Read Online A Marked Man by Stella Cameron - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stella Cameron
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afraid of a good old friend? Or are you too important to talk to me anymore?”
Max noted how she straightened her back—or stiffened it. The bags must be heavy, they dragged on her arms. “Hi, Bobby,” she said, and looked at him.
She is afraid of him. Well, damn, Max didn’t know a whole lot about Annie before she settled in Toussaint but she had seemed open, if quiet, and sure of herself—until today. From what he could see, Bobby didn’t seem fearsome at all. Clean-cut with short sandy curls, the man’s dark brown eyes smiled at Annie, did more than smile, they invited. A fit guy with a good body.
The emotion Max felt wasn’t so familiar but he recognized a flash of possessiveness.
“Nice cat,” the stranger said. “I’m gonna have another cup of coffee. How ’bout you join me? We got a lot of catching up to do.”
Annie swivelled to see the whole café—and Max. Her mouth tightened when their eyes met. She looked from Bobby—whoever he might be—to Max and what he saw was a woman who felt trapped.
Max grinned and got a slight smile in return.
“Maybe this isn’t a good time,” Bobby said. “I can come back.”
“Leave me a number,” Annie said. “I’ll give you a call sometime.”
“Annie, I wouldn’t do a thing to interfere with your new life. I want to talk about old times, is all. Reminisce. We had good times together.” A lopsided smile was a combination of boyish charm and hinted-at intimacy that didn’t make Max feel any better.
“We were kids,” Annie said. Bobby’s familiarity speeded up her pulse. “And I haven’t avoided you. Our paths haven’t crossed and there was no reason to think about you.”
“You know how to make a man feel small,” Bobby said.
“You’re responsible for your own feelings,” Annie told him. “I’m not into hanging out in the past. I’ve got things to do. A lot of paperwork.” She lifted her heavy bags a fraction.
“Not good enough,” Bobby said, and Annie glanced nervously at Max. Why did this have to happen in front of him? Bobby continued, “The last time I saw you, before this mornin’, we weren’t kids anymore. I’ll never be able to explain how I felt that night. I—”
“Thanks for being there when I needed you,” Annie said, praying she never had to see him again. Why had he decided to follow her around after so many years? She set the bags down, unwound Irene from her neck and handed the cat to Wazoo. “I almost forgot somethin’. Be back in half an hour or so.” Max, sitting there listening to Bobby say things that could only raise curiosity, destroyed any shred of peace she had managed to restore while she was at work that afternoon.
“How was your day—the rest of your day?” Max asked.
This impossible encounter was a nightmare. No…she would not even think about nightmares. It was up to her to change what was happening.
“Annie?” Max said. His smile did not disguise tension. He’d not only heard every word Bobby said, he must have drawn conclusions she couldn’t bear to think about.
She breathed in through her nose and concentrated. “Hi, Max.” If she was lucky, she sounded more cheerful than she felt. “This afternoon was great, thanks. Business is steady and that always makes me happy. Kelly came in. He knows how to make a person feel good.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Max said but nothing about him relaxed.
He was worried about Bobby, she could feel it.
“I came here to meet with Spike. There’s still no news on Michele Riley.”
Of course, Michele. His concern for her made him anxious and that’s what she was picking up on. “I’m so sorry,” Annie said, constantly aware of Bobby listening. “Kelly talked about it, too. All of you have to be upset.”
Max’s dark, dark eyes flickered away for a moment. “We are,” he said.
Annie looked at his mouth. The corners turned up even when he was troubled. “What are they doing to find her?” she said.
“Searching,” he
Max noted how she straightened her back—or stiffened it. The bags must be heavy, they dragged on her arms. “Hi, Bobby,” she said, and looked at him.
She is afraid of him. Well, damn, Max didn’t know a whole lot about Annie before she settled in Toussaint but she had seemed open, if quiet, and sure of herself—until today. From what he could see, Bobby didn’t seem fearsome at all. Clean-cut with short sandy curls, the man’s dark brown eyes smiled at Annie, did more than smile, they invited. A fit guy with a good body.
The emotion Max felt wasn’t so familiar but he recognized a flash of possessiveness.
“Nice cat,” the stranger said. “I’m gonna have another cup of coffee. How ’bout you join me? We got a lot of catching up to do.”
Annie swivelled to see the whole café—and Max. Her mouth tightened when their eyes met. She looked from Bobby—whoever he might be—to Max and what he saw was a woman who felt trapped.
Max grinned and got a slight smile in return.
“Maybe this isn’t a good time,” Bobby said. “I can come back.”
“Leave me a number,” Annie said. “I’ll give you a call sometime.”
“Annie, I wouldn’t do a thing to interfere with your new life. I want to talk about old times, is all. Reminisce. We had good times together.” A lopsided smile was a combination of boyish charm and hinted-at intimacy that didn’t make Max feel any better.
“We were kids,” Annie said. Bobby’s familiarity speeded up her pulse. “And I haven’t avoided you. Our paths haven’t crossed and there was no reason to think about you.”
“You know how to make a man feel small,” Bobby said.
“You’re responsible for your own feelings,” Annie told him. “I’m not into hanging out in the past. I’ve got things to do. A lot of paperwork.” She lifted her heavy bags a fraction.
“Not good enough,” Bobby said, and Annie glanced nervously at Max. Why did this have to happen in front of him? Bobby continued, “The last time I saw you, before this mornin’, we weren’t kids anymore. I’ll never be able to explain how I felt that night. I—”
“Thanks for being there when I needed you,” Annie said, praying she never had to see him again. Why had he decided to follow her around after so many years? She set the bags down, unwound Irene from her neck and handed the cat to Wazoo. “I almost forgot somethin’. Be back in half an hour or so.” Max, sitting there listening to Bobby say things that could only raise curiosity, destroyed any shred of peace she had managed to restore while she was at work that afternoon.
“How was your day—the rest of your day?” Max asked.
This impossible encounter was a nightmare. No…she would not even think about nightmares. It was up to her to change what was happening.
“Annie?” Max said. His smile did not disguise tension. He’d not only heard every word Bobby said, he must have drawn conclusions she couldn’t bear to think about.
She breathed in through her nose and concentrated. “Hi, Max.” If she was lucky, she sounded more cheerful than she felt. “This afternoon was great, thanks. Business is steady and that always makes me happy. Kelly came in. He knows how to make a person feel good.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Max said but nothing about him relaxed.
He was worried about Bobby, she could feel it.
“I came here to meet with Spike. There’s still no news on Michele Riley.”
Of course, Michele. His concern for her made him anxious and that’s what she was picking up on. “I’m so sorry,” Annie said, constantly aware of Bobby listening. “Kelly talked about it, too. All of you have to be upset.”
Max’s dark, dark eyes flickered away for a moment. “We are,” he said.
Annie looked at his mouth. The corners turned up even when he was troubled. “What are they doing to find her?” she said.
“Searching,” he
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