That Thing You Do (Whispering Bay Romance Book 1) (Volume 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

enough light from the nearby road that he could see her cheeks were flushed. A result from her line of questioning? Or had she been affected by his touch? The same way he’d been affected by touching her.
     Rusty came back from his cruiser looking like he’d swallowed a hornet. “Um, Allie, did you know your license has been suspended?”
    “ What ? No.” She laughed nervously. “Run it again, Rusty.”
    “I already did,” he said miserably. “Three times.”
    “But that’s impossible. I’d know if my license was suspended, wouldn’t I?”
    “Not exactly. Happens all the time. Think back. Youget stopped by a cop recently?”
    “No—well, I did take a right on a red illegally. But the sign was so out of the way, I mean, really, anyone would have been confused. And the cop was just so dang nasty. Not nice, like you would have been, Rusty.” Rusty rewarded her flattery with a smile. “I gave him my license but I couldn’t find my proof of insurance, but…I mean, I do have insurance andI told him that, but he still tacked on another fine. I paid the ticket so everything should be cool. Right?”
    “Did you go to the courthouse and show them your insurance papers?” Tom asked.
    She pressed her lips into a tight line.
    Rusty took off his cap and scratched the top of his head. “There’s the problem.”
    “All right, well, I can take care of that when I get back to Tampa.”
    Rusty went silent. Tom had a bad feeling he knew exactly where this was going. Allie must have, too, because she laughed again, sounding even more nervous than before. “You’re not going to arrest me, are you?”
    “No, no, not gonna arrest you. But I can’t let you drive, Allie.”
    “Oh, come on! This is ridiculous. You know me, Rusty. I’m not some criminal.”
    “Sure, sure, of coursenot. But I can’t bend the rules just because you’re the boss’s little sister. I’m real sorry, Allie.”
    Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “It’s not your fault, Rusty.” She glanced at the VW bug parked in the center of the parking lot. “How am I supposed to move my car if I can’t drive?”
    “Golly, Allie, I sure would like to help you with that, but with Zeke gone, I’m in charge and I’m theonly patrol car on this side of town tonight. Can’t let down the citizens of Whispering Bay. They’re all counting on me.”
    “You can move your car in the morning,” Tom said.
    Rusty nodded his head in agreement. “Good plan.” Then he frowned, like he just realized the other part of Allie’s predicament. “You’re staying at Zeke’s tonight, right? I bet Tom wouldn’t mind giving you a ride.”
    “I can walk,” she blurted, looking horrified by Rusty’s suggestion.
    “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” Tom said. Without asking her permission, he went to her car and pulled the suitcase from the backseat. “This all you got?”
    The struggle on her face was clear. Walk two miles in the middle of the night or get a ride with him. She might not like him but she wasn’t dumb. Withoutsaying another word, Allie Grant locked up her car then climbed into the front seat of his pick-up truck.

T he horror of her current situation was not lost on her. For the first time in twelve years, Allie was completely alone (as clichéd as it sounded) with The One Who Got Away. Or rather, The One Who Ran Away, tossing pieces of her broken heart along the highway.
    Okay, so maybe that was a tad bit dramatic.
    She watched Tom Donalan out of the corner of her eye. His big hands grippedthe steering wheel—strong, and masculine, and…lovely. It was an odd trio of words to describe a man, but there it was. Tom was gorgeous. Always had been. And probably always would be, no matter how much Ben and Jerry’s she overdosed on.
    Allie forced her attention to the road in front of them. She had no business thinking about his hands. Or any other part of him. He was a Class A jerk. Bestnot to forget that.
    She settled back in the truck’s