Here Comes Trouble Read Online Free PDF Page B

me, we've had our troubles and
our highlights."
    Quin got up and began pacing, at least as much
as he could while stooping to avoid the ceiling. He
lifted the brick they'd used to hide notes for each
other and looked inside. "No mail, I see."
    "I'm sure you get plenty of mail at home."
    He shrugged again and it occurred to her what
he reminded her of. A caged panther. He'd filled
out since leaving home, muscle and tendon bulking out a frame that had once been too slender. Each of his movements now was lithe, graceful in
a masculine yet catlike way.

    Stella felt sorry for him a moment. He must find
Littlemouth confining.
    He stilled. Tensed. "I've been doing a lot of
thinking since I arrived."
    "Don't overtax that brain of yours."
    He caught her gaze. "When did we stop being
best friends, Stell? I've missed our friendship. I've
missed you."
    She didn't know what to say. It was such old
history, a childhood friendship that couldn't stand
the test of time. "It was inevitable, I suppose. We
grew up."
    "You told me I was neglecting you for my other
friends. Kids who were fast, running with the
wrong crowd. Is that what did it?"
    Stella shrugged. "I was jealous. I did feel neglected, left by the wayside. But we were kids,
Quin, going through the normal pangs of growing
up. I don't see how it could have been any different."
    "You're right, of course. Have you had any dinner?"
    Stella shook her head.
    "Come out with me. I'm looking for an excuse
to avoid another home-cooked meal. My mother
is driving me nuts."
    Stella laughed. "You intend to take up where we left off, don't you? You used to say the same
sort of thing as a kid."

    "Some things never change. Now Mom thinks
I'm an invalid. She keeps trying to force-feed me
chicken soup. I swear, I'm beginning to sprout
feathers. Let's go grab a hamburger."
    "I'm not dressed to go out."
    "You look great. Come on. Please?"
    He'd always been able to talk her into anything,
even when common sense told her better. "Let me
change my shirt."
    Quin waited outside while she changed. He'd
come expressly to talk her into going to dinner
with him and he was pleased she'd agreed. Ever
since he'd seen her the day before, he hadn't been
able to get her out of his mind.
    She didn't seem broken-hearted over the break
up with Dexter, but even if she was, would she
reveal it? Stella had always been the quiet, contemplative type. He suspected she felt things more
deeply than most people, certainly more deeply
than he did.
    He had a hard time believing someone as smart
and inquisitive as Stella wanted to live forever in
one place. She had to long for travel and new experiences.
    It wasn't that Littlemouth was such a bad place. It was a great small town. But surely she wanted
to explore more of what the world had to offer?

    She made him laugh not only at the world but
at himself. It was a unique gift. Quin grinned. So
she thought he was some kind of adventurer in
search of the next lark. She wasn't far wrong, at
least until recently.
    He wasn't sure when he'd become dissatisfied,
but it was there, lurking below his consciousness.
He hadn't been concerned over it. His job kept
him too busy for much self-examination.
    Now he had this time off, though, it kept swimming closer and closer to the surface. Trust Stella
to acknowledge it before he had.
    "Okay," she said as she came outside holding
his leather jacket. "Thanks for lending it to me."
    The sight of her stopped his breath. Technically,
he supposed, she wasn't beautiful, but to him she
was the quintessential female. When she smiled,
he wanted to strut like a peacock showing all his
feathers.
    The sight of her had always stopped his breath.
She was so pretty in an understated way. She had
the fairest complexion he'd ever seen. Just a few
small freckles scattered over her nose, like saffron
sprinkled on white rice. Her hair was the rich dark
red his mother called auburn, but whenever he saw
cherrywood