It Had to Be You Read Online Free PDF

phone from her hand, but then she surprised him again by holding him off with a hand to his chest. “However,” she said, “you’re mistaken about Detective Lieutenant Hanover being here…uh-huh…”
    She was getting an earful, he could tell. Ignoring the hand still on his chest—which was shockingly difficult to do—he motioned for her to hang the fuck up.
    “Uh-huh…”
    Again he reached for her, and again she pressed on his chest. “Hmm,” she said, reminding him he still had no idea what that meant. “Well, as I mentioned, he’s not here. Don’t call again.” She hung up and looked at Luke. “Interesting.”
    “A reporter,” he guessed.
    “Yes.”
    He let out a breath. “Thanks.”
    “No problem,” she said. “I’ve got lots of practice dodging callers. I honed the skill with bill collectors and various other annoyances for my mom. Had it down to a science before I knew my multiplication tables.”
    Luke braced himself for the inevitable questions that most anyone else would have asked, but she surprised him yet again.
    “I’ll get that phone line shut down for you before I go,” she said.
    “Thanks. Ali—”
    Someone knocked at the door, and he swore.
    “I’ll get it,” she said. She started to head out of the kitchen, but stopped to look at him. “I take it you’re still not here?”
    “Correct.”
    She looked at him for a beat, her eyes softening just a little before she vanished. He had no idea what that meant, but a minute later he heard the front door open.
    “Mr. Gregory,” she said, an obvious smile in her voice. “Everything okay?”
    In the kitchen, Luke swore again. Mr. Edward Gregory was the closest neighbor, a disarmingly sweet-looking old man who was actually about as sweet as a rattler.
    And once upon a time, for about three minutes, he’d been married to his grandma—which made him Luke’s biological grandfather. Not that Ali could possibly know that since he sincerely doubted Edward would have mentioned him. Luke hadn’t exactly done anything to be proud of in his grandfather’s eyes, unless one counted getting his sister sent to prison at age eighteen, and then two years later, letting his grandma die alone.
    Luke and Edward hadn’t spoken in a while, a long while. And for now, he intended to keep it that way.
    “Do you need help with the pot I started for you?” he heard Ali ask.
    What the hell?
    “No, I’m good,” Edward said. “I’m heading over to the senior center to take the whole crew to the buffet special.”
    Luke glanced out the kitchen window. Parked behind Ali’s truck was a big, white van with SENIOR CENTER DIAL-A-RIDE across the side. His grandfather was old enough to be in the damn center himself, or at least close to it, but apparently he was driving for them instead.
    “I saw an unfamiliar truck in the driveway,” Edward said. “Wanted to make sure you were okay.”
    Luke’s truck was two years old. No one here in Lucky Harbor would recognize it except Jack, but Edward Gregory was a wily, old fox. And Ali was clearly kind and caring and all kinds of gullible. She’d probably fall for it hook, line, and sinker and let the old man in.
    And wouldn’t that just make Luke’s day, having the confrontation that had been brewing for a decade, on top of everything else.
    “Oh, aren’t you sweet,” Ali said. “But I’m just fine, Mr. Gregory. Thank you so much for asking.”
    Was she actually protecting Luke? It’d been a while since he’d found himself in this position, needing help, and he didn’t know how to feel. He settled for uncomfortable and off balance.
    “You still having problems with that kitchen plumbing?” his grandfather asked.
    “Nope, it’s behaving now.”
    Luke looked into the kitchen sink. Yeah. She was definitely protecting him. It was totally clogged. And suddenly, so was his throat. Christ, he was tired. Tired and messed up.
    Ali and his grandfather continued to chitchat for what felt like ten years, but