Shifting Gears Read Online Free PDF Page A

already felt some of the tension that he carried around with him at all times ebbing from his body.
    Mom had stood up, too, waiting for Grady to come give her a hug and a kiss hello. When Annabelle stepped away, though, it took him a tick too long to move toward his mother, and from the look in Mom’s eyes as he pulled away from that hug, she’d noticed.
    Great. He loved his mother, but he didn’t need her getting any ideas. If he thought her friends were bad when it came to nagging him about getting married, Mom was even worse.
    Not that it mattered, anyway. Annabelle was already taken.
    Wait. Why was she back here for the first time in seven years? She hadn’t even been able to make it to her own father’s funeral. Grady hadn’t seen her since before her wedding …
    His eyes flew to her left hand.
    No ring.
    Aw, hell. Poor Annabelle. What had that guy done to her? Ron? No—Don. Donnie. He was an idiot. No sane man would ever let a woman like Annabelle go.
    Just like you did?
    Damn. He had to be going crazy. Letting her go? He’d never had Annabelle in the first place.
    Exactly.
    But the possessive feeling wasn’t going away. If anything, it was only getting stronger.
    â€œThis is a nice surprise,” Mom said, thankfully bringing his mind back to reality. “What brings you out here like this?” She gestured for him to sit—in the chair right next to Annabelle. “Sit down and tell me what’s going on and I’ll bring you some of Annabelle’s pie.”
    He barely managed to suppress a snort at the way his brain turned that into an innuendo, but all he could think about was how he was going to sit all up close to Annabelle and eat her pie. His dirty mind was working overtime, and he made the mistake of looking over at Annabelle as he said, “I’m sure it’s mouthwatering.”
    Their eyes met and her cheeks flushed, and the realization that she might be thinking of his words in the same way he was hit him in the gut like a cannonball. While lower, he was raising an eager flag, so to speak.
    Annabelle Murray, thinking sex thoughts?
    He shook it off. No. Couldn’t be. There was no way her mind was in the gutter like his. She’d always been so proper, definitely not the kind of person who would make everything about sex. He must be imagining too much. She’d probably blushed because she was being complimented.
    Except … the way she blushed drew his attention to her neck, to the pulse point there and the delicate skin that shifted when she turned her head had him thinking that she was so damned sexy. And she smelled good. And her lips were really plump and pink and—
    â€œ Sit, Grady.” Mom sounded exasperated, and he blinked in surprise, realizing he was simply standing next to the empty chair.
    He sat, lacing his fingers together on top of the table so he’d have something to focus on other than Annabelle.
    â€œActually, I wasn’t planning to stay very long. I came by to talk to you about something, but it can wait.” He purposely didn’t look at Annabelle when he spoke, but she still took it as a hint.
    â€œOh, gosh, please pardon me. I’ve imposed long enough, and I have to be getting back.” She started to rise, but Mom tsked and shook her head.
    â€œNo, Annabelle. Don’t mind Grady. He interrupted an important conversation. If anyone is going to leave, it’s going to be him.”
    Grady watched as the two women exchanged significant looks. What had they been talking about before he’d arrived? What had he interrupted? Did this have anything to do with the fact that Annabelle wasn’t wearing her wedding ring?
    â€œHey, I get it. I’ll leave. I didn’t mean—”
    â€œWell, now that you drove all this way, we can hardly ask you to go, either,” Mom interrupted. “Just share your news in front of Annabelle. She’s practically family,