Final Deposit Read Online Free PDF Page B

wasn’t her.
    Slowing down at the third turn, he swung a sharp left and began searching for the house. Thirty-three…thirty-five…He stopped two houses short of her father’s one-story brick house and pulled his rented Mazda against the curb.
    Please, God. Let her be okay.
    He steadied his breathing. Half a dozen people stood talking on the front lawn, but the street lamp didn’t cast enough light to clearly make out who they were. One or two officers and a couple of neighbors? Squinting in the darkness through the windshield, he caught a glimpse of Lindsey’s pink dress and let out a sigh of relief.
    Thank you, Lord.
    He got out of the car and approached the scene slowly. The last thing he needed was to be marked as a possible suspect.
    One of the officers stepped toward him and held out an arm. “I’m going to have to ask you to stop right there, sir.”
    Kyle froze in his tracks, holding his hands away from his sides. “I’m a friend of Lindsey—”
    â€œIt’s all right, Officer.” Lindsey came up beside the uniformed man. “This is Kyle Walker. I was talking to him on my cell when the attempted break-in occurred.”
    The officer nodded and moved aside.
    Kyle pulled her into his arms, overwhelmed with relief. Once again, his reaction to her caught him off guard, just as it had when he’d first seen her at the wedding.
    He’d felt more like a college sophomore than a thirty-three-year-old. She’d been the reason he hadn’t been able to fall asleep at the hotel, and he’d decided to take a chance and call her despite the late hour. Lucky thing he did.
    The problem was, he hadn’t planned on this distraction. Not this weekend. He needed to focus on his upcoming meeting with one of his biggest clients.
    But no matter how busy things were, Lindsey’s situation wasn’t something he could dismiss. And neither was Lindsey.
    Taking a step back, he shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “You okay?”
    â€œYeah. The guy scared me to death, but he never made it inside the house.”
    â€œYou didn’t try to play superhero, did you?” Kyle asked, looking her straight in the eye.
    â€œAre you kidding?” She cocked her head and met his gaze. “I was heading for the front door before I hung up the phone with you. Unfortunately, I didn’t make a very graceful exit,” she said, a tinge of mischief in her voice.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” His interest was piqued.
    â€œI smashed into my father’s ten-gallon fish tank on my way out of the kitchen and knocked it over. Made enough noise to wake the dead.”
    â€œDid you hurt yourself?”
    â€œNo, but apparently the crash scared away the would-be thief.”
    â€œAnd the fish?”
    She hesitated briefly. “Dumped them in the toilet.”
    He shook his head in disbelief. “Wait a minute. You did what?”
    She shrugged, giving him one of her wide smiles. “What can I say? They’re freshwater African cichlids from Malawi. My father loves them.”
    Kyle didn’t try to stifle his laugh. “But you stuck them in the toilet?”
    â€œI know. It was a crazy, stupid reflex. They probably won’t make it, but what else was I supposed to do?”
    Two policemen stepped out of the house and took the steps leading down to the front yard. The tallest officer approached Lindsey, his fists planted solidly on his hips. “We’re finished inside, Miss Taylor. Were you planning to spend the night here?”
    â€œNo, sir. Like I said, I’d just dropped by to feed my father’s cat. Do you think it’s safe to leave the house empty?”
    â€œI’d board up the back window. That seems to be the only vulnerable place.”
    â€œI’ll help you,” Kyle offered. “Is there an alarm system in place?”
    Lindsey nodded. “Yes, I had it turned off while I was