Read Online The Drifter by Kate Hoffmann - Free Book Online Page A

rack and slipped them on her bare feet.
    Eve watched as he tucked her foot inside the right boot and laced it up. This was his world, she mused. She was comfortable with knives and graters and small electric appliances, the smells and sounds of the kitchen. Charlie lived in a different world, a world of skies and streams, fresh air and rocky ground.
    “How do they feel?” he asked after he’d laced up the second boot.
    “Like I’m wearing cement overshoes,” Eve replied, rising to her feet. “And they’re so attractive.”
    He looked up at her and gave her an impatient glare. “You’ll get used to them. Just wear them for the rest of the day to break them in.”
    Eve glanced at her watch. She and Charlie had shared a late lunch together, eating at one of Eve’s favorite Chinese restaurants a few blocks from the Garden Gate. “I need to get back,” she said. “My sous-chef took the day off and I’ve got a lot of prep to do for this week. Especially if I’m taking tomorrow off.”
    He handed the sales clerk his credit card and Eve reached for it. “You don’t have to pay for these,” she said.
    “I want to. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be buyingthem yourself, so they’ll be my treat. And just to make sure you wear them today, I’m keeping your Birkenstocks.” He put her shoes in the empty box, then leaned over and kissed her softly. “I’ll see you later tonight.”
    “Why don’t you come in for a late supper?” she suggested.
    “I’ll do that,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”
    Eve hurried out of the store, nearly tripping over herself in the hiking boots. Though she knew she looked foolish in them, the residents of Boulder were quite forgiving when it came to outlandish outfits. Boulder was a city of wildly diverse individuals. On her way back to the restaurant she saw plenty of tie-dyed T-shirts, Western wear and bicycle shorts.
    The dining room was empty when she walked in the front door. She smiled at Sarah, who was stacking glasses behind the bar, then strolled into the kitchen. Lily had the luncheon receipts spread across the worktable.
    “There you are!” she said, spinning around to face Eve. Her gaze took in the boots and she frowned. “What are those on your feet?”
    “Hiking boots,” Eve said. “Charlie bought them for me.”
    “What happened to lingerie or perfume or a nice bouquet of roses?”
    “He said I’d need them if we go hiking,” Eve explained.
    “And you’d need a parachute if you were going to jump out of a plane. But I can’t see you doing either of those things.”
    “I can be outdoorsy,” Eve said. “Besides, hiking is just walking…uphill…over rocks and branches and stuff. How hard can it be?”
    “You must really love this guy,” Lily said.
    “No!” Eve cried. “Far from it. I’m trying my best not to love him.”
    “Be careful,” Lily murmured. “I know how long it took you to get over Matt.”
    “This is different. I’m not planning to marry Charlie.”
    The kitchen door swung open and Sarah poked her head inside. “Eve, you have a visitor.”
    “Oh, good grief,” Lily said. “Can’t he spend a minute away from you?”
    “It’s not Charlie,” Sarah said. “It’s your ex-husband.”
    Eve glanced up at Lily and winced. “What does he want?”
    “He didn’t say. He looks a little…nervous?”
    Eve nodded. “I can’t imagine why he’s here, unless he’s looking for a free lunch.” She pointed at Lily. “You stay in the kitchen. I don’t need you stirring things up with him.”
    Lily had never been fond of Matt and she wasn’t shy about letting her hatred show. They’d met while Eve was going through her divorce. When it hadcome time to buy Matt out of the restaurant, Lily had decided to come in as a partner. It had been the best thing to ever happen to the Garden Gate. Lily was a wonderful business manager and a good friend.
    When Eve emerged from the kitchen, she found Matt sitting at the bar, a half-empty