Read Online Cassidy Harte and the Comeback Kid by RaeAnne Thayne - Free Book Online Page A

since.”
    â€œSo you’ve probably heard I had a little chat with big brother number two.”
    â€œYes, I heard. Repeatedly.” She glared at him. “Congratulations. The two of you and your little contest have now replaced Peggy Carmichael and her hernia operation as the biggest news in town.”
    â€œWell, that’s something,” he murmured, his voice dryly amused.
    She wanted to ask what they had talked about, since none of her informants had been close enough to hear the conversation, but she figured she could guess. “It’s a good thing Jesse wears a badge now, or you’d be smiling with a few less teeth from now on.”
    He demonstrated his still-intact dentistry by flashing her a devastating grin. “I think it’s fair to say he was still sorely tempted to take a swing or two at me, badge or not.”
    The smile faded as suddenly as it appeared. He was silent for a moment, his face solemn, then his gaze met hers. “And I would have deserved it.”
    Before she could answer that startling admission, the phone rang again. She gazed at it with loathing, wishing fiercely that she could ignore it. The last thing she wanted to do was try to appease someone else’s prurient curiosity about Zack Slater in the presence of the man himself.
    It might be important, though. Maybe Alvin needed to double-check something. Something that couldn’t wait.
    She glared at the phone for a few more seconds but finally picked up the handset after the fourth ring. “Yes?” she asked, her voice sharp enough to slice through concrete.
    â€œCassie? Is that you?” a deep voice asked, and she barely managed to choke down her groan.
    She definitely wasn’t in the mood for this. She almost thought she would prefer talking to the worst gossip in town rather than Wade Lowry right now.
    â€œYes, Wade,” she murmured, her voice as stiffly polite as an army cadet. “How are you?”
    Out of the corner of her gaze, she saw Slater stiffen suddenly, but she didn’t have a chance to figure out why.
    â€œYou’ll never believe what I heard at the bank this morning,” he exclaimed, shock and dismay in his voice.
    â€œOh, I’m sure I will,” she murmured.
    He went on as if he hadn’t caught her sarcasm, which was probably exactly the case. “I heard Zack Slater is back in town. Is it true? Have you seen him?”
    â€œYes. And yes.” She’d seen way too much of him in the last twenty-four hours for her sanity’s sake.
    â€œHow does he have the nerve to show up around here again after everything he’s done?”
    â€œThat’s something I’m sure you’ll have to ask him,” she murmured, surprised by the depth of his outrage. She and Wade were friends and had dated on and off for the past few years, but she would never have expected the bitter fury in his voice when he talked about Slater.
    â€œYou can be sure I’m going to do exactly that if I see him,” her would-be champion answered.
    He continued in the same vein for a few more moments, apparently expecting little more than monosyllabic responses from her. Good thing, since she couldn’t come up with anything more intelligent to offer. Not when Zack stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his muscled chest as he blatantly eavesdropped.
    She was more than a little annoyed with herself for finding the conversation so awkward and for the low, subtle tension that always seemed to draw her shoulders back whenever she talked to Wade.
    He was a very nice man. Considerate, decent, hardworking. The very antithesis of Zack Slater.
    He had made it clear several months earlier that he wanted more from their casual relationship, and she was furious with herself that she couldn’t manage to drum up more feelings than friendship for him, no matter how hard she tried.
    Wade would be perfect for her. They shared common interests, common background,