes into the glass.
    Your folks live in Boise?
    I never knew my father. She shut the freezer and set the glass on the counter. I was raised by my aunt and she passed away a few months ago.
    Wheres your mother?
    The same place as his. Buried about five miles away. She died when I was young. Maddie bent at the waist and pulled the bottle of whiskey from her booze cabinet.
    Im sorry to hear that.
    I hardly remember her. She waited for him to say something about losing his parents when hed been a boy. He didnt and she straightened and handed him the Crown Royal. Sorry. It isnt as good as Bushmills 21.
    He took the bottle from her and unscrewed the cap. Company is better, though. He poured three fingers of whiskey over the ice.
    You dont know me.
    He put the bottle on the counter and raised the glass to his