Euphoria Lane Read Online Free PDF Page A

keep her eyes off Roxie, the spandex queen turned bookie. She reminded Andi of one of those crazed Wild West townspeople who enjoyed a good lynching. While the rest of the library crowd waited, their eyes full of rage, hers twinkled with excitement.
    The metallic click of the doorknob turning caught the crowd’s attention. They turned to see who would enter next. So did Andi.
    Luke strode in, briefcase in hand. Her stomach lurched. She tore her gaze away, not wanting to make eye contact again. No matter how strong her attraction for him remained, she refused to entertain the thought of rekindling an old flame.
    Okay, forest fire.
    The man worked for Harry, after all. Not that Luke would ever take her back. He had made that perfectly clear when he dumped her.
    He took a seat at the long table up front and popped open his briefcase, appearing busy and professional. According to the nameplates, the board sat between Luke and the security guard.
    If the killer decided to make an appearance, would Luke become a target, too?
    She hadn’t considered the possibility before. The thought didn’t sit well with her now.
    The door swung open again and the beady-eyed president entered. He stiffened his spine and held his head high. The only thing missing from his grand entrance was the red carpet.
    “Harry,” Andi mumbled in disgust.
    “See the woman strolling down the aisle behind him?” Meg whispered, glancing at a woman about forty years old with professionally bleached blonde hair clipped a few inches below her shoulders. She wore an attractive floral dress and expertly applied makeup. At her side she carried a wide-brimmed, white straw hat. The kind you would expect Southern women to wear to garden parties. “That’s Valerie. She’s married to Paul, the computer geek closing the door. Rumor has it she married him because she hoped he would be the next Bill Gates.”
    Valerie’s hips swayed with each move, inviting the men to watch her walk down the aisle. Her double-D cups invited them to drool. Andi caught two women elbowing their husbands in the ribs, forcing them to stop staring.
    After closing the door, Valerie’s husband turned toward the room. He wore a wrinkled polo shirt over tan knee-length shorts. As he followed his wife, Paul kept his shoulders hunched over and his gaze toward the floor. Either he chose to ignore the attention his wife received, or he kept his mind immersed in his own thoughts.
    Meg leaned closer. “Valerie is working her way toward leaving her husband for Harry.” She glanced about as if making sure no one heard. “One night after a board meeting, he started bragging about his millions in stocks. I swear there were dollar signs flashing in that woman’s eyes.”
    “Are they having an affair?”
    “Heaven’s sake, no. Roxie overhead Valerie talking to a friend. She wants Harry’s money. She’s not going to give anything away for free. She plans to flirt her way into a proposal and then worry about divorcing Paul.”
    Andi grimaced. Marrying Harry for money was the Euphoria Lane equivalent of selling your soul to the devil.

* * *
    Like the homeowners in attendance, Luke worried the killer might make an appearance, and he had no intention of dying for his job. Unlike the homeowners, he refused to bet on when the next board member might meet his, or her, maker. He had even taken measures to make sure no one died during the meeting. The two extra security guards he had hired stood behind the crowd, watching over the angry neighbors.
    Harry banged the gavel. “Time to sit or leave,” he barked. With a glance down at his paperwork, his toupee slid forward. He scowled at the sniggering crowd, adjusted his hairpiece, and called the meeting to order.
    Luke ran his hand over his face to conceal his smile.
    For the first hour, he watched as Andi’s expressions reflected her boredom over listening to tedious decisions regarding landscaping and budget issues. Then came the time for the audience