Turn of the Pipes (A Redpoint One Romance)
Read Turn of the Pipes (A Redpoint One Romance) Online
Authors: J.A. Marlow
Tags: #science fiction, #science fiction romance, #humorous romance, #knitting, #spacestation, #pet show, #rare animal, #knitting club, #plumbing problem, #alien animals, #flying squirrel
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A TURN OF THE PIPES
A Redpoint One Romance
By J.A. Marlow
Exclusively Published By Star
Catcher Publishing - Smashwords Edition
Other Redpoint One
Titles
Coffee Cup Dreams
A Turn of the Pipes
Once Upon a Pet Show
Description
An alien newt leads to...
love?
Rachel Henderkito's job of taking
care of Redpoint One's plumbing problems isn't easy, especially
when citizen pets clog up the pipes. After fishing an alien newt
out of the pipes for a third time she takes the creature back to
its owner for a stern warning.
Ignacio Manetti is determined to
help keep rare alien newts and salamanders off the extinction list.
He doesn't have time for romance, nor for the heart-breaking
memories it brings with it.
Add in an alien flying squirrel,
preparations for Redpoint One's annual Exotic Pet Show, and the
lovably interfering Naughty Knitter's Club, how can romance not
bloom?
Except Rachel and her bot hate his
rare Mandian Ruffled Newt while he unconditionally loves
it.
Copyright
This ebook is licensed for your
personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given
away to other people. If you would like to share this book with
another person, please purchase an additional copy for each
recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it,
please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard
work of this author.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my
family, who have been supportive of all my writing since I can
remember. All my stories are for you.
This book is also dedicated to all
those who love to daydream.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Sample - Once
Upon a Pet Show (A Redpoint One Romance)
Sample - The
Children of Jad Omnibus
CHAPTER ONE
"LOVE IS IN the air," Velda Morgan said. She gave a glass of
red wine an appreciative sniff, her eyes closing for one brief
moment of ecstasy. All the guests of her bed and breakfast were
taken care of for the night. Time to turn her attention to
something much more personal.
"Love is always in the air for you." Eddie
Gilmore pulled at a tangled ball of yarn. "Do we actually intend to
knit today?"
"Knit? The Naughty Knitter's Club has more
important things to do than knit." Daisy Pinner used one foot to
push her knitting bag further under the coffee table. "Only need
the bags to distract the husbands."
"Forget husbands," Velda said, her keen eyes
pinning each of them over the lip of her wine glass. "Haven't you
heard of Arthur Getty? The poor man is smitten."
Eddie sighed, letting the tangled yarn drop
back into the bag. "Yes, Velda, dear. We heard all about it from
Rachel, same as you."
"One fallen heart often leads to another. We
should help this along."
The two other woman laughed, casting each
other disbelieving glances. Velda ignored them, choosing to take
another long sip of the wine.
"'Forget husbands' you say, and then you bring
up love. Is Velda a little confused?" Daisy asked.
"Not confused. One does not necessarily lead
to the other," Velda said, pleased to see Eddie narrowing her
gaze.
"What do you have planned? I hope it doesn't
surround a certain mutual friend," Eddie said.
Velda merely shrugged, letting her left foot
play with the straps of one of her high-healed shoes. "Why not?
She's a pretty young thing, all her life to still live."
"And we have a right to do this because?"
Daisy let the question hand in the air.
Velda grinned with a touch of evil. "Because
we don't have as much time left to live, and we need a bit of
excitement."
Eddie stabbed the knitting needles into the
bag. "Not fair to Rachel."
"We aren't going to force her into any match.
Just broaden the range of choice in front of her." Velda slipped
the shoe back on, her excitement growing at the thought. Their
workaholic Rachel needed a little help broadening her
horizons.
"I suppose you have a plan on how to do this?"
Daisy asked, her weathered face giving way to a smile and a twinkle
in her eye.
"I can't believe you two. Leave the poor girl
alone," Eddie said, although her words held no bite. "She isn't
missing all that much anyway."
"Stop your worrying. What I'm thinking of will
not only help Rachel get a little excitement into her life, but
help Redpoint One's maintenance department."
Both of the other women's faces went blank.
Eddie finally asked, "How do you intend to do both at the same
time?"
"We," Velda started, emphasizing the word,
"are going to get into the recruitment business. Time to find the
maintenance department a few good men and women to help out!
Emphasis on the men."
The news didn't excite the others like she
thought it would. Eddie pulled back out a tangled knot of yarn and
started working at it again while Daisy collapsed back into her
high-backed chair, playing with her tea mug.
"Oh, come on. Where is your sense of
excitement?" Velda demanded.
"Honestly, knitting sounds more fun," Eddie
said. "It would be nice to start a project, much less finish
one."
"Can't we go rummage-selling again?" Daisy
asked. "I have a corner where I need a tall table or
bookshelf."
"Ladies, ladies. Remember who you are knitting
with." Velda gestured at the room and the dining room attached at
one end. "The Northstar Bed and Breakfast is known far and wide as
a place of many adventures. I have contacts everywhere. Time to
start finding candidates."
The others still didn't share her enthusiasm,
but she knew they would, eventually. Once they started getting
pictures back, that was.
***
Another day, another credit.
Rachel Henderkito checked over the contents of
the cart one more time. With the number of system problems cropping
up lately she needed to be ready to tackle almost anything on the
spot instead of waiting for parts to be shuttled to her.
All the while her mind spun on the slightly
surreal night with her favorite group of old ladies the night
before. The Naughty Knitters Club weekly meeting at the Northstar
Bed and Breakfast usually involved little or no knitting but a lot
of laughing and plain fun. Last night it involved even less than
usual, and the questions about her preferences in men and
observations on the romances springing up among mutual friends
unnerved her
.Her three favorite ladies were up to
something. Every fiber in her being told her so.
"I think I have it set up right," Tish Douglas
said, coming up to her cart. She held out a utility belt lined with
pouches. "Can you double check?"
Rachel automatically reached out for it. "I
don't know why I should. You have this down now."
"Still the newbie worried about not being
prepared. It's been so busy lately that I hardly know which end is
up," Tish said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Tish reached up to tighten the holographic
hair-ties in her ponytail. The three bots at her feet gazed up at
her with one eyestalk on each of them sporting the same type of
holographic hair-ties. Crimson, Violet, and Aqua, named after the
color of their hair-ties. Tish's repair bots all ready to follow
and help their mistress at whatever repair job she took
on.
Rachel couldn't argue about the busy part. It
wasn't her imagination that the entire department was running
itself ragged. Too much to do and too few people to accomplish it
all. Hanging over all of them loomed the pervading sensation of
slowly falling behind with no way to catch up.
"Good morning," Arthur Getty said as he walked
into the main maintenance platform of Redpoint One wearing his
typical short-sleeved shirt and form-fitting heavy
pants.
Rachel echoed the greeting as she checked
through the pouches one by one, finding all of them full with the
proper raw materials. Just as she'd expected. Tish might doubt her
abilities, but time and again she'd proved a fast and eager
learner. They'd been blessed when Tish came to them. She'd picked
up the job of working on the unique space station of Redpoint One
unusually fast.
"And good morning to you," Arthur said from
much closer.
Rachel raised her head to echo the greeting
only to find it not for her. Instead, Arthur hugged Tish from
behind and planted a quick kiss on the curving arch of her neck.
Tish beamed at the attention, her soft brown eyes happy and
sparkling.
Rachel was happy for her new friend, honestly.
She reminded herself of all the reasons why. For friendship, for
the absolute no-possibility of Arthur and herself ever having an
attraction, for Tish's previously lonely life now full, for the
happy bots they seemed to be plagued with ever since Tish
arrived.
And, none of it helped.
"Here you go. You filled right, like I
suspected," Rachel said, handing back the belt.