His Favorite Mistake (Baby Its Cold Out) by Mary Eason

letting her that his housekeeper, Mrs. Evans, would be stopping by later that morning to restock the fridge and pantry and clean the house.
                  Brody had been considerate enough of her feelings to let his housekeeper know Reyna was there and Reyna shouldn’t hesitate to ask her for anything she needed. Reyna wanted to cry at the selflessness with which this man watched out for her, knowing she would be feeling misplaced somehow in her new surroundings. How could anyone so kind and considerate ever have been Cade’s friend and not known the real evil within him? The drugs and mental instability that drove Cade over the edge?
                  Reyna dressed in a trouser suit, fitting to wear for her day of job searching. She looked at herself in the full-length closet mirror. She had lost weight since the last time she wore the suit. Its dark blue cut hung loose around her slim figure. Her short blond curls had lost some of their luster. They framed her face in an unruly mass of spirals. Her hair seemed to have a will of its own. Which usually meant it did exactly what it wanted, no matter how hard she tried to control the curls.
                  Brody wanted her to take some time to herself before starting to look for a job, but she didn’t want to waste a single moment. She needed to find a job to prove to herself that Cade had been wrong about her. She was qualified to do something on her own, even without a degree. She never wanted to depend on anyone again, especially not Brody. His friendship was far too important.
                  A key unlocked the door and Reyna abandoned her attempts at pulling off a proper work hairstyle. She walked into the great room just as an older woman, dressed casually in jeans and tee shirt decorated with brightly colored flowers, stepped inside. She balanced two shopping bags very expertly while removing a cluster of keys from the door. She turned and saw Reyna for the first time.
                  “Oh, my goodness—you startled me, child. I didn’t see you standing there. You must be Reyna. Brody told me you would be here today, but I never gave it any thought. I should have rang the bell. I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t surprise you as much as you did me. I’m Martha Evans, Brody’s housekeeper. You are Reyna, aren’t you?”
                  Martha set the bags down on the glass and metal table close to the entrance and took Reyna’s hand. Warm brown eyes instantly put Reyna at ease. “I’m pleased to meet you, Reyna.”
                  Reyna liked the woman right from the start. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Evans. Can I help you put these things away?” Reyna picked up one of the bags while Martha Evans grabbed the other and headed for the kitchen.
                  “Oh  no, it won’t take me but a moment. You look like you were on your way out. I don’t want to hold you up, dear. I’ll be finished in a few hours. It doesn’t take me long since it’s almost as if no one lives here anymore. Brody’s so rarely home these days.”
                  Martha’s brown eyes met Reyna in speculation. “But then, maybe that’s all about to change now that you’re here.”
                  Reyna found herself blushing as she realized Martha was definitely getting the wrong impression about her relationship with Brody. She turned away and started to unpack the groceries from her bag while older woman continued talking.
                  “He needs to slow down. The poor man works far too many hours. There’s hardly a day goes by that he’s not at the office until well after midnight, if he doesn’t spend the night there. You know he has the apartment on the top floor of the office. I don’t know why I even bother to buy food anymore. Brody rarely eats anything I bring in here. I’m very fond of Brody you know, but he