Read Online Good Morning Heartache by Audrey Dacey - Free Book Online Page A

were going to add a master
suite to the main floor on the west side of the house. Then they would expand
the tiny kitchen from the north side. While Caitlyn and Michael knew the basics
of the design and chose the colors and textures, they would likely be surprised
by the finished product. Pleasantly, he hoped.
    His goal as an architect was
to be innovative. That alone did not set him apart from the rest. What did was
his knack for combining contrasting styles in a way that anyone with eyes would
label beautiful, and that only those with trained eyes would truly appreciate.
Ryan had been called brilliant on many occasions and had the portfolio and contract
record to prove it, but it wasn't good enough for him. He couldn't consider
himself successful until he reached the top. And he was denied that on Friday.
    He took in a sharp breath
and released it quickly. At least his friends would appreciate his hard work.
    Ryan lifted his head toward
the stairs that led to the front door when he heard the jingle of keys in the
door. It was probably Caitlyn's friend who was picking up the dog. Ryan didn't
mind taking care of Sam before the job started. It was a good way to pay them
back for letting him stay in their house, but he convinced them that it would
be better if Sam wasn't around while the bulldozers tore up his yard. He was
happy that they agreed. Secretly, Ryan knew that it would be best if he didn't
have that responsibility while he was working either, because he would
certainly forget about the poor animal. He couldn't even keep a plant alive for
a day during the work week or—admittedly—most weekends. He decided to leave out
that piece of information.
    §
    “Sam!” Alexis shouted up the
half flight of stairs as she closed the door behind her. She put her forefinger
and thumb in her mouth and whistled. “Come here, boy!”
    As she walked up the stairs
she heard footsteps in the kitchen. It must be that nerd from Arizona, she
thought. What was his name? She was really bad with names of people, and seldom
made it through a story without having to be reminded who was who. All she
could remember was that Caitlyn and Michael called him “the lost roommate” because
he was constantly holed up in his and Michael's dorm room or in the library
studying.
    Apparently, he was no fun at
all, which was the only thing that was keeping Alexis's inappropriate
brainstorming at bay. Michael had a way of attracting boring people. It was
surprising he wasn’t as mundane as the rest of them.
     When Caitlyn mentioned
there would be a construction crew working on their house while they were gone,
Alexis hoped she could get some action out of this unique situation, as Maple
Field was not known for its young bachelors. But when she heard it was the lost
roommate and his friends doing the job, she quickly let go of any sexual
notions. Those types of guys tended to fear girls like Alexis, and she didn't
mind. She'd rather be with a guy who liked to have some fun. Bad sex might be
worse than no sex.
    Sam came trouncing up the
stairs from the basement to finally greet Alexis. She turned around, squatted,
and grabbed hold of one of his long, floppy ears, running the silky fur through
her fingers. One of the reasons she ended up really liking Michael was that he
didn't have the Doberman’s ears cropped. He thought Sam looked good the way he
was born, and so did she.
    “You ready to come home with
me, buddy?” she asked the dog who was oblivious to anything other than the hand
stroking his head. Alexis wasn't thrilled to take the dog into her home. She
never really considered herself a “pet person” because she wasn't around the
house long enough to give a pet all the care and love it needed, but she could
do the job for two weeks, and with Riley around, she was more likely to be at
home. She looked into the big eyes of the dog in front of her and wondered, if
she did a good job—a really good job— could she get one of her own? But