Read Online Round-the-Clock Temptation by Michelle Celmer - Free Book Online Page A

paper. We’ll look in the classifieds and find a new housekeeper.”
    â€œWhatever you say.” Nita patted his arm. Let him think it was resolved. Little did he know, the discussion was far from over.
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    â€œI think I should come home for a while.”
    â€œRose, there’s nothing you can do here.” Nita cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder while she removed a pan of charred potatoes from the stove and dumped it in the sink.
    â€œWith Daddy down and Jane gone things are bound to get crazy around there,” her sister said. “I can help.”
    Nita ran cold water in the pan to stop it from smoking. Instead it sizzled and snapped and sprayed grease all over the sink and counter. Whoops.
    She waved away the cloud of steam that billowed up in her face. “We’re doing fine,” she lied. “I can handle things.”
    Jane had only been gone three days and the entirehouse had fallen apart. Dirty clothes overflowed from the laundry room, dishes from yesterday’s breakfast were still stacked on the kitchen counter, and once again she’d annihilated dinner. One more night without a decent meal and the hands were going to up and quit on her.
    â€œI’m worried about you. I’ll feel better if I’m in Royal.”
    It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Rose, and God knows she could use the help, but Nita knew her sister preferred the city. She would go stir-crazy being on the farm. Nita would never ask her to compromise her happiness by coming home.
    â€œRose, you don’t have to do that.”
    Connor walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder into the sink, one eyebrow lifted. He’d just showered and put on fresh clothes and, boy, did he smell good. Like fabric softener and some kind of masculine soap.
    â€œIt’s been ages since I’ve visited,” her sister said. “I miss you guys.”
    â€œAnd you’ll be here next month for Thanksgiving.” Nita might have been imaging it, but she swore she heard sadness in her sister’s voice and wondered if there was something wrong, something Rose wasn’t telling her. Rose always had been the type to hold things inside, while Nita let the entire world know what was eating her. “Unless you need to come home now.”
    â€œOf course I don’t need to. I just thought you could use the help.”
    â€œNope, I’ve got things under control.”
    â€œWell, if you want me to come, don’t hesitate to call.”
    They said their goodbyes and Nita hung up the phone.
    â€œYou’ve got things under control, huh?” Connor said.
    She shot him a scathing look, even though she knew from the grin on his face, he was only teasing her. “Oh, be quiet.”
    â€œWhat was that?” he asked, nodding toward sink. “I smelled it all the way upstairs.”
    â€œPotatoes. I guess I had the heat in the pan too high. I was trying to cook them fast to catch up with the chicken.”
    â€œI don’t think it works that way.”
    â€œI guess not. At least we’ll have the chicken.”
    He looked around the kitchen. “Where is it?”
    â€œI left it in the oven so it’ll stay warm.”
    â€œI hope you turned the temperature down.”
    â€œOf course I did,” she snapped. At least, she’d meant to. They simultaneously turned to look at the display on the stove.
    â€œSee,” she said smugly. “It’s on low. As in, not too hot.”
    Connor didn’t look impressed by her stroke of genius. “I’m no gourmet, but on my stove the broiler settings are high and low and the regular oven is by temperature.”
    Her heart slid south into her belly. There was no way she could have ruined another entire meal.
    She yanked open the oven door and smoke rolled out to join the cloud already hanging in the air from the potatoes. “Oh no!”
    Connor grabbed an oven mitt, pulled the