Read Online Satin Sheets and Strawberries by Marcia Evanick - Free Book Online
Authors: Marcia Evanick
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can resist a challenge."
Logan leaned back and faced the pond. The silence that surrounded them was broken only by an occasional honk from the swans, or a gentle chirping from nearby birds. After a few restful minutes he said, "Tell me about Ben."
She sighed wistfully. "He was brilliant. He could fix or build anything. Do you know he built the house all by himself?"
"Is he the one who installed the doorbell that plays ‘We’re Off to See the Wizard’?"
"He made me that chime for my seventeenth birthday."
"Impressive. I suppose he also was the inventor of Killer, your attack dog."
She softly chuckled, and said, "Afraid so."
"You miss him, don’t you?"
She had to clear the lump that had caught in her throat before she could answer. "Every day."
Logan forced himself to remain seated and not to gather her in his arms and promise her everything would work out. "Did you love him?"
"Like a father. When I first moved in with him there was some serious speculation in town."
"About what?"
"A sixteen-year-old hoodlum and a fifty-year-old man. Youth Services did more than their share of checking up on him. It’s really funny, the one person who everyone thought would be bad for me turned out to be the best. People in town didn’t understand Ben. He was a loner. He never went into town, unless he had to. The only friend he had was Josh’s grandfather. They were fishing buddies."
"That’s how you met Josh."
"Yes. When the whispers in town started, Ben and Emmett, Josh’s grandfather, had this idea to pair us up. Since Josh didn’t have a steady girlfriend, we went along with it."
He studied her profile. "Nothing serious came of it?"
"No, much to Ben’s and Emmett’s disappointment."
"Why? Josh seems like the all-American dream date." Kelli laughed merrily. "If you’d seen Josh eight years ago, you wouldn’t have said that. Every father in town forbade his daughters from even talking to him."
"Josh?"
"Yep. He rode the biggest Harley-Davidson in the county and wore a gold crucifix in his right ear. His idea of dressing up was clean jeans and polishing his sunglasses."
"And Ben allowed you to date him?"
"We made a perfect pair. I was rebelling against the town for gossiping about me and he was furious at the daughters for listening to their fathers. Wherever we went, people knew we were there."
"But he’s a policeman."
"Now he is; then he was just a frustrated young man. We both made the honor roll, and every time we aced a test they yanked us to the office and accused us of cheating." After a thoughtful moment, she asked, "Do you know something, Logan?"
"What?"
"People do judge a book by its cover."
Logan was angry for her sake. Poor Kelli. A frightened teenager thrown to a pack of wolves, only to be torn apart at every change. Being forced to listen to vicious talk about Ben, the one man who loved her enough to pull her off the streets. "I’m sorry."
Kelli heard the disgust in his voice and smiled. "Thanks, but it’s been over for six years. I turned respectable the year I started college and Josh left for the police academy. Now boys who use to proposition me with some very interesting ideas bring their kids and wives here to see the fairies."
She chuckled. "Josh is now the town’s number-one catch. Every mother is practically throwing their virginal beauties at his feet."
"Ah, but is he biting?"
"To the great disappointment of every mother—and some very testy daughters—he hasn’t even nibbled."
He lifted his brow, amazed. "Nothing?" He watched Kelli shake her head and eye the picnic basket. "Interesting."
"No, predictable. Did you bring anything else?"
"Of course." He lifted the lid of the hamper. "Why predictable?"
Her mouth watered as she saw the bag of potato chips. "They’re still judging the book by its cover."
"Are you saying he’s not true-blue under that badge?"
She narrowed her eyes. "All I’m saying is he’s the same today as he was nine years ago. Loyal, honest, and
Logan leaned back and faced the pond. The silence that surrounded them was broken only by an occasional honk from the swans, or a gentle chirping from nearby birds. After a few restful minutes he said, "Tell me about Ben."
She sighed wistfully. "He was brilliant. He could fix or build anything. Do you know he built the house all by himself?"
"Is he the one who installed the doorbell that plays ‘We’re Off to See the Wizard’?"
"He made me that chime for my seventeenth birthday."
"Impressive. I suppose he also was the inventor of Killer, your attack dog."
She softly chuckled, and said, "Afraid so."
"You miss him, don’t you?"
She had to clear the lump that had caught in her throat before she could answer. "Every day."
Logan forced himself to remain seated and not to gather her in his arms and promise her everything would work out. "Did you love him?"
"Like a father. When I first moved in with him there was some serious speculation in town."
"About what?"
"A sixteen-year-old hoodlum and a fifty-year-old man. Youth Services did more than their share of checking up on him. It’s really funny, the one person who everyone thought would be bad for me turned out to be the best. People in town didn’t understand Ben. He was a loner. He never went into town, unless he had to. The only friend he had was Josh’s grandfather. They were fishing buddies."
"That’s how you met Josh."
"Yes. When the whispers in town started, Ben and Emmett, Josh’s grandfather, had this idea to pair us up. Since Josh didn’t have a steady girlfriend, we went along with it."
He studied her profile. "Nothing serious came of it?"
"No, much to Ben’s and Emmett’s disappointment."
"Why? Josh seems like the all-American dream date." Kelli laughed merrily. "If you’d seen Josh eight years ago, you wouldn’t have said that. Every father in town forbade his daughters from even talking to him."
"Josh?"
"Yep. He rode the biggest Harley-Davidson in the county and wore a gold crucifix in his right ear. His idea of dressing up was clean jeans and polishing his sunglasses."
"And Ben allowed you to date him?"
"We made a perfect pair. I was rebelling against the town for gossiping about me and he was furious at the daughters for listening to their fathers. Wherever we went, people knew we were there."
"But he’s a policeman."
"Now he is; then he was just a frustrated young man. We both made the honor roll, and every time we aced a test they yanked us to the office and accused us of cheating." After a thoughtful moment, she asked, "Do you know something, Logan?"
"What?"
"People do judge a book by its cover."
Logan was angry for her sake. Poor Kelli. A frightened teenager thrown to a pack of wolves, only to be torn apart at every change. Being forced to listen to vicious talk about Ben, the one man who loved her enough to pull her off the streets. "I’m sorry."
Kelli heard the disgust in his voice and smiled. "Thanks, but it’s been over for six years. I turned respectable the year I started college and Josh left for the police academy. Now boys who use to proposition me with some very interesting ideas bring their kids and wives here to see the fairies."
She chuckled. "Josh is now the town’s number-one catch. Every mother is practically throwing their virginal beauties at his feet."
"Ah, but is he biting?"
"To the great disappointment of every mother—and some very testy daughters—he hasn’t even nibbled."
He lifted his brow, amazed. "Nothing?" He watched Kelli shake her head and eye the picnic basket. "Interesting."
"No, predictable. Did you bring anything else?"
"Of course." He lifted the lid of the hamper. "Why predictable?"
Her mouth watered as she saw the bag of potato chips. "They’re still judging the book by its cover."
"Are you saying he’s not true-blue under that badge?"
She narrowed her eyes. "All I’m saying is he’s the same today as he was nine years ago. Loyal, honest, and
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