Read Online No Sunshine When She's Gone by Kate Angell - Free Book Online

the woman on his tongue.
    “I prefer Jill,” she returned easily. “It’s a pleasure, Aidan. I had hoped to meet you when you were in Richmond this past October, but I was away from the stadium during your visit.”
    “We were involved with the local Chalk Walk,” Carrie explained. “The event brings ballplayers together with the community. Fans pay big money to produce colorful chalk pictures alongside their favorite Rogue on the sidewalks downtown. Viewers donate a few dollars to vote for their favorite drawing. All proceeds go to cancer research.”
    “The team sponsors numerous events throughout the year,” Jill went on to say. “My favorite is the St. James River Canoe Race in the summer. The Rogues paddle for Homes of Hope, houses built for single mothers.”
    “Jill and Carrie plan to raise fan awareness in Barefoot William,” Shaye added. “The town is already psyched for spring training next year.”
    Carrie crossed her fingers, looking hopeful. “You build the stadium and we’ll fill the seats.”
    “We’re pushing toward the same goal,” said Shaye as she carried the potatoes and corn to the butcher block counter near the sink. There, she washed the produce, then wrapped the vegetables in aluminum foil. She passed them to her husband, who placed them on the grill.
    Aidan watched as Trace retrieved his tongs and turned the chicken and ribs. He then dipped a pastry brush in a container of sauce and spread it on thick. The sweet-tart scent of molasses, brown sugar, and a hint of vinegar drifted his way. Barbecue was a rite of summer. In his family, it was more than food; it was close to a religion.
    He slowly returned his gaze to Jill. The woman knocked him off his game. Aidan wasn’t sold on the idea of their working together. However he had little choice in the matter. He scratched his chin and said, “You look familiar, Jillian.”
    She dismissed him with a shrug. “I’m often mistaken for someone else. I have one of those faces, I guess.”
    Aidan disagreed. There was nothing common about her. She was stunning. She didn’t look like anyone he’d ever met. Men would walk into walls, checking her out.
    “I’m pretty sure I saw you on the boardwalk today,” he insisted.
    “You’re mistaken.”
    He refused to let up. “You didn’t attend the psychic fair? Didn’t get a reading?” Or give a reading?
    Her mouth tightened slightly. “Sorry, no.”
    “You’re absolutely certain—”
    “Aidan?” Shaye looked at him strangely. “Stop interrogating our guest.”
    He backed off for the moment, for his sister’s sake. “My apology,” he said, not meaning it for a second.
    He stared at Jill, trying to figure her out. A light breeze off the Gulf pressed her sundress to her body. The lady was slender. He liked her bare shoulders. Her arms were sleek and toned. Her breasts were high and firm. She didn’t need a bra.
    A second gentle gust flattened her skirt against her belly, then snuck between her legs like the slide of a man’s hand. There was no panty line. Her bracelets jangled. She wore the same sandals she’d had on earlier that day, the pair with the missing beads. Her toenails were painted a deep purple. He liked the color.
    Jill was tricky; she turned the conversation on him. “Your sister mentioned you’d met with a psychic,” she said.
    “How did it go, Aidan?” Shaye asked as she started setting the round patio table that would easily seat six. She withdrew woven sea-grass placemats from a drawer, along with bright green plastic plates. Carrie assisted her, collecting matching glasses and silverware.
    “People have e-mailed and phoned all afternoon,” Shaye told him. “I’ve heard only good comments on the event. Who gave you the reading?”
    Aidan set his jaw. He could tell Shaye the truth, point his finger at Jillian Mac and accuse her of pretending to be psychic. The woman in question stood before him now, her gaze unwavering. Only the rapid pulse at the base of