Free Wild Thing by Robin Kaye

excellent wife. Karma on the other hand, not so much.
    She smiled, knowing Toni had no choice but to go in and pretend to pee. When Toni shut the door behind her, Karma went back to the kitchen to see what Hunter had cooked for her to reheat—the only thing she’d allow her brothers to see her accomplish in the kitchen. The fact that she could hold her own, sometimes even excel at cooking and baking, was a secret she’d take to the grave. As usual, his refrigerator was stocked. She zeroed in on the leftover roast. It was a little early for lunch, but for Karma, it was either that or cereal, and never having been a cereal girl, she fixed herself a sandwich.
    Toni reappeared and sat at the table, pouring over a bunch of notes clipped onto the wickedest clipboard Karma had ever seen.
    “Hey, Toni, where’d you get that clipboard?” Karma snagged a Coke out of the fridge and grabbed her sandwich before heading over to check out the clipboard. “Oooh, that’s nice. I want one bad. I use a clipboard every day and hang it on the wall in my office. I’ve never seen one that was a work of art.”
    “Oh thanks.” Toni lifted it and showed her the back.
    “Even cooler.”
    “I bought it at a little shop in SoHo. Do you ever get to New York?”
    “Not often, but I have. My cousin lives there… in Brooklyn actually. Maybe I can have him or his wife pick it up for me. Would you write down the name of the shop?”
    “Sure, I’d be happy to.” Toni tore off a blank sheet of paper and jotted it down.
    Karma sat opposite Toni. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t ask if you wanted a sandwich. I’d be happy to fix you one. Between the homemade bread and the roast beef, Hunter’s got the makings of a dreamwich.”
    “He made the bread?”
    Karma took a bite and chewed. Heaven. After a sip of Coke to wash it all down, she nodded. “He has a bread machine. It’s not like there’s a market down the street. There is one in Stanley, but it’s definitely not close. When you live up this far, making everything is par for the course. Lucky for him and me, he’s an amazing cook. Me—I’d starve without takeout.”
    Toni nodded. “Yeah, me too.”
    “So, do you want a sandwich?”
    “Oh—thanks, but no. The Sawtooth Inn provided lunch for everyone. I guess I could grab it and eat with you.” Toni stood there waiting until Karma realized she was looking for permission.
    “Sure. If you don’t mind eating early, that would be great.”
    “I skipped breakfast so an early lunch sounds good. I’ll be right back.”
    Karma took another bite of the sandwich and watched Toni scoot out the door. Oh yeah, Hunter would definitely need those extra condoms. He was really lucky his little sister thought ahead.
    When Toni returned, she opened a brown paper sack and pulled out her sandwich. “How long have you known Hunter?”
    Karma took a sip of her drink and licked the mayo off the side of her finger. Toni passed her a napkin. “Thanks. I’ve known Hunter all my life. We grew up together.”
    “That must be nice. Do you see him often?”
    Karma couldn’t help but snort. “Not as often as I’d like. It’s hard to have any kind of relationship with Hunter; he works up here all summer, and in the winter he’s always busy on the Rock.”
    “That must be difficult for you.”
    “You get used to it.”
    “I guess. Still, don’t you worry about him around so many other women? I don’t know how you do it. This week he’s guiding ten models, seven of whom are female.”
    “Eight. You didn’t count yourself, did you?”
    “No, but I’m hardly a threat.”
    “I wouldn’t say that.”
    Toni rolled her eyes, obviously unaware of her own appeal. Odd, since Karma and anyone who wasn’t legally blind would take one look at her and think Toni was gorgeous in that no-nonsense, naturally beautiful way. She didn’t look the type to care enough to spend hours putting goop all over her face before she’d be seen in public, not that she