Read Online Clean Slate by Holley Trent - Free Book Online Page B

you? I woke up and you were gone.
Oops, don’t answer. Call coming in.” She turned around and clicked open a box
on her computer display. “Thank you for using Weldon Moving Vans. Are you
having a mechanical issue?”
    Daisy blew out a breath and left Liz to her work. She
didn’t really want to talk about it, anyway. Liz would pick and prod, and while
she was usually well-intentioned and genuinely curious, the fact of the matter
remained. Liz was her ex-husband’s sister, and although Liz and Barry weren’t
always on the best of terms, information always got back to him. Liz couldn’t
help running her mouth. That was how she was wired, and asking her to keep a
secret was like expecting a sieve to hold water.
    Daisy padded into her room, the smallest of the three in
the house, and collapsed onto her bed with her clothes on. Her first-ever trade
show, and if she were lucky, her last .
As she watched Ben charm everyone in a half-mile radius, she’d stood back in
awe of the ease in which he engaged people. It was so easy for him, and English
wasn’t even his second language. Was it his third? Fourth ?
    Were all Europeans so fluent in other tongues, or was it
just Ben having grown up near the border and spending so much time in
International competition?
    “Now, that’s the kind of question you should ask him,
dork, if you can remember how to talk the next time you see him.”
    Which would be the next day. She sat up, wild-eyed and
agape as she remembered her promise to Trinity about the chicken.
    “Daiiiisy, are you talking to yourself again?” Ellis sang
from her doorway, wearing a big-ass grin. He’d always thought she was a little
nuts. Maybe he was right.
    She didn’t even bother blushing. She just flopped backward
onto the bed again directed a groan toward the ceiling.
    The next morning, she drove to Trinity and Jerry’s house
and idled her little car in the driveway for a few minutes, staring at the
architecture of the single-story modern home and envying their possession of
it. Well, Jerry’s possession, anyway.
He’d bought the land for a steal and built the house based on the design of one
his old surfing buddies. Daisy had always admired it every time she had an
opportunity to pass, but had never been invited inside until now. She was
rarely extended invitations anywhere because of that whole “wallflower” thing.
    She steeled her resolve, shut off the engine, and stepped
out of the car.
    Trinity waved from the door.
    “Did you talk to Nikki?” she called out, voice far more
excited than her usual even tone. In fact, Daisy thought the grin on her face
was far too animated for her usual mien, too.
    Daisy made her way up the gravel path and crooked one
eyebrow up. “No, was I supposed to?”
    Trinity held the door open and bobbed her head toward the
inside. “Come on in, and I’ll tell you about your soap.”
    Daisy stepped over the threshold and paused, taking in the
light, open room and marveling at tasteful fixtures and furnishings. Jerry did this? She scanned the great
room in search of him.
    Trinity must have read her mind, because she said, “Jerry
and Ben are moving some things around in the guest apartment. Clara’s flying in
tomorrow so we’re trying not to look like the slobs we are.”
    “Slobs?”
    There wasn’t so much as a coaster out of place.
    Trinity shrugged. “Come on into the kitchen and have a
drink with me. I’ve got fruity crap Jerry makes fun of, or you can have
something dry.”
    “Fruity sounds fine.”
    “Thatta girl.” Trinity grabbed a glass out of the drying
rack and held it under the spout of a boxed sangria. She bobbed her head and
winked. “Classy, right?”
    “Convenient. No corks.”
    “You’re logical. I like logical people.” Trinity thrust
the glass at her and Daisy took it, sipping it slowly.
    Once she’d filled her own glass, Trinity leaned her back
against the counter and said, “So, Nikki called about an hour ago. I guess she
didn’t