A Texas Chance by Jean Brashear Read Free Book Online

getting the animal help, so he couldn’t be heartless, even if he rubbed her the wrong way.
    Queenie . She snorted. Jerk.
    Like it up there on your high horse ?
    He had no idea what she’d been through in her life, he who’d been blessed from birth with parents and siblings who adored him. His family was still alive and together, and his biggest problem was that perhaps they loved him too much.
    Some problem.
    Not that she needed love in her life, she thought as she tugged at a stubborn vine. She didn’t want it, didn’t have time for it. Sure, maybe occasionally she was lonely and thought about how nice it would be to have someone waiting up for her, someone who cared about whether her day had been wonderful or not.
    But after she’d rebuilt her life and started climbing the corporate ladder, she’d never met anyone she’d considered important enough to divert her from her career. Maybe she was simply meant to be alone. She did have friends, after all, even if most of them were scattered across the globe. Such was the nature of her business. Still there were emails and phone calls and occasional visits. And she had Jenna close by.
    A thorn slashed her skin. She grabbed a clean rag out of her back jeans pocket and wrapped it until she could go inside and wash it off. It didn’t hurt that much.
    Not as much as knowing that Jenna considered her pathetic and in need of charity. That was no kind of friendship, and she wouldn’t allow it to continue.
    But she liked Jenna. Her friend was one of the reasons she’d come back to Austin after her career had gone down in flames. They’d met in a yoga class when she’d been posted to an Austin hotel two years ago, and Jenna’s warm, giving nature—obvious even in a yoga class—had appealed to Sophie. As Sophie got to know her, she admired Jenna’s drive to make the world a better place and her willingness to help anyone in need. During the scandal, Jenna had been her lifeline and had urged her to start over here in Austin.
    It was a treat to be in one place, to have a girlfriend right in town to see chick flicks with, to call about a lousy date story—not that she had time for dates, but Jenna had plenty. Sure, Jenna was always dragging her away from work to listen to live music or walk the hike-and-bike trail, but she had to admit it was fun. And in fact it had been on a walk with Jenna that she’d first spotted this former eyesore.
    Having a girlfriend wasn’t too much to ask, was it?
    Her pride was hurt, that was all. Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater . She and Jenna could still be friends, she just had to make it clear that Hotel Serenity would be just fine without Cade’s art. Leave your brother out of this, she would tell Jenna. I don’t think his work is right for my hotel, she would say. I have a different plan now . She would never reveal that she knew just how much Cade resented Jenna making free with what were, after all, his photographs. And how much he resented Sophie for taking her charity. Well, he wouldn’t have to worry about that. She would be in no one’s debt, not even a friend’s.
    Besides, Cade was a wanderer. As soon as he was well enough, he’d be on his way. She and Jenna could still be friends in spite of her brother.
    In the meantime, she’d reclaim her new dog, dodge Cade and focus on getting the hotel open, on showing everyone in the hotel business that she was a force to be reckoned with, that she could make it on her own. That no scandal would break her.
    Nor would losing out on Cade’s photographs. She hadn’t planned on having them and wouldn’t lose sleep over the loss. Moving forward was all that mattered.
    As she loaded yet more vines into her wheelbarrow, she paused to use the tail of her shirt to wipe sweat off her face. After she dumped these, she’d go inside and perform a little first aid on her arm, then call the vet’s office to get an update. Too soon for the surgery to be over, maybe, but she wanted