No Sunshine When She's Gone Read Online Free PDF Page A

with leather and covered with travel stickers. Two brass buckles closed the case.
    The remainder of her clothes hadn’t been wrinkled, so she hadn’t bothered to hang them up. She’d been known to live out of a suitcase for months on end. While she felt grounded with her career, she was still flighty in her personal life. A full satchel gave her a sense of freedom. She could pick up and leave at any time. She didn’t do permanence well. She never had.
    She enjoyed dining alone. She valued time to herself. She’d wanted to experience Barefoot William, and had chosen a restaurant within walking distance. It had felt good to stretch her muscles.
    She blinked when Aidan snapped his fingers near her nose. “You’re drifting on me,” he said to move her along. “You arrived in town, then what?”
    “I ate dinner at Steamers,” she said, “the same restaurant as Lila and Roger. They were seated moments after me. Their booth backed mine.”
    The clam shack had a seafaring ambiance. Fishermen’s netting stretched across the ceiling, and enormous boat anchors, oceanic photos, and street signs— LOBSTER CROSSING and BLUE CRAB WAY —decorated the walls. Hurricane lamps lighted the dining room. Scents of garlic and butter had whetted her appetite.
    “I ordered seafood chowder and blackened sea bass,” she told him. “The food was excellent.”
    Aidan wasn’t interested in her menu choices. He tapped his watch, telling her to speed things up. She skipped the fact she’d had key lime pie for dessert.
    “I hadn’t planned on eavesdropping on Roger and Lila’s conversation,” she recalled, “but Lila doesn’t know how to whisper. Her voice rose when she mentioned your name.”
    Jill had perked up when she’d heard Aidan Cates’s name. He was one of her contacts in Barefoot William. His reputation preceded him, so she knew more about him than he knew about her. He wouldn’t like that fact. She could tell he preferred the upper hand.
    His construction company had been hired to build the Richmond Rogues Spring Training Facility. Her boss had indicated Aidan was the best commercial builder in the business. Aidan had traveled to Richmond, where he’d spoken with James Lawless, owner and CEO of the team.
    Gossip among the women in the front office hinted that he was handsome and single with an engaging smile. Jill had only seen him snarl.
    “What did Lila say about me?” he prodded.
    “It’s hurtful,” she warned.
    “I’m a big boy. I can handle it. I want the truth.”
    That was fine by her. “Lila said that she was dating you, but was in love with Roger.”
    His expression was unreadable. “Go on,” he said.
    She did so. “Roger very calmly told Lila that he cared about her, but he didn’t love her. Lila lost it. She tossed a glass of ice water at him, and then threatened to marry you within a month. She stormed off. Roger started to follow her, but didn’t take more than a few steps. He returned to his booth, wiped his face with a napkin, and ordered coffee and a piece of honey mango cake.”
    Jill had watched Lila leave in a swirl of black satin and clicking high heels. The spicy scent of her perfume had lingered. Roger had worn a tan suit. They’d both been overdressed for such a casual restaurant. The other customers sported T-shirts and jeans. Sandals and sneakers.
    “That covers last night,” said Aidan. “What about today?”
    She picked up with, “I was on the boardwalk, checking out the shops and the psychic fair like everyone else.”
    The readings had looked like fun, but Jill wasn’t one to stand in long lines. She was too impatient. Besides, she liked her future to unfold one day at a time. She wasn’t in a rush. She didn’t need anyone predicting her tomorrows.
    “I was barefoot,” she added. She’d left her beaded disc sandals in her car. “More than one person stepped on my toes, so I sat down to rest at the first free table.”
    Once seated, she’d wished that the wooden