Twist of Fate by Mary Jo Putney Read Free Book Online

glance as she passed by him into the building. "Which means that now I'm dangerous Ms. Hyde."
    Dangerous wasn't the half of it. Her buoyancy and sheer high spirits struck chords that had been silent so long he had forgotten how they sounded, and that wasn't counting her physical attractions. Even in her tailored suit she had been sexy, but in casual attire, she was stunning. And she was flirting with him.
    He didn't take it personally. Today she radiated the kind of sparkling femininity that flirts with the world and probably caused males from nine to ninety to follow her around. Keeping his voice light, he said, "A killer lawyer who looks like you? Dangerous indeed." He ushered her into the back room he had been using as an office.
    Val reached into her oversized tapestry handbag and pulled out a sheaf of papers. "I drafted a lease based on the terms we discussed on the phone. Look it through, consult another lawyer if you like, or let me know if you want changes."
    He skimmed through his copy, noting that the rental amount and terms were as they agreed. "No need. I'm willing to sign now."
    She shook her head. "You're too trusting."
    "A contract isn't worth much more than the honesty of the people who sign it."
    "True, but contracts come in handy if a situation implodes and the pieces need to be sorted out. I want to talk to you about a bit of remodeling before I move in, but that should be a separate deal." She grinned. "I haven't even seen the whole building. I should be ashamed of myself for not doing my homework."
    "I'll give you the full tour before we sign anything, so you can back out if you change your mind."
    "I won't change my mind for anything short of a cholera- breeding swamp in the basement. And probably not then."
    If she found a swamp, she'd call a plumber. An efficient woman, Val Covington. He opened the door to the lower level for her. Though she seemed tall because of her energetic presence, now that she wore sandals instead of high heels she really was just a little bit of a thing. "See for yourself."
    Since the sanctuary and church offices were half a story aboveground, the basement level had enough windows to admit good light, but the area was otherwise unexciting. The majority of the old church hall was open space, the white walls and neutral vinyl floor covering accented by dark woodwork.
    Kitchen and bathrooms were at the back of the building, under the offices. The aged kitchen was a period piece, designed to allow a dozen or more church ladies to work in it. Since Rob wasn't sure of the eventual use of the room, he hadn't done anything but clean, paint, and check that the elderly appliances worked.
    Val didn't mind. "What a great old kitchen. With a table in the middle and a new microwave, it will make a nice lunch room." She surveyed the open hall, which had been designed for suppers and meetings. "Not a cholera swamp in sight, so I'd like this subdivided into rooms for records and offices for interns and volunteers."
    "Interns?"
    "With two law schools in Baltimore, it shouldn't be hard to find students hot to get some real world experience. I also intend to haul in some of my lawyer friends. Since they have to do some pro bono work, they might as well do it here. I'm not the only one who yearns to do justice." She headed to the stairs. "Next stop, offices."
    Rob guided her to the former minister's study, which was directly behind the sanctuary. "This is the nicest office, I think."
    Val sighed happily at the sight of the bay window, which had narrow stained-glass panels at the top. "This one's mine. I've always yearned for a window seat." She crossed the room and perched on the uncushioned bench. "Diamond-shaped windowpanes and a view of the neighbor's rhododendrons. Not a bad exchange for my vulture's eye view of the Inner Harbor."
    He thought about what her current job must be like. "I imagine it will feel strange to shift from a busy uptown law firm to a quiet private practice."
    She shrugged.