Free All I Ever Wanted by Francis Ray Page A

something cheaper.” At Sierra’s raised brow, Naomi quickly amended her words. “Less expensive.”
    “Amounts to the same thing.” Sierra continued talking when Naomi opened her mouth. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Rio already has the equipment. You’ll just need an alarm company to monitor it.”
    “Won’t they want to install their own equipment?” Naomi asked.
    Sierra flashed a quick grin. “You’d be surprised by the things people do when Rio asks them.”
    Naomi didn’t doubt her for a second. Rio was a formidable man. Then there was Sierra’s husband, and her older brother Luke. She certainly wouldn’t like saying no to any of them.
    “Now, back to basics,” Sierra said. “What price range? How much can you afford to put down?”
    Naomi swallowed, barely kept from fidgeting. “Six thousand down. I’m not sure what price range. It can be small. We just need two bedrooms.”
    Sierra nodded and entered more data into the iPad. “You’ll want the payments in line with your apartment rent. You haven’t paid utility bills so you’ll have to factor that into monthly expenses. Yard upkeep. Incidentals.”
    Cold fear knotted Naomi’s stomach. “Maybe I should stay in the apartment.”
    Sierra’s head came up, her gaze curious instead of accusatory. “Did you have a house before?”
    Before. Naomi barely kept from looking away in embarrassment and shame. Before meant before she came to Santa Fe after running from her ex-husband with little more than the clothes on her and Kayla’s backs. “No.”
    “First-time homeownership is always daunting, but you have to be sure it’s what you want. You won’t be able to call the apartment manager if the plumbing backs up or the central air goes out,” Sierra told her.
    With each statement, Naomi’s eyes widened. She hadn’t thought of all those possibilities.
    “Luckily for us, I know honest repairmen. But more important, before you sign any contract, the house will be thoroughly inspected. I also know a home warranty company that won’t rip you off. And I imagine Richard will want to take a look before you purchase.”
    Naomi felt her face flush, but she also felt relief that she had Richard. “He said he wanted to help.”
    “Thought so.” Sierra closed the leather case over the top of the iPad. “I’ll start working on it tomorrow. I have your phone number. I’ll be in touch.” She started from the room.
    “Sierra?”
    “Yes?” She glanced back over her shoulder, her long black hair swinging down her slim back.
    “Thank you.”
    “Thank you . I love finding just the right house for a client. Since you’re a friend, it will be that much more enjoyable.” Sierra started for the front again. “I better go before we have company. If it wouldn’t upset Blade, I’d ditch them.”
    “You can’t do that. Some men don’t respect women.”
    Sierra stopped and placed her hand on Naomi’s trembling arm. “I won’t.”
    In trying to help protect Sierra, Naomi had revealed too much, but she didn’t feel the humiliation she once might have. Sierra didn’t think less of her, and she was tired of thinking less of herself. “I won’t keep you.”
    “We’ll talk later this week.” Sierra stepped into the reception area. “Aaron, please call Paul from the back and let’s go.”
    “Already done when I heard your heels.”
    Sierra lifted a perfectly ached brow. “Why didn’t you call him the first time?”
    “You wore the same excited expression on your face when you were searching for clothes,” he said easily. “You were on a mission. You weren’t leaving.”
    “I’ll have to remember that.”
    “Thought you would. I’ll wait outside.”
    “They seem very efficient,” Naomi murmured.
    “They have to be to get Blade and Rio’s okay,” Sierra confided. “Good-bye, Naomi.”
    “Good-bye.” Naomi followed Sierra to the door. Aaron opened the back door to the shiny Lincoln. The windows were tinted so she couldn’t see