Read Online Redemption Key (A Dani Britton Thriller) by S.G. Redling - Free Book Online
Authors: S.G. Redling
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twisted backwards once again to dig into the cooler beneath the bar. From the corner of her eye, she could see Ned and Tucker share a glance after checking out her backside. She straightened back up with two Coronas.
Ned huffed. “Don’t you have Sam Adams?”
“I can’t reach the Sam Adams. Or would you rather wait and ask Peg?”
Tucker took the beers from her, passing one to his scowling friend. “Don’t mind Ned. He’s just grumpy. Doesn’t like the heat.”
“I’m thirsty,” Ned complained, drinking half the bottle down in one chug.
Tucker didn’t drink from his bottle right away. He waited until Dani had settled and handed her her gin and tonic, clinking his bottle against it. “Here’s to Dani, and to discovering Jinky’s secret weapon.”
Two drinks later, Tucker’s odds of picking her up were looking better and better and still not because of the gin. Dani paced herself,and either Tucker had great instincts or he was a natural gentleman because he kept his flirtation steady but casual. A few times Dani could feel that old urge to run and hide, to disconnect from anyone who looked too closely at her, but he made a point of keeping Ned and Angel in the circle, letting the passing drinkers and drunks come and go, and keeping Dani from feeling cornered. But he never let her go too long without a private smile.
She was just starting to wonder about the coming evening when Tucker looked up from checking a message on his phone and caught her watching him.
“Business. Yuck.” He shoved the phone into his pocket.
“What business are you in?”
He leaned in against the bar, coming the closest to her he had all afternoon. “The kind of business I hope keeps sending me to Florida.”
“You don’t like Minnesota?”
“Oh you know.” He shrugged. “Nine months of winter, three months of bad sledding.” He gave a quick glance to the crowd before whispering in her ear. “But I’m a little worried. I’ve heard the women down here are trouble.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah, real bad news, I’ve heard. Take you, for example. You seem awfully cute and sweet, but what’s going on here?” He flicked his gaze down and quickly back up to her face. “That looks like it might be trouble.”
He’d looked at her legs crossed on the edge of the bar. She could feel that the hem of her skirt had ridden up. She didn’t want to look to see the edge of the scar he must have noticed.
She’d pulled back slightly when she felt his fingertip trace her thigh. “What’s this?” he whispered and she forced herself to look. Her scar was still hidden. His finger was moving through moist splatter on her skin, sliding through tiny orange chunks.
“Oh, that’s mango salad. I must have spilled.”
When Tucker slipped the tip of his finger between his lips, Dani’s breath was part shiver, part giggle. She tried to look worried when Mr. Randolph stomped behind the bar and poured himself another vodka.
“Everything okay, boss?”
He swallowed the drink in one gulp. “For now, yeah. The Wheelers are finally gone. Casper’s pulling out in a few, too.”
“So do you need me to work tonight?”
He must have heard the hopeful tone in her voice or noticed Tucker’s hand on her thigh. “Sure, take the night off. Hell, we could all be dead tomorrow.”
Dani grinned at Tucker.
Then Angel Jackson shouted to someone down the bar and threw a wrench in Dani’s plans. Tucker’s hand was warm on her thigh and those dimples were really cute, but Angel Jackson was making an up-and-back flight tonight to Boston. That was close to one of the locations on her list. She waved the black-eyed pilot over.
“Any chance you could drop me at Martha’s Vineyard?”
“Drop you there?” Angel asked, ignoring Tucker. “Got a parachute?”
“No, but I’ve got something to do there.”
He laughed and emptied his beer. “Not running a taxi service, kid.”
“You told me you owed me one after that Ohio
Ned huffed. “Don’t you have Sam Adams?”
“I can’t reach the Sam Adams. Or would you rather wait and ask Peg?”
Tucker took the beers from her, passing one to his scowling friend. “Don’t mind Ned. He’s just grumpy. Doesn’t like the heat.”
“I’m thirsty,” Ned complained, drinking half the bottle down in one chug.
Tucker didn’t drink from his bottle right away. He waited until Dani had settled and handed her her gin and tonic, clinking his bottle against it. “Here’s to Dani, and to discovering Jinky’s secret weapon.”
Two drinks later, Tucker’s odds of picking her up were looking better and better and still not because of the gin. Dani paced herself,and either Tucker had great instincts or he was a natural gentleman because he kept his flirtation steady but casual. A few times Dani could feel that old urge to run and hide, to disconnect from anyone who looked too closely at her, but he made a point of keeping Ned and Angel in the circle, letting the passing drinkers and drunks come and go, and keeping Dani from feeling cornered. But he never let her go too long without a private smile.
She was just starting to wonder about the coming evening when Tucker looked up from checking a message on his phone and caught her watching him.
“Business. Yuck.” He shoved the phone into his pocket.
“What business are you in?”
He leaned in against the bar, coming the closest to her he had all afternoon. “The kind of business I hope keeps sending me to Florida.”
“You don’t like Minnesota?”
“Oh you know.” He shrugged. “Nine months of winter, three months of bad sledding.” He gave a quick glance to the crowd before whispering in her ear. “But I’m a little worried. I’ve heard the women down here are trouble.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah, real bad news, I’ve heard. Take you, for example. You seem awfully cute and sweet, but what’s going on here?” He flicked his gaze down and quickly back up to her face. “That looks like it might be trouble.”
He’d looked at her legs crossed on the edge of the bar. She could feel that the hem of her skirt had ridden up. She didn’t want to look to see the edge of the scar he must have noticed.
She’d pulled back slightly when she felt his fingertip trace her thigh. “What’s this?” he whispered and she forced herself to look. Her scar was still hidden. His finger was moving through moist splatter on her skin, sliding through tiny orange chunks.
“Oh, that’s mango salad. I must have spilled.”
When Tucker slipped the tip of his finger between his lips, Dani’s breath was part shiver, part giggle. She tried to look worried when Mr. Randolph stomped behind the bar and poured himself another vodka.
“Everything okay, boss?”
He swallowed the drink in one gulp. “For now, yeah. The Wheelers are finally gone. Casper’s pulling out in a few, too.”
“So do you need me to work tonight?”
He must have heard the hopeful tone in her voice or noticed Tucker’s hand on her thigh. “Sure, take the night off. Hell, we could all be dead tomorrow.”
Dani grinned at Tucker.
Then Angel Jackson shouted to someone down the bar and threw a wrench in Dani’s plans. Tucker’s hand was warm on her thigh and those dimples were really cute, but Angel Jackson was making an up-and-back flight tonight to Boston. That was close to one of the locations on her list. She waved the black-eyed pilot over.
“Any chance you could drop me at Martha’s Vineyard?”
“Drop you there?” Angel asked, ignoring Tucker. “Got a parachute?”
“No, but I’ve got something to do there.”
He laughed and emptied his beer. “Not running a taxi service, kid.”
“You told me you owed me one after that Ohio
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