Read Online Sandrift: A Lin Hanna Mystery by Sharon Canipe - Free Book Online Page B

realized
that she hadn’t mentioned the “dog sitting” part of her arrangement to Neal
earlier. “Hope you like dogs,” she grinned as she grabbed a stuffed grocery
bag, “we’ll have to take a walk as soon as these groceries are stashed.”
    “Love’em,” Neal
grinned as he grabbed two of the bags himself.
    They made short
work of putting their purchases away.   As Lin reached for Sparky’s leash, Neal grabbed the keys to the Jeep
from their hook beside the back door, “Let’s head to the beach.   We still have a couple of hours of
daylight.”
    Sparky barked
his approval jumping into the Jeep as soon as the door was opened.   Soon they were busy playing catch as
Sparky romped in and out of the ebbing surf.   The chill of the morning had given way
to a warmer afternoon. Gulls were pecking in the damp sand while the
ever-present pelicans skimmed the breaking surf in their hunt for fish.   It was a perfect fall afternoon.

 
    ***
    After they’d
returned from their outing and enjoyed a light supper, Lin made some coffee and
they took their steaming mugs out to the porch that spanned the sound side of
Kate’s house.   It was a chilly
evening so they sat at the end of the porch that was glassed in to form an
outdoor room.   Neal turned on the
gas fireplace that had been installed along one wall and the area was soon nice
and cozy.
    “This place
reminds me a little of Arizona,” Neal said, “it was warm at the beach this
afternoon, but when the sun goes down the temperature really drops.”
    “True,” replied
Lin, “but there wasn’t much wind today either.   It can be quite chilly on the beach this
time of year when there’s a strong wind.   Sometimes there are full-scale winter storms too.   Usually, it’s fairly mild though. The
ocean has a moderating effect on the overall climate.”
    Looking around
at the comfortable, and now cozy, glassed porch area Lin smiled as she realized
its usefulness, “This will be a perfect spot for the kids to sleep.   Sam and Emma can ‘camp out’ here with
sleeping bags.   It’s plenty warm and
they will love being able to see the stars and the moonlight on the sound.   I’d been wondering where to put
them.   This will let their parents
have some privacy.   There are two
guest bedrooms here on the main level but they aren’t huge…”
    “And where will
I be,” Neal interrupted.
    “Come in and
I’ll show you,” Lin gave him a wink, “WE will be happily ensconced upstairs in
the master suite.   Wait till you see
the nice office up there also.   It’s
the perfect spot for you to get some work done.”
    Neal grabbed
the suitcases that had been left in the entryway earlier. Lin directed him
upstairs as she grabbed his carry on bag.
    “This is nice!”
Neal exclaimed as they arrived on the second floor.   Lin gave him the grand tour pointing out
the spacious office area where Kate had already cleared the desk for their
use.  
    “This office
doubles as a den, also,” Lin explained.   “We can get away for a bit when we’ve had enough ‘kiddo’ time.”
    Neal had
already crossed the hallway to the spacious master bedroom and its adjoining
bath. “The whole arrangement is perfect,” he said turning to her with a
somewhat sheepish grin, “but what will your kids say about their mother sharing
her sleeping quarters.   They might
not approve.”
    Lin hoped that
she wasn’t blushing as she replied, “I think…er, I’m sure that they both
understand that we are…” she struggled to find the right words.
    Neal came to
her rescue, “That we are more than simply friends, we are lovers.”   He drew her to him in a warm embrace. “
I hope that doesn’t bother or embarrass you,” he murmured in her ear as he
stroked her hair.
    She pulled back
and gave him big smile. “Not at all,” she said, “but I do appreciate the
privacy this suite gives us—especially with so many coming for
Christmas.”
    “Me too,” he responded.
“Now,