Read Online Leaving Annalise (Katie & Annalise Book 2) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins - Free Book Online
Authors: Pamela Fagan Hutchins
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sun, blinking like a mole. We walked to the truck and Nick threw his bag in the back. I got in the driver’s seat, where a surprise was waiting for me: a single red rose tied with a white ribbon. I picked it up and the sharp thorns bit into my flesh. “Ow,” I said as Nick got into the passenger side.
“What is it?”
I held the flower out to him and he took it. “I had a visitor.” I turned on the ignition.
“Didn’t you lock the doors?” He rolled down the window and tossed it out, his jaw set.
Had I? I thought so. But I’d never given Bart keys. “I must not have.”
“I’m becoming less fond of Bart,” Nick said.
I felt guilty and a little sorry for Bart. Breaking up is a bitch, and even bitchier if you’re the one being broken up with.
Nick reached for my hand. “I can understand why he wouldn’t want to let you go.”
I sure wished he would, though.
We talked all the way from the Reef to Annalise, stopping by Ava’s house – she wasn’t home – to pick up Oso on the way. I told Nick more about Annalise and the spirit that had lured me out of my old life and into this new one. “Tell me the truth. Do you think I’m nuts?”
I twisted my hair around my finger and remembered how I used to get my finger stuck in it. My mother’s scolding echoed in my mind: “If you need something to do with your hands, put them to work, but get them out of your hair, Katie Connell.” Unfortunately, I had no work to put one of them to.
Well, I could . . .
But even thinking about that made me blush.
Nick’s answer pulled me out of the rabbit hole I had fallen into, and surprised me. “Nope. I believe there’s more out there than we can pick up with our five senses. Maybe it’s because I grew up near the water. It gives you a sense of this incredible power, of the existence of things we can’t see.” He gave my hand a squeeze. “Like mini tornadoes in the middle of the night on a back porch. Or identical dreams of palm readers.”
“Exactly.” God, I loved that man. As we drove up the center-island road on the edge of Town, I pulled the truck to a stop to let a line of schoolchildren march across the road to their bus stop, a row of daffodils in yellow shirts and green skirts and shorts. “I want to hear more about your business. What do you call it?”
“Remember I told you about my college band?”
“Stingray?”
“Right. I named the company Stingray Investigations, like a sting operation and as a nod to the other me. People seem to like it and remember it.”
“That’s brilliant.” A passing truck honked at me. It was one of my contractors. I honked back like a Local.
“Thanks,” Nick said. “My work is internet intensive—well, that and phone—and I can do most of it from anywhere. My assistant, LuLu, is trustworthy, and even better, likes being trusted with responsibility. Our offices are modest and we have low overhead, which has been key. It took a lot of careful planning, but it’s working out.”
“I’ll bet you planned for half an eternity,” I said, and punched him lightly on the arm.
“Hey, I think things through. When the situation demands action, I act.”
“I just wish you’d acted a little sooner about us.”
“Well, you did tell me I was a foolish boy for thinking you would be interested in me last time I saw you.”
I scrunched my face. “I don’t think I called you a foolish boy, but point taken.” I changed lanes to avoid a rooster escorting two hens across the road and was careful to avoid the goats grazing on the other side.
He laughed and shook his head. “Unfortunately, there’s a difference between emotions and emergencies for me.”
Not to me, there isn’t, I thought. Oh, well. “You’re here now.”
“I am. And I’m sorry. I wish I had gotten here faster.”
We drove up the last section of winding road toward Annalise. Tarzan vines hung from the branches of the trees that grew over us in a closed canopy. Elephant ears
“What is it?”
I held the flower out to him and he took it. “I had a visitor.” I turned on the ignition.
“Didn’t you lock the doors?” He rolled down the window and tossed it out, his jaw set.
Had I? I thought so. But I’d never given Bart keys. “I must not have.”
“I’m becoming less fond of Bart,” Nick said.
I felt guilty and a little sorry for Bart. Breaking up is a bitch, and even bitchier if you’re the one being broken up with.
Nick reached for my hand. “I can understand why he wouldn’t want to let you go.”
I sure wished he would, though.
We talked all the way from the Reef to Annalise, stopping by Ava’s house – she wasn’t home – to pick up Oso on the way. I told Nick more about Annalise and the spirit that had lured me out of my old life and into this new one. “Tell me the truth. Do you think I’m nuts?”
I twisted my hair around my finger and remembered how I used to get my finger stuck in it. My mother’s scolding echoed in my mind: “If you need something to do with your hands, put them to work, but get them out of your hair, Katie Connell.” Unfortunately, I had no work to put one of them to.
Well, I could . . .
But even thinking about that made me blush.
Nick’s answer pulled me out of the rabbit hole I had fallen into, and surprised me. “Nope. I believe there’s more out there than we can pick up with our five senses. Maybe it’s because I grew up near the water. It gives you a sense of this incredible power, of the existence of things we can’t see.” He gave my hand a squeeze. “Like mini tornadoes in the middle of the night on a back porch. Or identical dreams of palm readers.”
“Exactly.” God, I loved that man. As we drove up the center-island road on the edge of Town, I pulled the truck to a stop to let a line of schoolchildren march across the road to their bus stop, a row of daffodils in yellow shirts and green skirts and shorts. “I want to hear more about your business. What do you call it?”
“Remember I told you about my college band?”
“Stingray?”
“Right. I named the company Stingray Investigations, like a sting operation and as a nod to the other me. People seem to like it and remember it.”
“That’s brilliant.” A passing truck honked at me. It was one of my contractors. I honked back like a Local.
“Thanks,” Nick said. “My work is internet intensive—well, that and phone—and I can do most of it from anywhere. My assistant, LuLu, is trustworthy, and even better, likes being trusted with responsibility. Our offices are modest and we have low overhead, which has been key. It took a lot of careful planning, but it’s working out.”
“I’ll bet you planned for half an eternity,” I said, and punched him lightly on the arm.
“Hey, I think things through. When the situation demands action, I act.”
“I just wish you’d acted a little sooner about us.”
“Well, you did tell me I was a foolish boy for thinking you would be interested in me last time I saw you.”
I scrunched my face. “I don’t think I called you a foolish boy, but point taken.” I changed lanes to avoid a rooster escorting two hens across the road and was careful to avoid the goats grazing on the other side.
He laughed and shook his head. “Unfortunately, there’s a difference between emotions and emergencies for me.”
Not to me, there isn’t, I thought. Oh, well. “You’re here now.”
“I am. And I’m sorry. I wish I had gotten here faster.”
We drove up the last section of winding road toward Annalise. Tarzan vines hung from the branches of the trees that grew over us in a closed canopy. Elephant ears
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