Free A Captivating Conundrum by Amy Lignor

Amber and those kids meant a lot to me. You're taking a leap of faith by not keeping the other guy who's got a whole lot more job credits than I do. I want to make you and Amber proud."
    The voice inside was screaming at me to say something, anything . The upside was I knew Matt was all about Amber, and any 'heat' or hormones I felt could simply be blamed on the beer, and would be gone tomorrow.
    "Well…I'll show you to your room." 
    He bowed at the waist. "After you."
    As I marched up the stairs with absolutely no idea of what to say next, I should've known it was a terrible idea for them to stay. You see, when a writer is out of words, they are seriously screwed.

Seven
     
     
    ~ His ~
    I know. It was awful to invite ourselves. And what made it even worse was the fact that Chris and I had made it to Beth's hometown well before seven and had found the Inn. But, no, I'm not going to say I regretted my choice one little bit.
    When I walked into the house and was hit full in the face with the light lavender scent, I almost felt like I was home. Really. I expected my loving parents to come around the corner of the kitchen I spied at the other end of the hall. I expected Mom to run into my arms and give me a big hug, and I expected Dad to appear on the couch, watch the game with me, and tell me everything that was going on with his job—a job I seriously admired because he really helped people. In fact, he was a lot like Beth. They both had a penchant for 'home, hearth and family.' I knew he'd like her.
    When we followed Beth into the dining room the table was the first thing I saw. I heard the small gasp come from Chris and he was right, it was stunning. Her grandfather must've been a master carpenter to create that—yet another skill I would love to learn. In fact, I always wanted to make a rocking chair for my Mom; one of those hand-tooled items that are so stunning even a nine-month pregnant lady who's about to burst could sit in it and feel comfortable.
    Sixty-five years ? Beth certainly came from a solid family. But the slight sadness that passed through her eyes when I mentioned her parents made me feel guilty. It certainly wasn't something I should be privileged to know—at least not yet.
    I did give myself points. I gave Beth a chance to overrule her best friend, so it's not all my fault. Maybe in the morning she'd change her mind and throw us out. But for now I was in Beth's world and somehow—out of the blue—it was exactly where I wanted to be. This woman was a puzzle, and I needed to figure her out.
    Following her up the staircase I tried my absolute best not to check out any body parts swaying before me. Finding it more and more difficult to keep my gaze off the amazing legs, I stopped, took a deep breath and stared at the pictures covering the walls. I found myself smiling at the two little girls in their father's lap, looking up at him like he was the king of all he surveyed.
    There was another beautiful photo of what had to be Beth's Mom and Dad. Her father wore the smile of a man who worked hard for a family he truly loved. While Mom…well, Mom was only slightly different than the woman before me. Instead of the thick, wavy mass of dark auburn hair that framed Beth's stunning face, Mom's was straight as an arrow, but the brown eyes were filled with fire as she looked at her beloved husband. It was a picture of true love.
    I looked down the hallway to where Beth stood, leaning up against the wall and smiling. "You're into family pictures?"
    "Yeah, actually," I replied. "Reminds me of home." 
    She walked back to me, making my heart race in my chest. Lifting her hand, she pointed to a small picture of a huge dog. "That's Jo-Jo. He was my protector."
    I grinned. "I wouldn't have messed with him."
    Pointing at the picture of the two small girls on Dad's lap, Beth continued, "That's me and my sister, Marie. She's two years older. Real pain in the butt," she laughed.
    "Why's that?" 
    "She has a gift of