LITMIR.BIZ

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      “Not much. I know it’s a Mother Lode location from the gold rush era.”

      “Right. It’s beautiful country, but the house itself is a little isolated.”

      “Isolation doesn’t bother me.” They would be about an hour north of Sacramento. Clean air, and stars at night. Trees. Their own cottage. “I can be there tonight.”

      “I’ll send someone to help.”

      “I can manage, thanks.” She smiled, hopefully diverting him from becoming insistent on helping her. She really didn’t want anyone associated with him to see where she lived.

      The tiredness in his face smoothed out—his very handsome face, she finally realized, admiring his tall, athletic body.

      “Whatever expenses you incur in moving out, I’ll pay. Just let me know how much.”

      “Thank you.”

      “And if everything works out, I’ll buy out your contract from At Your Service. Falcon Motorcars would become your employer, so you’d have benefits.”

      Benefits. Valerie wished he would leave so that she could sit down. An internal earthquake had her trembling. She was surprised he couldn’t see it.

      She’d been without health insurance for the year that she hadn’t been able to find permanent work. “Feel free to start putting through the new-employee paperwork,” she said.

      “You’re very sure that things are going to work out.”

      “Three things you’ll learn about me, Mr. Falcon. I’m competent, I’m reliable and I’m loyal. I also know I have to prove myself.”

      “You can call me David.” He pulled a large envelope from his briefcase and handed it to her. “You’ll find a map to the house inside this envelope, and some general instructions. A few forms you need to fill out. A key to the cottage, in case I’m not there when you arrive.” He gestured toward the door. “I’ll walk you out.”

      “I think we both probably have to talk to Denise.”

      “Right. I’ll go first.” He shook her hand. “See you later.”

      “Thank you for the opportunity,” she said. Now go away.

      He walked out the door.

      She sank into the chair, her knees giving out. He stuck his head back around the corner. “You like dogs?”

      “Yes.” She tried to stand.

      “Don’t get up,” he said, eyeing her intently. “Are you okay?”

      “I’m fine. My foot got caught in the chair leg.”

      He waited a couple of beats. “Is your daughter good with dogs?”

      “She loves them, but she’s never had one of her own.”

      “I have a great old-lady dog. I’ve had to foster her with my brother and his four kids because I’ve been gone so much. She looks at me with accusing eyes every time I leave their house without her. I’d like to bring her home.”

      “By all means.”

      He slapped the doorjamb and nodded. “Thanks.”

      “You’re welcome.”

      He disappeared, but she held herself together, in case he surprised her by returning—

      “One more thing,” he said, again appearing in the doorway. “Can your daughter swim?”

      “Yes.”

      “Good. I have a pool. I don’t want to have to worry about her.”

      “She’ll abide by the rules.”

      “Okay.” Then he was off again.

      She stared into space. He had no idea what having this job meant to her. None. She didn’t care if she had to work 24/7. Didn’t care if she lost sleep or weight or her mind. Well, maybe she would care if she lost her mind.

      It was a good job, out of the city, working for a man Denise assured her was decent and successful. He’d have to sign a contract, the same as Valerie would, spelling out the details of the business arrangement, including that there would be no sexual contact between employer and employee. She could live with that.

      All she wanted was to provide for her daughter.

      Finally she could do that.

      Chapter Two

      “Over there, Mom.” Hannah pointed straight ahead. “See the mailbox? That’s the address. But where’s the house?”

      Valerie braked, slowing, then came to a stop next to the mailbox. Ahead she spotted a break in the abundance of trees and shrubs and assumed it was a driveway. She nosed the car down the gravel road, past a small forest of wild oaks, fragrant pines and stately cedars. Then she came upon a wide firebreak clearing and an amazing house, all glass and logs and rocks, reaching toward the sky, the stark edges softened by clouds, the windows reflecting treetops.

      “Awesome,” Hannah said reverently. “We’re gonna live here?”

      Valerie was no less awed. She’d expected a nice house, but not one that should be profiled in Architectural Digest. “Remember we won’t be living in the house but in a cottage on the property.”

      No one came out of the house to greet or question them, so Valerie continued on, following a gently curving path around the house, discovering several buildings—a four-car garage, what looked to be a stable and the building referred to as the cottage.

      The word cottage had conjured up visions in Valerie’s mind of rosebushes and wood shingles. Instead the structure was a smaller version of the main house, except with cedar-plank siding instead of logs, but with the same large windows, and more space than she and Hannah had ever lived in.

      “There’s the pool!” Hannah exclaimed, scrambling to unbuckle her seat belt and flinging the car door open. “And a hot tub. Mom, it’s got a hot tub. We get to use it, too, right?”

      She was out of the car and running toward a free-form pool that seemed carved out of the landscape, with a small, rock waterfall at one end that spilled into both the pool and hot tub.

      Gravel crunched under Valerie’s feet as she followed Hannah, reaching a flagstone path that branched into others heading toward the cottage, the main house, and through a wild, obviously untended garden to the pool. Lack of interest in gardening, she wondered, or his intent? He must be able to afford a gardener.

      Valerie reached her daughter, who’d crouched beside the pool, dipped her hand into it then flicked a few refreshing drops at Valerie. “Can we go swimming, Mom? I’m sooo hot.”

      They’d spent the afternoon packing their belongings and cleaning their apartment in the 101-degree Sacramento weather, squeezing everything into their small car. They both needed a cool swim before unpacking and settling in. And the man of the house didn’t appear to be home.

      “Pleeease,” Hannah begged, tugging on Valerie’s hand.

      “How fast can you find your bathing suit?”

      “I put it in the last grocery bag we loaded.” She grinned, obviously pleased at her planning ahead. “Yours, too. I swiped it from your suitcase as soon as you said there was a pool.”

      “Have I told you lately how smart you are?” Valerie hooked an arm around her daughter as they returned to the car.

      “Just every day.”

      They grabbed the bag from the car then headed to the cottage to change. A note was taped to the front door: “Welcome. I expect to be home by 7:30. I’ll bring dinner. We’ll meet later to discuss your specific duties. DF”

      It

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