Free Already Home by Susan Mallery Page A

paused, not sure what to say next.
    Cliff continued to smile at her, as if she were the brightest part of his day. “I work in finance, which sounds more impressive than it is. I’ve been in town about five months and the only people I know are the ones on my floor at work. I’m putting in eighty hours a week because I don’t know what else to do with my time. Have dinner with me?”
    Nice, she thought. The guy was nice. And, of course, she wasn’t the least bit interested.
    â€œThanks, but no.”
    He gazed into her eyes. “I know meeting a guy in a grocery store isn’t much better than meeting a guy in a bar. What do you really know about me, right? Giving me your number wouldn’t be safe. So let me give you my card.”
    He withdrew a card from his suit jacket pocket. “My work number is there, along with my cell. How about next Tuesday?”
    â€œI don’t get to Austin much. I live in Georgetown,” she said without thinking, not sure what to do about the invitation.
    â€œThat works for me. How about the Wildfire Restaurant? It’s next to the Palace Theater. Tell you what. I’ll be there at seven. I hope you’ll join me.”
    He held out the card until she took it.
    â€œI’m a good guy,” he told her. “Ask anyone on my floor.”
    She stared at the card. The company name was one she recognized and the location was a high-rise in Austin. Apparently Cliff really did have a job, and it was a good one.
    She looked up only to see he’d turned away and was already at the end of the aisle. He rounded the corner without looking back. He probably was a good guy, she thought as she tucked the card into the back pocket of her jeans. No man had ever gone out of his way to make her feel safe before. Women like Jenna were probably well-treated all the time. They didn’t know the world could be different. But Violet did. She knew how ugly it could be.
    She was tired of losers who made her heart beat faster. Of jerks who hurt her, either physically or emotionally. Jenna made normal seem pretty damned wonderful. Maybe it was time for Violet to experience normal for herself.

Five
    T he last time Jenna had had this many butterflies in her stomach, she’d been getting married. Hopefully the reopening of her store would prove to have a happier ending. She waited anxiously by the oven as cookies baked. As per their plan, food would be available the second the doors unlocked.
    While she waited for the three-hundred-and-fifty degrees to work their magic, she glanced around the store. She and Violet had rearranged a few shelves and reworked most of the displays. Gone was the rigid order she had so loved, and in its place was a welcoming riot of color and equipment. Dish towels spilled out of mixer bowls, mugs nestled next to coffee-makers. A gourmet coffee display was nearby.
    The website was up and working, ads were in all the local papers, coupon inserts in two, and somehow Violet had man aged to get them interviewed for a local blog.
    She checked the cookies, then eyed the class schedule onthe wall. The big dry-erase board was filled with offerings from organic food for babies and toddlers during the late-morning to a singles cooking class on Friday night. Her perfect kitchen would be invaded by people who had no idea what they were doing, and she was actually sort of okay with that.
    Even more surprising, she was trying something new. The organic food for babies and toddlers was completely out of her comfort zone. She’d nearly vomited when she’d agreed to the class, but she was going to do it. She figured an eighteen-month-old wouldn’t be as critical as Aaron.
    Giving up control was a good thing, she reminded herself. At least it would be when she got used to it and stopped hyperventilating at the thought. Trying to keep control of everything had become a habit in recent years. Maybe it had been a way not to notice how out of