Read Online Bayou Heat by Georgia Tribell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Georgia Tribell
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with sarcasm, letting everyone
know she didn’t believe it.
Zane sighed heavily as he walked toward the back of the
store. “I didn’t need to read his mind, little sister, to know what he was
thinking. It was written all over his face as he stared at your butt.”
Rob quickly blanked his face as Eris turned and glared at
him. He expected her to blast him the way she had her brother. Instead she
blushed and followed her brother through the beaded doorway to the back room.
He watched her go and realized he knew nothing about how a
woman’s mind worked. Voices and laughter drifted from the back of the store as
he wandered around, reminding himself that he understood the workings of a
family even less.
* * * * *
Three hours later, Rob leaned against the door to the
store’s office and watched as Eris pored over the business accounts. Shortly
after everyone departed there was a burst of customers and then business
steadily slacked off. He’d spent the last half-hour exploring the store. All
around the shop were pictures of the DuBose family. He now knew she was the
middle child with two brothers on either side. It was never hard to find Eris
in the pictures.
“I locked the front door. What needs to be done next?”
She glanced up and for a few seconds he couldn’t breathe.
The delicate wire-rimmed glasses she wore made her look like one of the brainy
types he’d known over the years, although none of them had blue hair or vibrant
green eyes or a sassy attitude.
Most of the women he knew were more than willing to do
anything he wanted without him having to ask. Not this woman though, she
appeared to look through him most of the time. The few times she’d
actually met his gaze, he’d noticed the cool, distant look in her eyes.
“I’ll be done here in a minute. Have you gotten in touch
with Matt?”
Her voice carried a note of eagerness that had him grabbing
for his phone. If she wanted him gone, then he’d try his best to accommodate
her. The phone rang before he could hit redial. Glancing at the display, he
noted that the call was from LD. His partner never called this late unless
something was wrong. His stomach tightened as he answered the phone. “Are Marie
and Kayla okay?”
“Kayla’s sleeping like an angel and Marie, well…let’s just
say she’s going to make it, although I’m not so sure about me.”
Rob immediately relaxed. “Good, then what’s up?”
“I was calling about Matt.”
“You mean the guy I’m going to strangle with my own bare
hands the next time I see him?”
LD didn’t laugh the way Rob expected.
“You won’t have any problem finding him. He’s at Central
Medical Center.”
Rob glanced to where Eris sat with her head buried in the
computer screen then turned and moved far enough away that she wouldn’t hear
the conversation.
“He was on his way to relieve you when he was part of a
multicar pileup on I-10.”
“How is he?”
“He has a compound fracture of the left leg, but he’ll make
a full recovery.”
“Damn.”
“Now you want the really bad news?”
Rob’s heart beat a little faster as he looked through the
office doorway at Eris. “Not really, but I figure you’re going to tell me
anyway.”
“Yeah, you’re stuck with Eris 24/7.”
The thought of being with her day and night no longer
bothered him as it had that morning, but one thought did concern him. “I have
to sleep sometime, LD. I can’t go without sleep forever.”
“I know that and I’m not comfortable turning Eris over to
any of the new people we just brought on board. I’ve been trying to contact
Nate to see if he’s available to help.”
“By the time you get a hold of your disappearing cousin,
this could all be ancient history.”
“I know. I haven’t heard from him in a couple of weeks,
which means he’s off doing something he can’t talk about. Let me make some
calls and I’ll come relieve you for a few hours, so you can grab some sleep.”
“You don’t
know she didn’t believe it.
Zane sighed heavily as he walked toward the back of the
store. “I didn’t need to read his mind, little sister, to know what he was
thinking. It was written all over his face as he stared at your butt.”
Rob quickly blanked his face as Eris turned and glared at
him. He expected her to blast him the way she had her brother. Instead she
blushed and followed her brother through the beaded doorway to the back room.
He watched her go and realized he knew nothing about how a
woman’s mind worked. Voices and laughter drifted from the back of the store as
he wandered around, reminding himself that he understood the workings of a
family even less.
* * * * *
Three hours later, Rob leaned against the door to the
store’s office and watched as Eris pored over the business accounts. Shortly
after everyone departed there was a burst of customers and then business
steadily slacked off. He’d spent the last half-hour exploring the store. All
around the shop were pictures of the DuBose family. He now knew she was the
middle child with two brothers on either side. It was never hard to find Eris
in the pictures.
“I locked the front door. What needs to be done next?”
She glanced up and for a few seconds he couldn’t breathe.
The delicate wire-rimmed glasses she wore made her look like one of the brainy
types he’d known over the years, although none of them had blue hair or vibrant
green eyes or a sassy attitude.
Most of the women he knew were more than willing to do
anything he wanted without him having to ask. Not this woman though, she
appeared to look through him most of the time. The few times she’d
actually met his gaze, he’d noticed the cool, distant look in her eyes.
“I’ll be done here in a minute. Have you gotten in touch
with Matt?”
Her voice carried a note of eagerness that had him grabbing
for his phone. If she wanted him gone, then he’d try his best to accommodate
her. The phone rang before he could hit redial. Glancing at the display, he
noted that the call was from LD. His partner never called this late unless
something was wrong. His stomach tightened as he answered the phone. “Are Marie
and Kayla okay?”
“Kayla’s sleeping like an angel and Marie, well…let’s just
say she’s going to make it, although I’m not so sure about me.”
Rob immediately relaxed. “Good, then what’s up?”
“I was calling about Matt.”
“You mean the guy I’m going to strangle with my own bare
hands the next time I see him?”
LD didn’t laugh the way Rob expected.
“You won’t have any problem finding him. He’s at Central
Medical Center.”
Rob glanced to where Eris sat with her head buried in the
computer screen then turned and moved far enough away that she wouldn’t hear
the conversation.
“He was on his way to relieve you when he was part of a
multicar pileup on I-10.”
“How is he?”
“He has a compound fracture of the left leg, but he’ll make
a full recovery.”
“Damn.”
“Now you want the really bad news?”
Rob’s heart beat a little faster as he looked through the
office doorway at Eris. “Not really, but I figure you’re going to tell me
anyway.”
“Yeah, you’re stuck with Eris 24/7.”
The thought of being with her day and night no longer
bothered him as it had that morning, but one thought did concern him. “I have
to sleep sometime, LD. I can’t go without sleep forever.”
“I know that and I’m not comfortable turning Eris over to
any of the new people we just brought on board. I’ve been trying to contact
Nate to see if he’s available to help.”
“By the time you get a hold of your disappearing cousin,
this could all be ancient history.”
“I know. I haven’t heard from him in a couple of weeks,
which means he’s off doing something he can’t talk about. Let me make some
calls and I’ll come relieve you for a few hours, so you can grab some sleep.”
“You don’t
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