Read Online Fool's Gold (A sexy funny mystery/romance, Cottonmouth Book 2) by Jennifer Skully - Free Book Online

sucker for sappy movies.”
    He was a sucker for her. “We should get to
know each other better.”
    She gave him a
where-the-hell-did-that-come-from look.
    “I mean, we should get to know each other
better before we start thinking about ice-cream cones.” Not that he
couldn’t think about them, in the most politically correct fashion,
of course. Whatever that was.
    She continued to hug her knees. “I bet Maggie
already told you everything there is to know about me.”
    And, he surmised, Maggie had probably told her everything there was to know about him . “Does
that bother you?”
    She thought about it, staring at a point on
the sofa beyond his head. “No. Everyone knows everything around
here. I suppose you want to know about my spectacular failure in
the cutthroat world of technical writing.”
    His hand trailed down her leg to her feet
where she’d now crossed them at the ankles. “If it’s
important.”
    “Important? Of course it’s important.”
    Why? Everyone failed at something or other in
their lives. Divorce. Letting your friend get murdered. Countless
errors in judgment with eventual disastrous consequences for
someone.
    He knew Maggie hadn’t told her about his
Cottonmouth failure. He hadn’t given Maggie more than the bare
facts without the emotion. He certainly hadn’t shared the guilt. He
wouldn’t burden Simone with it now. But he would listen to whatever
she needed to tell him.
    “Tell me.” Tell me everything about
yourself .
    She rested her chin on her knees and looked
at him. “My mother always says I’m like the little squirrel who
runs out into the middle of the road in front of a speeding car. I
twitch this way and that way, and before I make up my mind which
way to run, I get squashed.”
    Her mother. He really did not like the woman
without even having met her. “But you’re doing fine now.”
    He no longer questioned that she’d thrived in
Goldstone. He had the feeling that Simone would thrive wherever
life dumped her. After all, she’d always have that smile.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Simone tipped her head to one side. “Yeah. I
feel safe and secure here in Goldstone. This is my home.” Putting
her foot down, she tapped against the carpet and floor of her
trailer. “It’s got a foundation, you know. Most trailers sit on
cinder blocks, but this one’s got a real foundation.”
    “It’s a very nice trailer.”
    She laughed. Brax couldn’t know how many
times she’d heard similar platitudes. “You sound like my mother.
She chokes every time she has to say the word trailer so she avoids
it like the plague.”
    “I mean it. You seem...” He paused. Probably
searching for the right word again so he wouldn’t offend her.
“Settled.”
    It was a good description. Most people never
found that settled place. They were always looking for more,
needing more, never content with what they had. Simone savored the
peace Goldstone had brought her. “I’m doing great. Never
better.”
    “So, what else do you want?”
    “It’s your turn. I answered, now I get to
ask.”
    He considered her a moment, putting his hand
on her foot. Only once he was touching her again did he say, “Okay,
shoot your question.”
    She read his face like a map. He thought
she’d ask about his divorce. Most women wanted to know about a
man’s failures in love. Not Simone. She’d had too many failures at
love herself.
    Like Andrew, her ex-fiancé. Putting it
mildly, they hadn’t been compatible in the bedroom. She knew it was
all her fault. But sometimes, well, she got carried away. Loudly.
Once Andrew even covered her mouth with his hand. It would have
been okay, maybe, if he’d kissed her instead, but he’d used his
hand to muffle her cries. No, her screams. She was a screamer. Oh
my God. Her mother would have been appalled at her lack of control.
Excess and exuberance were dirty words in the Chandler household.
After that, Andrew simply took care of the problem by not touching
her in certain