Read Online Just Down the Road by Jodi Thomas - Free Book Online Page A

bothered you.” She nodded slowly as if trying to allow his words to sink in. “It’s just that I’ve never lived in the country, and the only snakes I’ve known wore suits and ties.”
    He smiled as if she were joking, but he had a feeling she wasn’t.“If you see another snake or hear a rattling that sounds kind of like the buzz of a cicada, back away slowly.”
    She held her chin up. “I’ll try to remember that.”
    “If it’s any comfort, that’s the first snake I’ve seen around here in months.” Even while he tried to reassure her he wondered why she held herself so tightly in place.
    “That is no comfort,” she answered.
    “Besides for dancing, wearing boots comes in handy out here. You might want to buy a pair.”
    She shook her head as she stared at the garage.
    “You got any liquor around here?”
    That pulled her out of her nightmare thoughts. “It’s ten o’clock in the morning, Mr. Turner, surely you don’t need a drink?”
    He shoved his hat low and wondered why this woman was so irritating. “I was thinking
you
might need a shot to steady your nerves.”
    “I’m fine. Thank you for coming.” She turned as if to go inside.
    “You’re welcome.” He propped his foot on the first step and stared at his boots. “Look, Doc, don’t take it so personal. We all get scared from time to time. Nobody, even you, has to be perfect.”
    She opened her mouth, then closed it as if by saying anything she might reveal too much of herself.
    He took the chance to change the subject. “You want to see something else I found in the garage? I promise this won’t frighten you.”
    When she didn’t answer, he walked into the dark garage and came back out with something cupped within his hands. “This might have been what brought the snake calling. I saw the Rogerses’ old barn cat moving her kittens a few days ago. She’s probably been living fat on field mice down by the old barn, but decided to move her family into the garage for winter.”
    He opened his hands and a tiny kitten lifted its black-and-brown striped head. With great care he set it in the basket strapped to the back of an old bike near the porch.“There’s another one still in the barn. They look big enough to survive, so the momma cat may have moved on.”
    When he returned with the tabby kitten, he saw Addison smile, and for the first time Tinch thought she could be pretty if she tried. She was still too tall, not rounded enough in the right places and far too controlled to be someone he’d be interested in, even if he was looking.
    “I can take them home with me, if you don’t want them. I got a few other strays around my place.”
    She walked down the steps and held her hands out slowly until her fingers brushed fur. “I’ll take them both. At least until I leave.”
    He watched her carefully as she brushed one finger over the tiny kitten’s head.
    “I wanted a cat when I was a kid,” she said more to the cat than him. “But my parents wouldn’t hear of it. They said an animal in the house would be chaos.”
    Tinch relaxed a little as he studied her. “Why don’t you take Chaos and his brother inside and give them a little milk?”
    She smiled at Tinch. “I’ll do that, and thanks for coming. I guess I should spend some time looking up the difference between bull snakes and rattlesnakes.”
    “You do that, Doc.” He started to walk away, then turned back. “Friends?” he offered.
    “Friends,” she agreed.
    He went back to his truck fighting down a laugh. Who would have guessed the doc would turn human over a stray cat or two? He’d thought for a minute she was going to kiss him for handing over the kittens.
    Maybe he should bring over a horse. Maybe she’d be so tickled she’d sleep with him. It had been so long since he’d been with a woman, even a tall, thin, washed-out one was starting to look good.
    The thought of Addison tangled in the sheets almost buckled him to his knees. He hadn’t thought of a