A Deal With the Devil by Abby Matisse Read Free Book Online Page B

the door will either slam in my face or smack me in the ass as I walk through.”
    “I swear. You’re such a Negative Nellie today. Can you at least pretend you’re capable of positive thought?”
    “I prefer to think of myself as realistic. Unlike you, Miss Scarlett, your tomorrow-is-another-day philosophy doesn’t work for me. Certain things are better left in the past.”
    “Whatever,” Kate said and Amanda heard Sam calling Kate’s name. “I have to run, hubby’s waiting. Think about it and call me later.”
    Amanda hung up and tapped the phone against her chin as she stared at the ceiling. Maybe Kate was right and Jake’s proposal could solve her money problems. Maybe it was a sign. She pondered the possibility for a few minutes and then shook her head. She didn’t believe in signs or happy endings. She hadn’t since the night her parents died. That night, she’d become a hardcore realist. But two years ago, she’d met Jake at Kate and Sam’s wedding and their instant attraction had fueled dreams she hadn’t allowed herself since she was a young girl. Unfortunately, the dreams died when Jake dumped her, claiming they were too different to make it work.
    He’d been right about that. They were different. His family was loaded; she’d been raised solidly middle class. He rolled out of bed looking like a Greek god. It took her an hour plus twenty different beauty products just to make herself barely presentable. He chewed women like her up and spit them out on a fairly routine basis. She was an idiot when it came to men and had been far too naïve to understand she meant nothing to him until it was too late.
    But he’d taught her an important lesson. Going forward, her dreams would be firmly rooted in reality. When she married, she’d choose a nice, safe, reliable, normal guy. Not some over-the-top, unattainable commitment-phobic freak like Jake. Now, she knew better.
    Kate couldn’t be more wrong. Jake’s proposal was a bad idea. Besides, listening to Kate is what had gotten her snowbound in the first place. No. She’d stick with her original plan and develop her own way out of this mess; a way that didn’t rely on Jake Lowell. Her approach might take longer, but at least she wouldn’t get burned.

Chapter Four

    manda swung her legs over the side of the bed and hopped down. She shoved her feet into her slippers and padded to the window, pulling aside the white chintz curtains so she could peer outside.
    It wasn’t snowing as hard. At this rate, they might be able to leave later that day. Hope stirred at the thought. But for now, she had her plan for the day. She was going to head downstairs, grab a cup of coffee and her tote bag and haul it back upstairs. The overcast, snowy weather offered the perfect excuse to lie around and craft her plan of action and doing so would be a great way to avoid Jake.
    She slipped on sweatpants and a white V-neck sweater and plodded into the bathroom where she splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. Then she pulled her thick brunette hair into a ponytail and headed for the stairs.
    When she got to the top, the sound of Jake’s off tune whistle stopped her in her tracks. She had loved his whistling when they were together. It had given her an odd sense of comfort.
    Amanda gave herself a mental pep talk. You can do this. Tune him out. Still, as she started down the stairs, her pulse raced and a confusing mixture of excitement and dread percolated inside. The man is the devil. Keep your distance.
    The cabin lights flickered. She stopped and gazed about in bewilderment as the lights flickered three more times. Then, they shut off completely. She clutched the stair rail and called down, “What happened?”
    “I don’t know,” Jake called back. “I’ll check the circuit box, but since they all went out at the same time, I doubt the breakers are the issue.”
    Grasping the rail for dear life, Amanda descended the rest of the way with care. Once her