Read Online Zero Visibility by Georgia Beers - Free Book Online

tonight. There’s a hockey game.” Emerson’s grimace made Cassie open her eyes wide in mock indignation. “Don’t tell me you don’t like hockey.”
    “Okay.”
    “Oh, no. No, no. I cannot have this.” Cassie shook her head. She was rewarded with what sounded almost like a chuckle from Emerson.
    “You can’t have it? Why not?”
    “Because hockey is the most awesome sport on the planet.”
    “Really.”
    “I kid you not. Tell you what. You come to the game tonight and sit with me. I’ll answer any questions you have, I’ll teach you the rules, and if you don’t love it by the end of the game, I will owe you a drink. Sound fair?”
    Emerson studied her face intently, and Cassie could feel herself warming from the inside, even as she stared back. Finally, Emerson gave another nod. “I’ll think about it.”
    Before they could continue the conversation, Jonathan approached them. “I’ve got to get back to the store,” he said.
    “Okay.” Cassie intended to introduce him to Emerson, but he was making his way to the front door before she could even begin. With an apologetic expression on her face, Cassie squeezed Emerson’s upper arm as she took a step in Jonathan’s direction. “I’ll be there by 6:45. Game starts at seven.” With a quick wave, she was out the door.
    Outside, she caught up with Jonathan, who was half a block down the street. “Hey,” she said when she came alongside him. “What the hell was that? Besides rude?”
    He gave her a sideways look. “I don’t like her.”
    “Why? You don’t know her.”
    “Neither do you, but that hasn’t seemed to stop your schoolgirl crush.”
    “Seriously?” She arched an eyebrow at him. Luckily, she knew him well, and therefore was clear on when he was in a snit and there would be no reasoning with him. She mentally shrugged off the entire subject. “I’m just being friendly. For Christ’s sake, the woman just lost her mom. Cut her some slack.” After a few more steps in silence, she changed topics for him. “What’s on the agenda the rest of the day?”
    “You know, it’s been busy today. I think I’m going to look into that new glass display counter I’ve been talking about for ages. Patrick will blow a gasket when he sees how much it costs, but—”
    “You can blow something else and get your way?” Cassie finished with a wink.
    “Exactly.”
    Patrick Farnsworth was Jonathan’s sugar daddy. Not that anybody called him that besides Cassie. And even then it was only in her mind. He was very wealthy, having come from old money. He was also nearly thirty years older than Jonathan, which would have seemed a little creepy to Cassie if the two men weren’t so ridiculously happy. Patrick owned Boutique and let Jonathan do whatever he wanted with it. In turn, Jonathan attended fundraisers and banquets on Patrick’s arm, playing dutiful—and devastatingly handsome—husband. They shared a sprawling ranch set up high on one of the smaller mountains just outside of the village, with a stunning view of Lake Henry, and their dinner parties and holiday gatherings were legendary. It was a good life, but there was one thing Jonathan wanted that Patrick hadn’t given him: a marriage proposal. Every now and then, Cassie would mention a same-sex couple that was having a wedding, or she’d point out a dress she liked for someday down the road when she got married, and she’d catch her friend with a far-off, wistful look on his face.
    Before her thoughts could continue, they were in front of their respective stores.
    “You going to watch the kids play tonight?” Jonathan asked.
    “Yeah. Trevor’s starting again.” Cassie’s fourteen-year-old nephew was the youngest player on Lake Henry’s varsity hockey team, and she was anxious to see how he did. She was not anxious to tell Jonathan that she’d invited Emerson, so she left that part out.
    “Wish him luck for me. Patrick and I are going furniture shopping tonight.”
    “What