Bleeding Green Read Online Free PDF

woman.
    “Come on, Mary Helen. I’ll take you home. We’ll come back for your car in the morning.”
    “Now, now, no need for that luv. I’ll see this little lady home.”
    Mary Helen tilted her head back and gave a sappy sweet smile, even as a frown knitted her brow.
    Watching this expression, Laurel knew that Mary Helen was beyond logic and too befuddled for any decision making.
    Lying through her teeth, Laurel said, “I drive right by her house. She has two children to see off to school in the morning. I’ll get her home.”
    Ty seemed to resent this idea. “Being a ranger lady and all, I know you feel the need to care for your friend here but no worries, Lassie. She’s in good hands with me. Trust me, love. I won’t be takin’ advantage of your lady friend here.” He kissed the side of Mary Helen’s head, not being able to quite reach the top.
    Gritting her teeth, Laurel, resented his possessive takeover. The phone inside the truck was niggling her to get moving. She needed to see why there was a message at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday night.
    A breeze stirred the steamy night. She turned her head sniffing the air. Trade winds. Southeasterly trade winds blowing around the warm Bermuda High fan warm, humid air over the peninsula of Florida keeping cold fronts at bay. Although fall, nearly every afternoon, central Florida had been having scattered thunderstorms—a collision of air from the Gulf sea breeze and the Atlantic sea breeze meeting in the middle of the state.
    An enormous clap of thunder made all three of them jump.
    Snugging Mary Helen to his side with his strong left arm, Ty made the observation in soft whisper, “Thunderplump.”
    Laurel said, “Excuse me?”
    A deep chuckle resonated from his muscular chest. “In Ireland, we refer to that as a thunderplump!”
    A streak of lightning sizzled to the ground searing their eyes with a brilliant blast of light.
    Ready to hop into her truck and let Mary Helen go to the devil with her newfound infatuation, Laurel froze in position, as she listened to Ty’s next words. The Irish brogue was a tad mesmerizing.
    “Disney, Sea World, Cypress Gardens, Universal Studios, Cape Canaveral, the best beaches in the world.” He nodded toward Laurel. “Timucuan Springs, a lovely state park with water so clear and fresh from our Floridan aquifer. Florida’s great underwater reservoir. Incredible!” He turned back from staring at the night sky where the lightning streak had appeared, grinning at Laurel’s open mouth. “A natural resource that is not understood by our thronging tourists are the numerous thunderstorms that occur. But you know what really intrigues me, ranger lady? What really tickles my fancy?”
    Laurel snapped her mouth shut and perched on the edge of the seat. Who was this man? Evil or brilliant?
    “Lightning! God’s magnificent energy shaped into a spear and thrown ta the ground!” he gave a hop of excitement.
    Mary Helen detached herself from his arm. She appeared a bit disenchanted.
    “Some big storms generate up to 40,000 lightning strikes. Do you know what this area is called?” he stared at Laurel with a gleeful look.
    Feeling quite disconcerted, Laurel shook her head.
    “Lightning Alley!” he raised his voice as his excitement rose. “The most lightning strikes are in an area between Tampa and Titusville, Lightning Alley. Right where we are standing!”
    “Who are you?” Laurel demanded. Rare were the times that she didn’t intuit a person with immediate accuracy. This guy had her flummoxed.
    “Phenomena of the atmosphere. Meteorology. Climatology.” A wicked gleam appeared in his eyes. “Hustler of the Gods. Student of the ancients.”
    Laurel pulled both legs into the truck, ready to close the door and see what the call was about. Responsibility was stronger than her curiosity for this leprechaun.
    He leaned closer to her, resting a hand on the edge of her truck door.
    She looked down at his hand.
    He nodded at her. “Just one