A Woman To Blame Read Online Free PDF Page A

accident was shameful, wasn't it, Captain?" Without waiting for Rick's response, Liza went on. "Bryn visits in the morning and I get over to see him in the afternoon. We both agree that there's nothing worse than being alone in the hospital."
    Liza motioned for Bryn to come into the barroom. "I know you're busy, dear, but won't you join us?"
    "I... really shouldn't."
    Without the jukebox playing or the customers' noisy chatter, he could hear clearly the hesitation in Bryn's voice. Had he been so aggressive that she was trying to avoid him? Or was she trying to get rid of him gracefully? And why the hell was he thinking about any of this? He had places to go, people to see, and a business to run. As far as Bryn Madison was concerned, she could "hesitate" her sexy body right off Malabar Key.
    "Look at this, Liza." Bryn appeared in the doorway with a handful of purple cloth. "The order arrived from South Carolina a few hours ago. This screaming heliotrope isn't going to work with the pastels. They're going back as quickly as I can wrap them."
    "Are you sure you want to?" Liza asked. "I think festive colors bring out the best in people," she said, touching the brim of her lemon-colored hat.
    Seizing the opportunity to get away from the stew of emotions he was up to his neck in, Rick said, "Since I don't have an opinion on purple napkins, I'll leave you two to discuss their fate while I get on over to the marina."
    If he hadn't been looking at Bryn, he would have been halfway to the stairs by the time he'd finished his sentence. He should have waved and left, but he made the fatal mistake of watching her a second too long. The way she crossed her arms and leaned against a doorjamb shouldn't mesmerize him, but it did. With the purple material caught in a casual crush between her arms and breasts, she'd again managed to expose that luscious few inches of flesh at her waist. From that handy spot his gaze took a slow tantalizing journey north to her unrelenting stare. Knowing her for less than an hour, he was already recognizing "the look." That confident expression daring him to say something else stupid. Before he had the chance, his view was suddenly eclipsed by Liza's ample body.
    With her spine straight and her blouse puffing around her, Liza sailed into his line of vision like a magnificent ship. "Hold on, Captain Parrish, I have something to say that you'll want to hear."
    Doubting that, he winced. Twice. Once at Liza's refusal to let him leave. And again at Bryn's reaction, a whispered repetition of "Captain Parrish."
    He had no idea how he was going to explain the "Captain" part to her, when he didn't fully understand it himself. There were plenty of fishing-boat captains on Malabar Key, but only he had ended up with the appellation permanently attached to his name. Keeping his eyes on the older woman, he willed her to state her case so he could leave. He didn't have to wait long.
    "During the Friends of the Library meeting last night," Liza said, "we started talking about the deplorable condition of our ambulance. Did you know that Pappy had to be taken to the hospital in the back of Barry Bernstein's pickup truck because the gas tank on the ambulance was corroded and leaking? The tank's been replaced, but it's only a matter of time before something else goes on it."
    "Bad situation, all right," Rick said. He had to get out of there before he let himself get sucked into another conversation.
    "My grandfather had to be taken to the hospital in a pickup truck?" She dropped the napkins and pressed her hands flat against her collarbone. "No one told me that part."
    "Yes, dear, I'm afraid that's what happened. With the ambulance in that condition, the EMT's couldn't get to Pappy any faster than Barry and Tweed MacNeil could. They did the best they could, but Pappy was hurting something awful by the time they got him to the emergency room." The older woman pulled on her braid and looked at the floor. "Captain Parrish can tell you