Once Tempted Read Online Free Page B

had the mellowest people behind the counter (they must be drinking the decaf); a clothingstore that sold only natural fibers; a salon that offered all-natural products; and a liquor store that specialized in wines from the nearby vineyards?
    The merchants she encountered seemed as wholesome as their merchandise. Tess had never heard “Right on” and “All good” used so often without a hint of irony.
    Acacia was just the sort of place she might like to visit for lunch and a quick stroll before heading back to a real town, one with bright lights, buildings taller than three stories, and public transportation.
    Its tiny size did have one advantage. It took Tess less than an hour to go door-to-door inquiring about a job. To be told in the nicest way possible that she was flat out of luck.
    Determined to leave no stone unturned, Tess entered the beauty salon on the corner of Main and Laurel. At the front desk a woman smiled and said, “Hello, welcome to A Brand New Day. I’m Ava. Can I help you?”
    Tess introduced herself and then said, “I’m looking for a job. I was wondering whether you needed a receptionist?”
    “ ’Fraid not. I own this salon and, as you can see, we’re pretty slow here right now.” She gestured behind her to the three empty stylist chairs. “Can you come back in April?”
    This was the same response she’d received from every other storekeeper she’d approached. They’d all told her that January was a slow period, with very little traffic until the spring tourist season started.
    “I kind of need to find something now.” Or yesterday, Tess added silently. Traveling across the country wasn’t cheap. That dratted car drank gas like it was going out of style, and she had a terrible suspicion she was going to have to take it to a garage and get those weird noises checked out.
    “What kind of experience do you have?”
    “I worked for an events planning company in New York City for five years. So I’ve done a bit of everything.”
    “New York, huh? A lifetime ago I lived there. I was nineteen when I came out to San Fran with a guy. He went back. I stayed but eventually struck north. For a while I hung out in Sonoma, but that got kind of crowded so then I found my way here. It’s been thirty-one years since I left New York. Is it still noisy and dirty?”
    “You’re fifty? Honestly, I wouldn’t have put you above thirty.” She looked at the skin-care products lining the wall. “Those products must be awfully good.”
    The woman smiled. “They are. We use local honey and beeswax, olive oil, and other all-organic ingredients for the skin-care line. You should come in sometime. I give a fantastic facial, if I do say so myself. It would make you feel brand-new.”
    Tess was excruciatingly aware of how she must look after almost a week on the road. “I’d love to, but I think I need a paycheck first.”
    “Like I said, Acacia’s pretty quiet now. Tell you what, why don’t you drive out to Silver Creek Ranch and see whether they have any jobs? It’s a big spread. They’re busy year-round.”
    “A ranch? Um, I’m not really all that familiar with ranching.” Even working at the hardware store on Main Street—Wright’s, established 1949, she recalled—would have been a stretch.
    “It’s a guest ranch.” Her lips pursed in amusement when Tess looked at her blankly. “It’s a working ranch. They raise horses, cattle, and sheep, but they also have accommodations—you know, cabins and a restaurant—for folks who want to come and stay. Like I said, it’s a big spread, probably the largest ranch in the area, andbeautiful. With the vineyards close by, the Knowleses—they’re the owners—do a good business. They employ a lot of the townsfolk. In fact, they pretty much keep Acacia alive. Guests from the ranch wander into town and pick up mementos or come in for services like the ones I provide here.”
    Tess placed her handbag on the counter and drew out the folded map of