Edge of Shadows (Shadows #1) Read Online Free PDF

looked like a total slob. She reached up a hand to smooth the flyaway strands around her face as much as possible. She waved back with a small smile.
    “No use alienating the world any more than I usually do,” she whispered to Skipper. Ellie had always been a loner. It was hard to make friends when she could spot someone being disingenuous a mile away, and those that were honest got spooked at her uncanny ability to “read their minds.” She knew that it wasn’t healthy to always be alone, but it was certainly easier. Ellie knew that trusting people meant exposing herself to some degree, and given her “specialness” that was a risk that wasn’t lightly undertaken. She’d made an exception for Jake and look where that got her.
    They finally reached the walking path that curved around the lake. Usually it took about an hour to walk the entire 3.5 miles. “I don’t have the energy for the whole thing today but we can walk a little ways,” she told Skipper sternly.
    It was quiet at that time of the morning. Ellie could hear every approach behind her, and when she did she automatically shortened Skipper’s leash a bit and pulled him over to the side. The time and money spent on training classes with him had been well worth it. A short jerk and a quick command—“Sit!”—and Skipper would pause and do exactly that, waiting patiently for each person to pass by.
    Ellie was wrapped up in her thoughts when she saw a jogger approaching from the other direction. She paused and gave Skipper his command, which he dutifully obeyed.
    “Hey, Ellie, is that you?” she heard a husky, slightly out of breath voice say.
    She looked at the man more closely and sucked in a breath in surprise. Even with red cheeks and a skull cap on, David Mitchell was handsome in that Harlequin-romance-cover kind of way. One tendril of dark blond hair had escaped the confines of his cap and was curled on his forehead. His deep blue eyes peered at her and matched his aura perfectly.
    “Uh, David. Hi,” she finally stuttered, instantly feeling her cheeks start to burn. She reached her hand up to her hair again. Of all the people she could possibly run into at five a.m. in the morning, she ran into David Mitchell? She had the worst luck ever.
    David was a regular at her coffee shop, and even in her recent state of self-absorption, she had been aware of the stares David received from her customers and staff. His comings and goings were well noted in the coffee shop crowd. According to the rumor mill, David was single, new to the area, and a doctor. Combined with how pleasant he had been in all of their interactions, David ranked just about perfect in Ellie’s book. But he was way out of her league.
    “I thought that was you. I like your dog.” David nodded at Skipper as he continued running in place beside her. He put a finger to his throat and glanced at his watch. “You have the best coffee in town hands down. That’s why I can’t seem to stay away.”
    “Oh, thanks,” Ellie said. She didn’t know what else to say and started berating herself for being so lame. He had just given her two nice compliments. What did she say now? She suddenly wished for better social skills. Her few friends always gave her grief that they didn’t think she could hold a rock’s attention with her off-putting demeanor.
    Skipper was looking up at her expectantly. Everyone loved Skipper so that seemed as good a place as any to start. “This is Skipper. I bring him here most mornings for his walk. I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.” Ellie wracked her brain. Had she seen him before and never noticed? She hoped not. The thought was mortifying. God, she was pathetic.
    “I’d love to have a regular schedule but things are just so chaotic when I’m on call. I just get my running in when I can. But the seasons are so strange here, I’m not used to it still being so dark in the morning,” David said with a smile. He was still slowly jogging in place,