Deadly Beginnings Read Online Free PDF Page A

their shoulders touched. “Tell me more.”
    She grinned at him. “Are you sure you want to know?”
    He really liked her grin; that single dimple called to him.
    “Yes.”
    “All right, but I warned you then.”
    “Tell me.”
    “I get dressed.”
    He sat there. “And?”
    “I also get undressed,” she said, her voice lowering. “Every. Single. Day. By definition, that’s a habit.”
    He narrowed his eyes at her and smiled. “You can be sassy too.”
    She took a deep breath. “Used to be a lot sassier. Used to be a lot of things.”
    They lapsed into silence, tossing pebbles into the water. The wind picked up, making the air chillier.
    “You hungry?” he asked her.
    Her eyes widened. “Um, not really.”
    “You already had lunch?”
    She shrugged. “I haven’t really been hungry lately.”
    He shook his head, hopped off the rock and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go into town. I’ll give you a ride in my car.”
    “My grandmother always said I shouldn’t get into cars with men I don’t know.”
    “You know me, I’m Jock Kinncaid.”
    She took his hand and he helped her down, but he didn’t let her go. If she pulled away from him, he would, but she didn’t. He held her hand as they walked up the shore. Boats out on the lake motored by their bay a few times, but for the most part it seemed like they were the only people around.
    He was okay with that. He wanted more time with her.
    The damp ground muffled their footsteps back to his cabin. As they broke through the trees, she stopped.
    “This is where you’re staying? I thought you said you had a cabin.”
    He looked at the small house. It was a house. “It’s in the woods, on a lake. It’s a cabin.”
    “No, my one-room place is a cabin. Wood, sagging porch. Cabin. That’s”—she waved toward the house—“a house most families would dream to have.”
    He smiled down at her and shrugged. “I like it.”
    She nodded. “Why wouldn’t you like it.”
    He walked her to his car and dug his keys out. “Where do you want to eat?”
    “I’ve no preference.”
    “A woman that easy to please?”
    “I’m not that complicated,” she said as he opened her door and held it for her. He shut it and then hurried around and climbed in.
    As he started the car, he said, “All women are complicated. It’s part of the fun.”
    She shook her head. “No, I’m not. I’m rather simple if truth be known.”
    As they pulled down the drive, he shifted and looked at her. “There’s very little simple about you, Kaitie.”
    She sighed.
    He grinned. “Kaitlyn.”
    “You’re learning.”
     
    • • •
     
    He waited until they were seated and had ordered at the local restaurant. “So,” he asked her as they looked out over the lake, “what’s the story?”
    “Story?”
    He motioned to her. “The doctor. Notice you’re not wearing the ring.”
    She looked down and rubbed her finger. “It’s back at the cabin. He wouldn’t accept it back.”
    “He wouldn’t?”
    She shook her head. “Nope. I learned very quickly not to ask him to take it back.” This time she carefully rubbed a bruise left from a finger on her wrist.
    Jock reached out and took her hand in his, softly touching the dark mark. “He put this mark on you?” She didn’t answer. He looked from the mark to her eyes, but they were downcast.
    “Kaitie?”
    Her green eyes jerked to his. They weren’t smiling, weren’t just shadowed but hurt.
    “He doesn’t like it when I don’t do what I’m told,” she whispered. “I’ve tried to get rid of him, to break it off with him, but he just doesn’t . . . He won’t . . .” She swallowed and shook her head. “I just want to go home.”
    Jock took a deep breath, careful to keep his voice soft. “Where’s home?”
    “Ireland. Grammy’s. I just want to go home.”
    “Why don’t you?”
    “Money. I’m paying off nursing school right now.” She shrugged again. “I want to be a doctor, but—” She broke