Page 23 of Tangled up in You

TANGLED IN THE LAVERTYS

DO YOUNGER MEN REALLY MAKE BETTER LOVERS?

SANDRA DANIELS

CHAPTER 1

Whoop…Whoop…Whoop…Whoop…

"Rebecca Parson, you had better not be dead," Alyssa Stockton muttered as she sat forward in the seat of her Volvo sedan and did her best to peer beyond her car’s flapping wipers.

Was squinting to make out the road through the blinding snow,orthe damned wipers, making a difference? No, not really. Just like turning off her radio hadn’t either.

Yeah, she knew that wasn’treallysomething that could help. But hey, she’d do anything to stayonthe winding road currently hidden by—she had no idea how much—snow. If not for the trees on either side basically showing her the way, she might end up in a ditch or—worse yet—slammed against a tree or one of the many boulders alongside the drop-off down the mountain. A quick glance toward that side of road had her gripping the steering wheel tighter. The boulders weren’t visible anymore.

That didn’t worry her.

Right.

"Becca," she groused, once more focused on what she believed was the road. "Why, oh why did the Parson’s house you inherited have to be at the very top of the mountain?"

With the forecast calling for heavy snowfall later in the evening, it wouldn’t have been such a big deal if the househadbeen at a lower elevation, instead of the ridge overlooking the rest of the mountain town—hence, where the name Parson’s Ridge came from. But it was, and the snow was supposed to continue through the next two days.

Having a white Christmas the day after tomorrow was all well and good, but Alyssa would have preferred to have enjoyed it from a distance. Say, like watching it through her living room window. From her couch. In front of her fireplace.

Not stranded in it, which was a possibility that was becoming more and more like aprobabilitythe heavier the snow fell.

"And if you’re not dead, I’m going to kill you for putting me through this."

Her best friend hadn’t shown up for drinks before their dinner reservation. To make matters worse, her phone kept going to voice mail. So, Alyssa couldn’t even yell at the stubborn woman.

"I’ve got to go," Becca had insisted as she got up from the couch in Alyssa’s home earlier that afternoon. "If I don’t meet Carson today, it’ll be after the new year before he’ll be available again."

"I understand you want to get moving on this," Alyssa had said, as she’d trailed after her friend going from her living room to the front door. "But why the rush when it’ll be the new year before anything can be done anyhow?"

"Phillip," Becca had grumbled, while pulling her coat from the wall-mounted coat rack. As hard as she’d tugged it down, she’d been lucky it hadn’t ripped.

Of course, it had been because ofPhillip. Becca wanted her ex to know she didn’t need himorthe career she’d lost because of him.

"At least get Lakin to go with you," Alyssa had pleaded, only to watch a flush creep up Becca’s fair face all the way to the roots of her light brown hair before she’d shaken her head. No matter how much Becca denied it, her friend and the younger deputy had something going on between them.

"No. Besides, why would I have the kid I used to babysit come with me?" Then Becca had grimaced at her when Alyssa had been about to sayexactlywhy. "Don’t answer that."

"I’ll just say this. If I remember correctly, you actually babysat his little brother and sister. Besides, he’s?—"

"Doesn’t matter," she’d said, her eyes daring Alyssa to say anything else, before her expression had clear. "And don’t worry. I’ll leave Parson’s Paradise well before the first snowflake falls and see you at five o’clock at Laverty’s. Get there a little early and you’ll have extra time to ogle." Her friend had waggled her eyebrows and grinned, knowing Alyssa had aslighttendency to…

Well, she refused to sayogle. She preferred to say sheappreciatedthe view the Laverty brothers provided.

"Parson’s Paradise?" Alyssa had wrinkled her nose, while completely ignoring Becca’s comment. "Is that what you’re calling the old home place now?"

"I think so," Becca had said, putting on her coat, her lips pursed and expression quizzical. "It’s got a nice bed and breakfast sound to it." She’d pulled her hair out from inside the camel-colored cashmere fabric. "You don’t like it?"

"I guess I can see it."

"Good," Becca had said, grinning, before winking at her. "Now, on to more important things. How does it feel to know you’ve got one more day before you turn a year older than me?"

"Not sure," she’d answered with narrowed eyes on her friend. "But thanks for bringingthatup." She’d cast her gaze at the ceiling. "Geez, thirty-four. It had better be good to me."

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