His First and Last (Ardent Springs #1) by Terri Osburn Read Free Book Online Page A

stared with narrowed eyes. “I guess it’s my turn to be surprised. I never thought college would impress you. If I remember correctly, you didn’t think much of it back in the day.”
    “As you pointed out,” she said, strangely pleased to have surprised him, “we’re not in high school anymore.”
    A look she hadn’t seen in a long time shone through his whiskey-colored eyes. The look that said she was special. A look that was far from accurate.
    “There’s hope for you yet, Lorelei Pratchett.”
    If only that were true. Hope was in short supply in her life these days.

Chapter 5
    The next morning, Granny nudged Lorelei shortly after nine, ranting that they were going to be late for church. Since Lorelei’s presence inside Ardent Springs Baptist Church was more likely to bring about a sudden lightning storm than do anything to save her long-lost soul, she grunted and pulled the covers over her head. Granny had tried again an hour later, but in the end abandoned the effort.
    Not long after she’d heard Granny holler a farewell and close the front door behind her, Lorelei pulled the covers down and listened. Gone were the screaming neighbors, slamming doors, and endless sirens. There was no one living on the other side of the wall or under her feet. The stillness was almost unnerving, but she kept her eyes closed, enjoying the chirping coming from the trees outside her window.
    Trees. Looming, lazy, listless trees with not a palm in sight. Lorelei had missed this place. Against her will and her own expectations, she’d missed the crickets and the frogs, the dirt roads and the dirt beneath her toes. She’d wanted sandy beaches and ocean waves, but sand invaded inplaces you didn’t want it to reach, and the ocean waves were daunting, trying to suck you in and take you under.
    Which described the majority of Lorelei’s time in LA.
    As the rush of failure threatened to drown out the quiet country sounds, something sharp and heavy pounced on Lorelei’s foot, jerking her upright in bed.
    “What the—?” she started, but Ginger followed the moving foot, her claws puncturing the quilt like a razor blade through toilet paper. “Get off of me, you crazy cat!” Lorelei pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged under the covers. The fur ball shifted, looking for its prey, then shot Lorelei an evil look before dashing out of the room. “Fine. I’m awake. And you’re still evil,” she said to the cat, who was long gone.
    “And you’re still not a morning person, I see.”
    The man was like a freaking rash she couldn’t shake. “What are you doing up here, Spencer? I don’t remember extending an invitation.”
    “Not lately anyway.” His grin did funny things to her brain, which she hoped didn’t show on her face. “I helped Rosie load up the baked goods, and she asked me to keep an eye on you.” He moved into the room with the grace of a dancer, a quality she hadn’t appreciated nearly enough in her younger days, and dropped onto the window seat. “The fund-raiser starts an hour after the service ends. As the newest member of the Ruby Restoration Committee, you’re expected to be there.”
    “First off, I don’t need a babysitter. It’s not as if I’m a flight risk.” She’d run away from home to chase a dream, then run from LA to save her sanity. This didn’t mean there was a pattern forming. “And do they really need me to sit around selling cookies and muffins to the devoted?”
    “You can’t avoid the locals forever,” he said. “Might as well face ’em and get it over with.”
    She hated how well he knew her. Facing Jeanne the waitress or even Becky Winkle one-on-one was bad enough. The thought of standing before a fellowship hall filled with the people who’d been judge and jury for both her and her mother made her reconsider the running idea.
    “Don’t you think my presence will do more harm than good?”
    “Only one way to find out.” Spencer rose from his seat and headed for the