Concealed Read Online Free PDF Page B

neighbors and enjoying one another’s company. Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of blonde hair caught his attention.
    “Hi, Wade.”
    “Melissa,” he replied as she fell into step beside him, grinning. In her hand there was a cardboard basket with something on a stick. “Dare I ask?” He warily eyed the stick Melissa waved toward him.
    “Fried Twinkie. Want a bite?”
    “No.”
    “Enjoying the fair?” she asked looping her arm around his.
    “It’s nice to see everyone having fun. How long until you leave for your trip?” Together they weaved through the crowd side by side.
    “Less than a week now.” Her eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of her trip to Europe. Ever since they were kids, Melissa had talked about leaving Elton and seeing the world. She had been working since she was fourteen and saved every dime she could to make her dream come true. And now, she was days away from the trip of a lifetime.
    “It won’t be the same here without you.”
    “Aww, you gonna miss me, Wade?” She patted his cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back in six short months.”
    The bright lights of carnival rides and games lit up the road ahead. Children were everywhere, their parents trying to keep up as they rushed from one ride to the next. Wade caught himself scanning the crowd for Sydney or Faith. Of course, Melissa noticed.
    “Looking for anyone in particular?”
    “No.” Even as he said it, he knew the word rang hollow. For the last twenty minutes, he realized he’d managed to wander around every kid-friendly place at the fair, all in the hopes of seeing Sydney. He really didn’t care about the craft center or a lopsided cow made of butter, yet he wandered past every group of children, looking for Faith’s tell-tale dark curls.
    How pathetic was he?
    “You’re such a terrible liar,” Melissa said with a laugh. “Since you’re too macho to ask, I’ll help you out, because that’s the kinda girl I am. I think you should wander over to the petting zoo area. You might find something nice and soft to cuddle up with over there.”
    Wade’s thoughts immediately went to Sydney, and cuddling wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. The images that flashed in his head when he thought of her were far more erotic, not that he’d ever share that with Melissa, or anyone else for that matter. It was hard enough admitting it to himself that the tiny blonde was under his skin. In the months that she’d been in town, she’d captured his attention like no one else had in years.
    At first it was her looks that had stopped him in his tracks and her laughter. She was a breath of fresh air and lit up the diner with her smile. The longer Wade was around her, though, the more he saw the other side of Sydney. The side she tried hard to hide from the rest of the world. She was a woman with secrets and a past. There was never a mention of Faith’s father, which was odd, but even more telling were the personality quirks that Sydney tried so hard to hide from the people around her. Being overprotective of Faith, constantly looking over her shoulder when she thought no one was watching, the lack of details she offered from her past were all red flags in Wade’s mind.
    Being in law enforcement, he had become an expert at reading the signs people unknowingly gave off, and from everything he’d observed over the last few months, if he had to hazard a guess, Sydney was exhibiting some of the classic traits of a woman who had suffered some sort of abuse or trauma.
    Wade could have done a background check. He’d been tempted to plenty of times but stopped himself. Part of him didn’t want to invade her privacy and the other side of him simply enjoyed the distraction she offered.
    Melissa cleared her throat, pulling him out of his thoughts. “You might fool other people, Wade Jenkins, but I know you like her. I’ve been watching you at the diner. Never known you to be such a pie enthusiast until Sydney came to town.