She Can Kill (She Can Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

then it was time to reevaluate his decisions. “But you have to promise not to keep secrets from me. I would have liked to have seen you win this afternoon.”
    Her head bobbed. “I’m sorry. Next time I promise to tell you. But you have to promise me the same thing.”
    “And there will be consequences for signing my name on that document. Except for babysitting and taking care of Snowman, you are grounded for a month.”
    “OK.” She didn’t seem upset by her punishment. Her happy chatter filled the car—and his heart—during the short drive to Sarah’s house. This was the reason he hadn’t moved. Lucia was flourishing here. The only thing tainting the beauty of the afternoon was the knowledge that he could never be totally honest with his daughter.
    Secrets could be deadly, but he knew how easily the truth could also kill.

CHAPTER FOUR
    The stuffed kangaroo on the foyer floor nearly brought Sarah to tears. One marble, brown eye stared up at her, forlorn. Threadbare patches and a lumpy body attested to her three-year-old’s attachment. Em dragged that animal everywhere, but she’d refused to take it with her today.
    Hoppy might be scared.
    Were Em and her five-year-old sister, Alex, as nervous as Sarah? Work had been a welcome distraction. Her job as a sous chef for the Main Street Inn kept her busy, but now that she was home again, she could think of nothing else. Today was her ex-husband’s first court-ordered unsupervised visitation with their two small daughters. They should be home safe any minute. But every Tuesday and Thursday, plus entire alternate weekends, this was her new reality.
    Looping the convenience store bag handles over her wrist, she stepped over the threshold and dropped her keys on the hall table. Her little black-and-tan spaniel mix, Bandit, hopped on his back legs, greeting her like a wagging, furry pogo stick. He put his front feet on her thigh and let her stroke his head. When his paws dropped to the floor, she bent and picked up the kangaroo. She held it toward the dog. “Did you bring this down from Em’s room?”
    At the sound of Emma’s name, Bandit ran to the storm door and looked out the glass. He glanced back at Sarah and barked.
    “Sorry, buddy. The girls aren’t with me.” Pulling off her gloves, Sarah went to the kitchen and stowed the milk in the refrigerator. Out of habit, she plucked the receipt from the bottom of the plastic bag and smoothed it between her fingers. She stopped mid-motion. She no longer had to submit receipts to justify every penny she spent. With a deliberate curl of her fist, she crumpled the slip of paper and dropped it into the garbage can. If the house had a fireplace, she would have burned it in a more symbolic gesture.
    She stood in the center of the kitchen, lost. The girls should be here, washing up, helping her make a simple dinner. The kitchen was too small for a table, but Em should be kneeling on her stool at the counter, hugging Hoppy and decompressing from daycare while Alex gave Sarah a detailed rundown of her entire day from drop-off to pickup. The house was too quiet without her oldest’s constant chatter.
    The dog cocked his head in question. She scratched behind his ears. “I’m not used to silence, and I’m sure you need to go out. Let’s wait for the girls outside.” Anything was better than sitting inside alone, waiting and worrying. She went back to the door, lifted the leash off the wall hook, and snapped it onto his collar.
    Her phone vibrated in her coat pocket. She fished it out and read the display. Troy.
    Her heart rattled. Something had happened to the girls. Terrible possibilities reeled through her mind. Fear clamped around her lungs. She pushed the Answer button with a shaky finger. “What’s wrong?”
    “Where are you?” Anger radiated through the connection.
    She froze, startled by the hostility in his tone. “Is something wrong with the girls, Troy?”
    “I want to know where you’ve been.”
    Sarah