Read Sleigh Bells in Valentine Valley for Free Online Page A

door.
    â€œThanks,” she said.
    He nodded. “See you tomorrow.”
    â€œScore some goals,” she called as he walked away.
    He lifted a hand but didn’t turn around. She found herself watching him walk, his hips narrow as they moved rhythmically, his shoulders broad beneath his thick, tan Carhartt jacket. She caught herself and whirled around before anyone could see her gawking at her ex. Her job situation must really have been messing with her head. Or she’d been without any intimacy for too long, or—she was staying at her parent’s house, however briefly, right next door to Tony, bringing up all the old memories. She started the car and told herself her mom would keep her busy. For the tenth time that day, she wondered what was wrong with her.

Chapter 3
    A t dawn, when she heard her mom get in the shower, Kate escaped her childhood room to go for a run. Barney used to know it was running time just because she was putting her hair in a ponytail. It was too short for that now, but he still got excited when she put her tennis shoes on. She was used to the cold; she didn’t even need a scarf over her mouth. It wasn’t that running was fun, but it took up less time than the traditional winter pastimes of skiing or snowshoeing. She hadn’t skied since childhood. Outside, she quickly shoveled the sidewalk first, then put a leash on Barney, who’d been waiting patiently at the back fence. She turned away from Tony’s house and began to run, keeping her pace slow for the dog. He kept up for a while, but after a mile, she took him home to his doggie bed and returned to her run at a quicker pace.
    She was trying to brace herself for the day, when she’d face her four brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It had taken a long time to get over her feelings of failure after the divorce, and it was as if this sabbatical was a way of letting her family down all over again. The very presence of Tony and Lyndsay, along with Kate herself, would remind everyone about the past. All the old bleakness was resurfacing, when Thanksgiving should have been a joyous day. She ran harder, reminding herself that she was in the right where the firm was concerned, and she’d prevail in the end. As for the divorce, she and Tony were certainly better off apart than married and unhappy.
    Back at home, she showered and made herself useful through lunchtime, moving tables with Joe, carrying plates and silverware from the kitchen to the dining and living rooms, where the tables were lined up. Barney watched serenely from the couch—although once upon a time, they’d have been tripping over him. One by one, her brothers began to arrive midafternoon, their hugs making her relax—although she reminded herself they didn’t suspect anything was wrong. They brought casserole dishes and brimming salad bowls, which she schlepped to the kitchen while they took off winter coats and boots.
    â€œThis is a surprise,” Jim said when he entered the kitchen. He was two years older than Kate, dark-haired like their dad. He owned Mirabella’s, an upscale Italian restaurant in Aspen, and was still happily single.
    â€œYeah, strange, isn’t it?” she answered vaguely.
    Jim eyed her but held off on questions as Walt came in, carrying his one-year-old. Walt was blond like Kate and Joe, and though he was only thirty, he and his wife already had three kids under the age of seven. Kate could just see Diana, her frizzy red hair practically standing on end, wrestling the other two kids out of their jackets and boots in the front hall, while Barney waited to be petted. There was always a sense of friction between Kate and Walt. Even as a teenager, he hadn’t understood why she’d abandoned the family restaurant; she’d always had the nagging sensation he still felt the same way. Her parents never questioned what she wanted—only Walt did.
    Kate reached for Walt’s little