Read Online Perfectly Matched by Heather Webber - Free Book Online Page B

consider…” I trailed off, not sure how to approach this conversation. Both he and Sean hated talking about their lives before the Donahue family adopted them. It was almost as if those children had never existed; that their lives hadn’t begun until those adoption papers had been signed.
    But we all knew that wasn’t true.
    They still carried the ghosts of that time around with them. And now it was impossible to ignore that one of those ghosts might have a serious grudge.
    “What?” he asked.
    “I was with Em earlier, and she mentioned something…” His office walls were painted a deep taupe, and I couldn’t help but focus on the spot on the wall where a copy of his PI license had hung. He’d come so far from being a street kid.
    “Lucy,” he said impatiently. “Just say it already.”
    “It’s just that some of the targets of these fires, like the high school and your grandparents’ house, kind of hint that whoever has it in for you…”
    He rolled his eyes at that.
    “…might be someone who knew you from that time.” I bit my lip, then added, “Or before.”
    The death grip on the chair continued.
    “That it could be someone who’s jealous of what you’ve become. Your success.” I watched him carefully for a reaction, but Sam had one of the best poker faces around.
    Finally, he said, “I don’t know. It seems far-fetched. That was a long time ago.”
    “It makes sense,” I said firmly.
    “Maybe.” He shrugged, brushing me off.
    I didn’t argue. I could see by the set of his jaw that I wouldn’t get anywhere. “Where are you staying tonight?”
    “With Sean.”
    I hated when my father was right. “There, uh, is a slight problem with that.”
    “What?”
    “Sean kind of doesn’t have a home anymore.” I explained about my dad.
    Sam actually smiled. “Oscar is a piece of work.”
    That he was.
    “But,” he added, somewhat somberly, “I can’t say I blame his reasoning. And if it keeps Sean safe, too, then all the better. It’s one less person for me to worry about. Did you talk to your dad yet about closing down for a few days?”
    “He agreed.” I didn’t need to tell him how reluctantly it had been.
    “Good.”
    “You haven’t heard from Sean yet, have you?” I asked.
    “No. You, either?”
    I shook my head.
    “He probably got caught up in reminiscing with Curt.”
    Probably. I knew how much Sean missed firefighting.
    “I’m going to go and finish packing. There are movers coming at four to transfer boxes to our storage unit. You’re welcome to put your things in there as well.”
    “Thanks.”
    I stared at him for a long moment, my heart aching. “It’s going to be okay,” I said.
    He closed his eyes briefly, shook his head, then looked at me. “Lucy, I wish I could believe that were true, but…”
    “What?”
    “I can’t help feeling the worst is yet to come.”
     
     
    Chapter Eight
     
    Suz had gone home, practically floating because she had the rest of the week off. Though she tried to temper her excitement with hugs and well-wishes that the “bastard arsonist” was caught soon, she couldn’t keep the smile from her face or the happy glow from her eyes.
    With at least six days off, no doubt she would spend most of it on a lounge chair somewhere, with a book in one hand and a cocktail in the other.
    She wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if instead of strings attached there were flames.
    By the time we’d packed the whole office, there were over three dozen boxes and various large items like Dad’s paintings and the antique clock that needed to be moved to storage. I’d loaded the elevator three times, bringing big loads down to the vestibule on the first floor.
    I could have let the movers do the job, but I was waiting for Sean, and needed busy work to keep my mind from wandering to “what ifs.” I had a very good imagination, so it was easy to picture the building going up in flames.
    However, after this fourth (and last)