Barbara would simply call the hotel tonight and harangue her until-well, until she got tired of it, Sasha supposed. Sasha considered breaking the connection and blaming it on the weather, but that never worked. You do it all the time, for Angus and for yourself.' She sighed. And backpacking through Europe never hurt anyone.' Speaking of which, have you seen Angus lately?' Mine's a college dropout who plays on his charm and is forever giving in to his itchy feet.

'Her son's an attorney with the Justice Department. Why would she be?' Contrary as always, Barbara huffed out a breath. I've explained why I'm late for the site inspection.' She and I have workedout a number of details already, over the phone and through e-mail.

'I've been through this with Skye, Mother. Sasha hated when her mother used her formal name. Do me proud and design a stunning resort for her.'Ĭareful not to let her amusement show, Sasha asked, 'What kind of social whirl do you think I'll find in Painter's Bluff?' 'She has money, social standing and more business savvy than any of her late husbands. 'Skye is a direct descendant of the town's founder, George Painter,' Barbara continued. Barbara Leeds's life had not gone according to plan, so it was up to her children- Sasha and her half brother, Angus-to fill in the blanks. Sasha had lost track of how many similar conversations they'd had, but it must be in the thousands by now. The prediction that Sasha's architectural skills would be a strong reflection on her mother's success as a parent became a buzz in her ears.

Inside her Land Rover on an icy Colorado back road, Sasha Myer set her cell phone on the dash and squinted through the windshield at the blowing snow. She'll expect you to do your best and more. 'Skye Painter is a hard-nosed perfectionist, Sasha.

Cold Case Cowboy by Jenna Ryan