Read Online A Kiss to Seal the Deal by Nikki Logan - Free Book Online Page B

‘the Closer’ McMurtrie needeed someone to hold his hand? Since never. But, as he watched Kate’s delicate index-finger activate the remote control and that enormous door began to rumble upwards, he’d never in his life been so grateful for the presence of another human being.
    With no chance of stopping himself, he moved one step closer to Kate. Sweat broke out across his top lip.
    â€˜Oh, it’s fabulous!’ She swept in ahead of him, into the large, open space. His heart pounded against his ribs and he forced his feet into action. Alan had rallied some volunteers to tow his father’s car away and help clean the garage out after his death. Only the mayor had known the significance of what they were doing. The resulting space was clean, empty and entirely innocent of the terrible thing that had happened here. The garage was as much a victim of his father’s decision as all of them.
    It was due a reinvention.
    â€˜Will this do?’ Only those who knew him best would spot the slight break in his voice.
    â€˜Do? It’s perfect. It’s fully plumbed.’ Kate moved around the large space, checking out the features. ‘It has a fridge.’
    â€˜Dad’s old beer-fridge.’ Beer and, for some reason, bowls of the most disgusting liquid covered in damp tea-towels and foaming away beneath a pancake layer of thick fungi. ‘I think Dad was working on his own laboratory experiment in here.’
    At Kate’s quizzical look, he explained what he had found. Not when or why, but what.
    Her face softened. ‘Kombucha tea. I’m glad he finally gave it a try. I put him onto it.’
    â€˜What tea?’
    â€˜Kombucha. It’s a fungus. It grows on the top and the tea below ferments and forms a naturopathic cider. It’s good for you.’
    â€˜I can’t imagine how. It looked and smelled disgusting. I imagine the only thing it was good for was the compost heap.’
    Why the hell had a grumpy, acerbic old farmer been talking herbal recipes with a gorgeous greenie? How much had the man changed in twenty years? And what kind of a relationship had he had with Kate Dickson? Every conversation Grant had with her led him to imagine the two of them had been more than just business colleagues.
    Friends.
    Kate’s enthusiasm for her new lab chased more of the shadows away from this place; she was just so excited. But still she turned to him, eager to give him a last chance, presumably.
    â€˜You’re sure you don’t want to use this for your Jeep?’
    Not in a million years. ‘It’s all yours. Just don’t blow anything up.’
    â€˜I think you’re over-imagining what kind of work we do here. It’s mostly microscopes and sifting.’
    Ah, yes—the vomit. Charming.
    Wide brown eyes turned to him. ‘You’re welcome to come in and have a look any time you want.’
    He crunched his nose as she turned back to the mountainous boxes. ‘Don’t be offended if I pass.’ For more reasons than one. He couldn’t imagine himself ever getting comfortable in here.
    Kate smiled as she hauled more boxes into the lab.
    This really was perfect. She couldn’t imagine why Grant wouldn’t want to keep his precious car in here, but his loss was her gain. She’d downplayed the difference having an on-site lab would make to her program, because he was still so sensitive to their progress and because his offer really was a gift from the research gods. The truth was it would make an enormousdifference to their ability to process samples and with the hours saved she could dedicate some time to searching up the coast for the seals’ primary breeding-site.
    All she needed was a boat. And someone to sail it.
    How hard could that be to find in a fishing community? First chance she got, she’d head into town and see who she could rustle up. Things were beginning to go her way again. Kate could feel rightness