Read Online Scaredy Cat by Robin Alexander - Free Book Online

privacy of his home, he cooked with his wife, and they enjoyed crafts. Jacob’s latest achievement was a fall wreath on his front door that he refused to take credit for. In public, he wore baseball jerseys in the summer, though he knew little about the sport, and in the cooler months, flannel because he said it made him look like a lumberjack.
    Quinn tore her gaze away from him and stared at the screen on her computer. “You were busy this weekend.”
    “When we discover oil in one of our backyards and become rich, let’s hire someone to take weekend call. That is the one thing I truly hate about our job.”
    “Little brother, if we strike it rich, neither of us will be plumbing anything.” Quinn licked her lips. “Let’s see what we have on tap for today. A kitchen faucet replacement at the Crawfords’, a drain clear at Dole’s, and a leak beneath the Sutter house. Oh, and Grant asked me if one of us could look at the faucet in his bathroom today.”
    “I can grab that when I go home. His house is on the way.”
    Quinn nodded. “I say we tackle the—” Quinn grabbed her cellphone from her desk when it began to ring. The number on her ID was not one she recognized. “Scott’s Plumbing. Hey, Blake… Coyotes? Where? Well, I’ve never seen… Honey, if it’s wearing a collar, it’s a dog. That’s probably the Comeaux’s shepherd Chuck… No, I’m sure he’s not rabid. Breathe.” Quinn pointed at the phone and grinned when Jacob’s brow shot skyward, and she mouthed, It’s her . “Are you outside? Okay, Chuck won’t try to get into the house, I promise. Did you write last night?” Quinn pursed her lips. “I’m sorry. Sleep is a good idea. Chuck has never killed anyone, I promise. He’s a sweet dog, and he’s probably just hunting squirrels. Oh…okay. Good night or good morning rather.” Quinn ended the call and set the phone on her desk.
    Jacob’s jaw sagged before he said, “Quinn, is Blake Taylor really at the Meyers house?”
    She threw up both hands. “I swear.”
    Jacob jumped up and nearly spilled his coffee. “Oh, my God,” he said in a pitch that Quinn could never hit. “Tonya and I have seen all her movies, and Tonya has read every book she’s ever written—twice. I have to tell her, she’ll keep it quiet, you know that.”
    “Y’all can’t go over there. Blake’s…kind of…well, she just doesn’t want anyone to know she’s here. She’s trying to write her next book, and she can’t have a lot of interruptions. I promise that one day I’ll introduce you.”
    Jacob fanned his hand like a teenage girl. “What’s your connection to her? How’d you meet?”
    “Dawn rented her the house, and Blake’s agent asked her to hire someone to show Blake around. Since she’s a lesbian, Dawn thought she might be more comfortable with me.”
    Jacob raced back to his spot in front of Quinn’s desk and sat down, heedless of the coffee that sloshed out on the papers covering the surface. “What’s she like?”
    That was a question that Quinn was slow to answer. “She’s…eccentric.”
    “She’s hot in a dark sort of way. I’ve seen her picture on the book jackets, almost menacing.”
    Quinn laughed. “That’s not how I’d describe her. She’s like five-three and tiny.” Quinn left out that Blake was also a scaredy cat.
    Jacob grabbed the keyboard and turned the monitor slightly. “I’m sure she has a website,” he said as he typed. Blake suddenly appeared, staring up at the camera where she lay on what looked like a blood-red chaise lounge. Her hair was splayed out around her, one hand tucked behind her head, the other across her midsection. Her smile was sultry, almost cocky, and exuded more confidence than Quinn knew she possessed. The white shirt beneath a black coat was unbuttoned just enough to show a hint of cleavage. The image was sexy and so unlike the woman Quinn was getting to know.
    “You must drool like a dog the whole time you’re with her,”