Read Online Wild Ice by Rachelle Vaughn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rachelle Vaughn
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well. His long tongue lolled out of his mouth and he looked as happy as a kid on roller skates.
What was she doing out there? Besides skipping with his dog, of course.
Thoughts of trespassing were abandoned when JD saw her face. She was smiling. Not a small timid smile or a phony Joan McKinnon million-dollar-sales-pitch smile, but a full-on show-your-teeth-and-throw-your-head-back kind of smile.
What was this skipping woman doing on his property anyway? Then JD remembered Joan mentioning something about there being trails all around the property. At the time he couldn’t care less, but now he was unnerved by it. He didn’t fork over one point four million to have people trampling through his backyard.
JD couldn’t help but wonder what was out there that would be so exciting as to attract the floppy-hatted woman to the area. The racket of those damned birds obviously didn’t deter her. Maybe that’s what brought her here.
The binoculars hanging around her neck told him she must be interested in wildlife. Either that or she was a paparazzo. Nah. Besides a few curious glances at his house, she didn’t pay much attention to anything other than the birds flying overhead and his dog. She wasn’t there to spy on the recluse former hockey player who’d disappeared off the map. She was there to watch those damn birds and make friends with his dog.
JD leaned closer to get a better look at her face and smacked his nose into the glass. “Ouch!” he yelped, startling himself. He stepped back from the window and rubbed his nose.
When it looked like the woman might walk right up to the back door, she cut north and disappeared into the tall grass again. Just then, Mel clanged through the doggie door in the mudroom and bounded into the kitchen.
JD turned from the window and frowned. His dog had an obnoxiously happy grin on his face.
“You have fun out there?” he asked.
The sarcasm didn’t waiver Mel’s grin. Instead, the dog sat down in front of JD and thrust his paw out to be shaken.
“Why don’t you ask your new friend for a treat?” he asked bitterly.
Mel’s ears perked up at the keyword “treat”. His big paw clawed the air and JD finally shook it. He tossed Mel a Milk-Bone from the pantry and headed back to the recliner.
* * *
The refuge office and museum was located on County Road 97, just off Blue Heron Lane. Lauren wanted to share her news about discovering the weavers, so she set out for the refuge office on foot. It was only a short distance away, so instead of taking her car, she walked. The dirt road was rarely traveled and if she spotted a bird it would be easier to identify it on foot instead of hanging out her car window.
Lauren took the opportunity to breathe in the fresh air and clear her thoughts. Since arriving at the cottage, she hadn’t allowed herself to think about the real reason she’d decided to leave South Oakdale. Thoughts of Daniel clambered up before she had a chance to push them away. She’d already wasted far too much time obsessing over his foolish decisions, but couldn’t seem to keep the thoughts at bay for long.
They were both so different from each other that Lauren began to doubt the foundation of their relationship altogether. Daniel wanted to be the most interesting person in the room, and more often than not, Lauren found birds more interesting than people. Daniel’s antics as class clown might have been endearing in high school but his charm wore off soon after college.
So many of their years together were spent with Daniel only thinking of himself. That simple fact had Lauren questioning everything. While she was getting her Master’s degree, he was… Well, she didn’t really know what he’d been doing. Maybe that was the problem.
Why couldn’t she see the signs earlier? Before she ended up humiliated in front of her family and friends.
Had she just been in love with the idea of being in love? They were high school sweethearts. How could he throw
What was she doing out there? Besides skipping with his dog, of course.
Thoughts of trespassing were abandoned when JD saw her face. She was smiling. Not a small timid smile or a phony Joan McKinnon million-dollar-sales-pitch smile, but a full-on show-your-teeth-and-throw-your-head-back kind of smile.
What was this skipping woman doing on his property anyway? Then JD remembered Joan mentioning something about there being trails all around the property. At the time he couldn’t care less, but now he was unnerved by it. He didn’t fork over one point four million to have people trampling through his backyard.
JD couldn’t help but wonder what was out there that would be so exciting as to attract the floppy-hatted woman to the area. The racket of those damned birds obviously didn’t deter her. Maybe that’s what brought her here.
The binoculars hanging around her neck told him she must be interested in wildlife. Either that or she was a paparazzo. Nah. Besides a few curious glances at his house, she didn’t pay much attention to anything other than the birds flying overhead and his dog. She wasn’t there to spy on the recluse former hockey player who’d disappeared off the map. She was there to watch those damn birds and make friends with his dog.
JD leaned closer to get a better look at her face and smacked his nose into the glass. “Ouch!” he yelped, startling himself. He stepped back from the window and rubbed his nose.
When it looked like the woman might walk right up to the back door, she cut north and disappeared into the tall grass again. Just then, Mel clanged through the doggie door in the mudroom and bounded into the kitchen.
JD turned from the window and frowned. His dog had an obnoxiously happy grin on his face.
“You have fun out there?” he asked.
The sarcasm didn’t waiver Mel’s grin. Instead, the dog sat down in front of JD and thrust his paw out to be shaken.
“Why don’t you ask your new friend for a treat?” he asked bitterly.
Mel’s ears perked up at the keyword “treat”. His big paw clawed the air and JD finally shook it. He tossed Mel a Milk-Bone from the pantry and headed back to the recliner.
* * *
The refuge office and museum was located on County Road 97, just off Blue Heron Lane. Lauren wanted to share her news about discovering the weavers, so she set out for the refuge office on foot. It was only a short distance away, so instead of taking her car, she walked. The dirt road was rarely traveled and if she spotted a bird it would be easier to identify it on foot instead of hanging out her car window.
Lauren took the opportunity to breathe in the fresh air and clear her thoughts. Since arriving at the cottage, she hadn’t allowed herself to think about the real reason she’d decided to leave South Oakdale. Thoughts of Daniel clambered up before she had a chance to push them away. She’d already wasted far too much time obsessing over his foolish decisions, but couldn’t seem to keep the thoughts at bay for long.
They were both so different from each other that Lauren began to doubt the foundation of their relationship altogether. Daniel wanted to be the most interesting person in the room, and more often than not, Lauren found birds more interesting than people. Daniel’s antics as class clown might have been endearing in high school but his charm wore off soon after college.
So many of their years together were spent with Daniel only thinking of himself. That simple fact had Lauren questioning everything. While she was getting her Master’s degree, he was… Well, she didn’t really know what he’d been doing. Maybe that was the problem.
Why couldn’t she see the signs earlier? Before she ended up humiliated in front of her family and friends.
Had she just been in love with the idea of being in love? They were high school sweethearts. How could he throw
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