Time of Possession (Seattle Lumberjacks #5) by Jami Davenport Read Free Book Online Page A

horses?”
    Estie nodded. “Yes, I do. Tyler and Derek
used to rodeo—calf roping, stuff like that. Junior champions one
year in team roping.”
    “No shit?”
    She nodded. “Do you ride?”
    “I’ve never tried it, but I’d love to.”
    “I’ll teach you. You can ride Mac or Moe.
They’re both steady guys who’ll take care of you without being
plugs.”
    “I wasn’t inviting myself. I mean—I, uh,
don’t mean to be presumptuous.” Heat rose from his neck to the tips
of his ears. He tamped down his excitement, even though being with
Estie as she taught him to ride definitely appealed to him. Only
two problems: time—he had none—and her engagement ring.
    “You aren’t. Trust me. I’d love to do it.”
She gazed at him through lowered lashes. “I like you. We have tons
in common. I think we’ll be great friends.”
    “I like you, too.” Like her, hell. He was in
love with her, obsessed with her, and fucking crazy about her.
Brett sat there, stunned at the realization. He’d never put what he
felt in those terms, never fallen like this for any woman, never
been in love before, but he was pretty sure this was what it felt
like.
    This just was not him. Not one fucking bit.
He’d be damned if he knew what to do about it, except to try to
keep seeing her any pathetic way he could.

 
    Chapter 4
The Old vs. the New
    Estie checked in the mirror for the
bazillionth time. She put her hair back in a ponytail, opting for
the casual look, then took it out again, fluffed her hair and
applied another layer of candy frost lipstick. Any more and she’d
be mistaken for an eighties, big-hair version of cotton candy. She
was a freaking emotional mess for no good reason. After all, Brett
was nothing but a friend, actually an acquaintance, as she barely
knew him. Only it didn’t feel that way, not to her. So maybe he was
just a potential good friend, a sympathetic ear, a person who
shared her mutual love for animals. She always had room in her life
for another animal-loving friend.
    Her phone rang, and she dove for it.
“Yes.”
    “Estie, Mom wants us to join them for dinner
about six.”
    Disappointment flooded her as Richard’s
voice came across her phone, and she instantly felt guilty.
“Can’t.” Even if she didn’t have plans, spending the evening with
Richard’s judgmental parents didn’t work for her. Besides, tonight
was about doing something for her and her animals. Tonight was
about seeing Brett again, even though it shouldn’t be about that at
all.
    Silence filled the dead space until it
seemed noisier than the fans in the stadium during a close game.
Estie waited Richard out. Finally he started talking. And talking.
And talking. When he was on a roll like this, nothing stopped
him.
    Putting the phone on speaker, she sat it on
an end table and did some last-minute tidying as Richard talked.
Dozer watched her with one eye open but decided being awake was too
much work. Groaning, he rolled onto his side and snored with gusto.
Marilyn gnawed on her ball, watching Estie to see if an opportunity
to play might present itself. Spock and Jim shared the cat bed like
they had from day one as kittens, their bodies wrapped around each
other.
    Marilyn dropped the ball on her feet. Estie
patted the dog on the head. “Not right now, old girl. We have a
guest on his way.”
    She picked up a magazine from the coffee
table and stowed it in a drawer then gazed around the room, pausing
to listen to Richard’s voice still droning on. Estie added another
log to the parlor stove. She swept up the ashes from the hearth and
stopped, hearing Richard call her name. She snatched up the phone,
sounding way too breathless. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
    Richard harrumphed like an old man. “We
haven’t gone out together in about a week, and my mother thinks
you’re avoiding her.”
    No, shit, Sherlock. “Can’t tonight.
Sorry, I have plans.”
    “Estie, is something going on I should know
about?”
    “No, I