Read Online Slow Summer Burn: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance by Elisabeth Barrett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elisabeth Barrett
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huh?” Cole said with a smile.
Val laughed. “Good one.” He was totally obsessed with the security of his gear, especially his laptop and his weapons, which if compromised would have far-reaching consequences.
Val secured his laptop onboard, then rejoined his brother on the pier. They walked down the boardwalk to the Rusty Nail, reaching it in a matter of moments, as it was only a pier away from where his houseboat was moored. The building itself was unassuming—a typical boardwalk structure, worn from the pounding it had received over the years from sea andweather. The paint was faded and peeling, and the door, marked only by a small placard above the frame, looked like it had seen better days.
If you didn’t know what was inside, you’d never enter. Which, Val suspected, was just the way the proprietor, Andy Neiman, wanted it. Not that Andy was unfriendly—far from it. It’s just that he understood that locals would want a place to call their own. And in the Nail, he’d built just that.
Cole shot him a smile as he pushed open the door. Once inside, Val took in his surroundings. Royce Hogan, the town’s mayor, sat with his wife, Trina, in a booth off to the side. Someone was racking up the pool balls in the back room, and a few elderly fishermen sat at the polished wood bar. Other than that, the place was empty.
Cole walked up to the bar, Val right behind him.
“Ah, the eldest two Grayson brothers,” Andy said with a twinkle in his deep brown eyes. “Enjoy the storm this afternoon?”
Yeah, he’d enjoyed it all right. Enough to kiss a woman he had no business kissing but couldn’t seem to get off his mind. Yet he couldn’t exactly say that to Andy. Couldn’t tell him that he’d soaked himself to the bone trying to forget what he shouldn’t want, even as he knew he had to see her again. So he stayed silent and gave Andy a short nod.
“Worked through it,” Cole said. “Too much going on. Definitely need a break. What do you have on tap?”
“Decided to branch out a bit. Got one from California called Anchor Steam, which you might like. But of course I have the usual stuff, too.”
Val shrugged. “I’ll try the Anchor Steam, Andy. Thanks.”
“Why the hell not? Make that two,” Cole said.
Andy gave a nod and pulled two frosty glasses out from a fridge underneath the counter. “How’s work going?” he asked, pouring the first glass. “Hold that. Forgot I was talking to the cop and the G-man. Ah, well. Tell me what you can.”
“Keeping the peace,” Cole said. Everyone in town knew they were intensely focused on the drug problem, but Cole knew better than to talk, and he knew full well that Val wouldn’t, either. In fact, Val liked listening to other people talk, figuring out what made them tick. It was one of his greatest pleasures, and it sometimes meant that instead of participating in a conversation, he was analyzing it. Unfortunately, some people took it as rudeness or shyness. Itwasn’t either.
“Yeah, I know what’s going on,” Andy said, placing the other glass under the tap. “Folks are getting pretty antsy around here, wondering what’s going to happen, and when the incidents are going to stop.”
Cole sighed heavily. “It’s been tough to get on top of it, that’s for sure. Seems like every week we have one or two new cases of dealing—way up from even six months ago. We’re doing our best, though.”
“I know you are. As always, if I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
“That’s great. Thanks, Andy.”
Andy finished filling the glasses and placed them on top of the bar. “Here you go.”
“How much do we owe you?” Val asked, pulling out his wallet.
“These are on the house, guys.”
“Appreciate that, Andy,” he said.
“My pleasure. Can’t deny it’s nice to have two lawmen in the bar, even on a slow night.”
“Thanks, man,” Cole said.
They picked up their glasses and headed to a corner table so Cole could sit with his back to the
Val laughed. “Good one.” He was totally obsessed with the security of his gear, especially his laptop and his weapons, which if compromised would have far-reaching consequences.
Val secured his laptop onboard, then rejoined his brother on the pier. They walked down the boardwalk to the Rusty Nail, reaching it in a matter of moments, as it was only a pier away from where his houseboat was moored. The building itself was unassuming—a typical boardwalk structure, worn from the pounding it had received over the years from sea andweather. The paint was faded and peeling, and the door, marked only by a small placard above the frame, looked like it had seen better days.
If you didn’t know what was inside, you’d never enter. Which, Val suspected, was just the way the proprietor, Andy Neiman, wanted it. Not that Andy was unfriendly—far from it. It’s just that he understood that locals would want a place to call their own. And in the Nail, he’d built just that.
Cole shot him a smile as he pushed open the door. Once inside, Val took in his surroundings. Royce Hogan, the town’s mayor, sat with his wife, Trina, in a booth off to the side. Someone was racking up the pool balls in the back room, and a few elderly fishermen sat at the polished wood bar. Other than that, the place was empty.
Cole walked up to the bar, Val right behind him.
“Ah, the eldest two Grayson brothers,” Andy said with a twinkle in his deep brown eyes. “Enjoy the storm this afternoon?”
Yeah, he’d enjoyed it all right. Enough to kiss a woman he had no business kissing but couldn’t seem to get off his mind. Yet he couldn’t exactly say that to Andy. Couldn’t tell him that he’d soaked himself to the bone trying to forget what he shouldn’t want, even as he knew he had to see her again. So he stayed silent and gave Andy a short nod.
“Worked through it,” Cole said. “Too much going on. Definitely need a break. What do you have on tap?”
“Decided to branch out a bit. Got one from California called Anchor Steam, which you might like. But of course I have the usual stuff, too.”
Val shrugged. “I’ll try the Anchor Steam, Andy. Thanks.”
“Why the hell not? Make that two,” Cole said.
Andy gave a nod and pulled two frosty glasses out from a fridge underneath the counter. “How’s work going?” he asked, pouring the first glass. “Hold that. Forgot I was talking to the cop and the G-man. Ah, well. Tell me what you can.”
“Keeping the peace,” Cole said. Everyone in town knew they were intensely focused on the drug problem, but Cole knew better than to talk, and he knew full well that Val wouldn’t, either. In fact, Val liked listening to other people talk, figuring out what made them tick. It was one of his greatest pleasures, and it sometimes meant that instead of participating in a conversation, he was analyzing it. Unfortunately, some people took it as rudeness or shyness. Itwasn’t either.
“Yeah, I know what’s going on,” Andy said, placing the other glass under the tap. “Folks are getting pretty antsy around here, wondering what’s going to happen, and when the incidents are going to stop.”
Cole sighed heavily. “It’s been tough to get on top of it, that’s for sure. Seems like every week we have one or two new cases of dealing—way up from even six months ago. We’re doing our best, though.”
“I know you are. As always, if I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
“That’s great. Thanks, Andy.”
Andy finished filling the glasses and placed them on top of the bar. “Here you go.”
“How much do we owe you?” Val asked, pulling out his wallet.
“These are on the house, guys.”
“Appreciate that, Andy,” he said.
“My pleasure. Can’t deny it’s nice to have two lawmen in the bar, even on a slow night.”
“Thanks, man,” Cole said.
They picked up their glasses and headed to a corner table so Cole could sit with his back to the
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