Free The Bull Rider's Manager by Lynn Cahoon

as your mom did, but I’ll do my best.” Barb handed Kati her spoon back. “Now get eating before your soup gets cold.”
    Barb sat and watched the little girl for a few seconds, and watched the dog watching Kati eat too. She’d check out the kitchen and make sure the dog food bowl was filled before she left too. Who knows how long Hunter had been out of it.
    “I’ll be back later.” Barb walked to the door.
    “Tell Uncle Hunter I hope he feels better soon,” Kati called out.
    No doubt about it, the kid was a charmer. Barb smiled as she headed back to the kitchen for Hunter’s lunch.
    Hunter was already asleep when Barb slipped into his room. This room looked like Hunter. Deep green bedspread that matched his drapes, mahogany furniture, and large in-suite bathroom to the side. Definitely designed by someone, not Hunter.
    She sat the tray of food on the nightstand and covered him with the bedspread, once again struck by how handsome the man was, even without that killer smile. No, living with this Adonis for the rest of her life wouldn’t be that much of a hardship. Her thoughts traveled back to their night together and she smiled. Too bad their marriage was just a fairy tale — as soon as Hunter got better, the dream would be over in one fell swoop of the pen.
    Barb turned off the lights and walked back into the kitchen to grab her cell. “Hey, Lizzie, I’m staying in town for a couple days.” She paused, listening to the other end. “I’ll call the home right now. What exactly did he say?”
    As she listened, her heart sank. Jerry Jones, the manager of the Countryside home had called to make payment arrangements. And according to what he’d told Lizzie, putting a lien off her mother’s house was off the table. Barb would have to guarantee her mother’s stay with some other form of collateral.
    She ended the conversation with Lizzie after refusing to get James and the business involved. “You guys have too much on your plate as it is, you don’t need to be getting into debt for me.”
    Hanging up the phone, she called and basically had the same conversation with Mr. Jones. Except she got a month reprieve. If she could come up with the down payment by the end of the month, her mom would be allowed to stay. If not, well, he was sorry, but they’d lost too much money using homes in the sinking real estate market as collateral lately. It wasn’t personal.
    Barb hung up the phone and started pulling out supplies to make the brownies. Hell yeah, it was personal. They’d had an agreement. Sure, she’d never signed papers, but still.
    Barb focused on the comforting routine of baking, something Lizzie’s mom had taught the girls every winter Saturday when they couldn’t take the horses out. Barb had loved spending time with Lizzie and her mom. Lizzie’s home was so different from Barb’s. Lizzie’s was warm and friendly. Barb’s perfect and untouchable.
    Checking the cabinets and fridge, Barb got a chicken ready to roast, peeled potatoes for mashing, and made a fresh garden salad. Hunter must have a standing delivery order from the local grocer because the fridge was bursting to the seams with food. Barb thought of her tiny condo kitchen back in San Francisco and how little time she spent there. This kitchen she could spend days in. Maybe even bake her own bread.
    When the brownies were cooling on the granite countertop, she turned on the teakettle to heat up water and when to check on Kati. The little girl was sound asleep and her food gone. Bella opened her eyes and yawned as Barb took the tray away. “You help her finish her soup?”
    The dog had the good graces to look guilty as she followed Barb out to the kitchen. There was a dog door in the back door and Bella slipped out. Barb watched her wander the backyard, sniffing at the dollhouse near the garden, slipping through the swing set on the lawn and then walking around the fenced pool until she disappeared behind what appeared to be a small pool