Free Sabrina (Big Sky Dreams 2) by Lori Wick Page A

You'll have to wear it tomorrow so I can see
    it."
    "I'll do that."
    Jeanette peppered Sabrina with questions about her new place and neighbors she had not met. As the two started on the day's work, they continued to talk, but Jeanette kept quiet about her true feelings, still doing mental battle over Sabrina's independence.
    eFftD'-z,
    "The lock on my door still isn't fixed," Sabrina said to Butch Sandgren that evening, thinking at this rate she would never have to pay her full rent.
    "The piece has to go to the livery, and I haven't got time," he said. "Take it yourself and let me know what it costs!"
    No words could have been more depressing to Sabrina. The last thing she wanted to do was run into Rylan. Nevertheless she made herself take the piece to work with her the next day. Maybe Jeanette would say she was headed that way, and she could ask her to drop it off.
    70
    SABRINA SAW NO HELP for it. Jeanette had not said a thing about going to the livery, and if she didn't go there during her dinner break, there would be even more days with a door lock that didn't really work.
    Dreading it with every step, Sabrina went that direction, not bothering to eat the food Becky had sent with Jeanette for her. She stepped inside, unsure where to find someone, and then realized Rylan might not be working today. Feeling a bit bolder, she went in the direction of a wide doorway that sat past the stalls, thinking she'd heard noise and someone might be in the forge. Rylan chose that moment to come from that fiery room.
    "Excuse me," he said, pulling up short when he would have walked right past and using his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow. "I didn't see you, Sabrina."
    "No, it's my fault," Sabrina said. She had turned as they spoke until she was partway into the room, backing away from Rylan with sudden nerves. "I'm having a problem with my lock. Mr. Sandgren said to bring it here."
    Rylan took the piece she held out and inspected it.
    "Is this from the door into your apartment?" he asked quietly.
    71 Sabrina nodded, meeting the eyes she had to look up to see. "You don't have a lock on your door?"
    "Not at the moment."
    For several seconds Rylan knew what Jeanette had felt-fear for this woman's safety. He studied the lock again, seeing how easy it would be to fix, and then looked back at Sabrina.
    Without warning Rylan stepped forward, took Sabrina by the shoulders and propelled her into the water trough that sat some four feet to the left. Sabrina gasped as water came to her waist, sloshing nearly to her shoulders. She looked up at the man bending over her and got angry.
    "Rylan Jarvik!" Sabrina spat. "What in the world? This is a brand new skirt!"
    "You were on fire," he said, but Sabrina didn't hear him. "Jeanette gave it to me yesterday!"
    "Here, let me help you."
    Sabrina glared at him but allowed him to help her from the trough. Rylan lifted her easily and set her beside the water trough this time. Soggy as she was, she came fully upright, ready to tell him again how she felt until he bent a little and repeated himself.
    "You were on fire. Your skirt was on fire."
    Sabrina looked as surprised as she felt, and tried to turn to see the back of her skirt. That was when Rylan spotted the front of her. The white blouse had become transparent with the water.
    "Let me get my jacket," Rylan began, but Sabrina didn't understand.
    "It's not that cold. I'll just head home and change."
    "Wait," Rylan said, but Sabrina was already headed for the alley. Rylan caught her at the door and put the jacket around her. Sabrina turned back, no longer angry but more confused than ever.
    "This was my fault," Rylan began before Sabrina could speak. "I had no business letting you near the forge. I'm sorry."
    Sabrina would have been made of stone not to respond to the regret she read in Rylan's eyes.
    72 "Thank you for putting it out," Sabrina said, relaxing a little for
    the first time. "I wasn't burned." This said, she began to remove the
    jacket to