Read Needs A Little TLC (Spinning Hills Romance 2) for Free Online Page B

began peppering Cassie with questions about what she’d been up to the last ten years and what had happened in the meeting with Sam that morning. Both were excited to learn she’d be leasing an office there soon and would be around often.
    She didn’t inform them she might actually move her headquarters and be around permanently. She’d planned to march into Sam’s office with guns drawn and heart shielded. Things hadn’t gone according to plan. Welcome home, Sam had said. She was sure she wanted to be number one. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to be home.
    Ruby came back holding two pieces of latticed blueberry pie, one in each hand. Rosa and Sherry wore knowing smiles. Unsure but brave, Jessica took a bite of each. “Which one do you prefer?” Sherry asked, eagerly.
    Jessica chewed, then swallowed. “The, uh, one on the left, I guess.”
    “Is that the one with cinnamon?” Rosa asked.
    “No,” Ruby answered, eyes twinkling. “And that means you’re looking for a quick fix. Something juicy, but fleeting.”
    “Why? What does cinnamon have to do with anything?” Johnny laughed.
    “Cinnamon is an ancient preservative. She doesn’t crave it, therefore, she doesn’t crave anything permanent.”
    Rosa seized Jessica’s left hand and held it up. “No ring,” she declared.
    “She’s widowed,” Cassie was quick to say, lest they get any ideas of fixing her up.
    “Hmm.” Ruby sized Jessica up, as if she already had someone in mind.
    Johnny backed away and he and Dan left with swift goodbyes and promises of becoming constant nuisances as soon as she settled on an office to lease.
    “We’re widows, too, dear,” Sherry was saying to Jessica as she led her to a table. “Now, eat your pie and tell us all about yourself. Ruby will get you some coffee. How do you like it?”
    “As strong as possible,” said Jessica, who usually took her coffee light and sweet.
    “I’ll bring the coffee and my tarot cards and we’ll get you all sorted out.”
    “Don’t worry. It’s only another marketing ploy. Not my idea, of course. Such things cross the line.” Rosa made the sign of the cross and looked up, as if apologizing to God, but Jessica looked more amused than alarmed.
    “Can I have a strong coffee to go?” Cassie asked. There was something she needed to do and she hoped to do it alone. She kneeled down beside Jessica. “I’m going to stop by my grandmother’s house. It backs up to the park we passed, so it’ll be a quick walk. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to stay here for a little while?”
    “Stay here. I’ve never had my fortune told by a gypsy before.”
    Cassie stepped out of the café and breathed in a mixture of moist earth and coffee. People were strolling up and down the sidewalks, mostly unhurried.
    The town’s storybook architecture and rich history had always been a tourist draw. Constant foot traffic, low rent, and a reputation for being quirky made it the perfect place to try out unusual business ideas. Nevertheless, the town had been bleeding residents for the last two decades.
    Much of the housing stock was in need of updates or complete rehabilitation, and, until recently, the schools had been good, but not excellent. She wondered how Sam felt about that. Everyone knew the brothers’ education had been a sore topic between their parents. Sam’s mom had wanted them to go to the private school she’d attended, while their dad had thought “good schools,” when coupled with good habits and a strong work ethic, were “more real.” He hadn’t wanted them to grow up in a bubble. Both were vocal about their views.
    While Cassie was ecstatic the schools were now rated excellent, because it would be great for business, she hoped some of the grit would also stay. Bubbles were fragile and transient. She’d learned the hard way.
    Turning her back to the sun, she hiked up the ravine through a much-tread path that led from Star Springs Park to the space between her