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

her throat gave her away. She was nervous. She expected him to out her.
    She was momentarily on a solid professional footing with Shaye and Trace. She’d put on her best face with them. His sister and brother-in-law would never hold Jill’s prank against her. They would find it amusing. Shaye would praise her ingenuity for saving his ass. Trace wouldn’t give it a second thought. They were good sports.
    Jill, however, didn’t know that. She wouldn’t want her antics to get back to James Lawless. Aidan smiled to himself. He had her where he wanted her, and liked that fact. He kept her secret.
    “Long story short,” he began, “I was with Lila Sims, and she wanted a reading. Aries Martine immediately saw through her. Apparently Lila only wanted to marry me to make her boss jealous. We’re no longer together.”
    Carrie was sympathetic. “Not so happily ever after.”
    Shaye smiled broadly. “That’s amazing! I’m so glad Aries set you straight,” she said, placing two rolls of paper towels at the center of the table. They would be used as napkins. “Lila wasn’t right for you.”
    “How would you know that?” he asked.
    “A sister’s intuition,” Shaye said as she passed Trace a large serving platter for the cooked food. “She seemed a social climber.”
    Aidan had to agree. Lila had often planned their dates. They would inevitably attend high-profile parties and events. He preferred low-key nights, where pizza, beer, and ESPN kept him company. The television didn’t expect small talk or count on a charitable donation.
    Woof! Sadie had arrived. Behind her came Mike Burke, Aidan’s construction supervisor. Mike was tall and lean with a hard face and major attitude. He wore a Tough as Nails T-shirt and ripped jeans. Incongruously, he carried a pink bakery box. “Your girl sniffed every bush and tree on the property,” he informed Aidan. “Then she wandered down to the beach and chased a crab.”
    Chased was an exaggeration, Aidan mused. Sadie was a white pointer of indeterminate age, although his veterinarian figured she was at least twelve, possibly thirteen. Her eyes were cloudy and her ribs showed despite her three meals a day. He gave her lots of treats.
    Sadie was a stray. She’d found him in Tallahassee. She’d somehow managed to sneak inside the fencing where his crew parked the heavy equipment for the night. She’d been dirty and hungry. He’d given her a bath and fed her. She’d never left. His men had adopted her. She favored Aidan and Mike, and spent the day in their office trailer on different construction sites. Mike had an active social life, so Aidan took Sadie home with him each evening. He’d become her human. They suited each other. Neither asked for much.
    Sadie came toward him now; her steps were slow and her hips sagged, but her tail never stopped wagging. She was always happy. She sat down near his feet, then leaned against his leg. He scratched her ears.
    “I brought cupcakes,” Mike said to Shaye. He handed her the oblong box; in exchange she passed him a Guinness, his favorite beer.
    Shaye snuck a peek at their dessert. “Nice assortment,” she approved. She immediately carried the cupcakes inside the house, so the frosting wouldn’t melt in the heat.
    “My name is on one of the devil’s food,” Mike called after her.
    Carrie Waters gave Mike a small smile. “I like devil’s food, too,” she said.
    Mike stared at her. Stared and stared to the point of rudeness. Aidan saw a flicker of interest spark in his eyes, so fleeting it could’ve been a play of light. “You’re plain vanilla, sweetheart,” he finally said.
    He had called Carrie bland.
    Heat crept into her cheeks.
    Aidan cleared his throat. Polite wasn’t Mike’s strong suit. He spoke his mind. His sarcasm often jabbed. The man could draw blood. He hadn’t always been that way, but life had thrown him a curveball. He coped the best he could.
    Jill visibly bristled; she was not pleased by Mike’s