The Fountain of Infinite Wishes (Dare River Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

cases.”
    “Yes, but I knew those two were going to be trouble for you the minute they walked in,” she told him, crossing her arms and staring at him with those determined hazel eyes of hers. “I’m going to help with this one, Vander, and you’re not going to stop me. You need a friend right now more than ever with August 30th approaching, and since you’re such a stubborn son of a bitch, I’m your best bet.”
    He cursed fluently, which only made her laugh.
    “You can change your mind and give me the case,” Charlie said, lifting her shoulder. “I promise to be gentle with the soft-hearted one.”
    This time he scoffed. “You couldn’t be gentle with a koala bear. Dammit, you know I can’t give up this case.”
    “I do,” she told him, patting his shoulder before walking to the door. “Aren’t you lucky I’m your best friend and don’t listen to you when you’re being a doofus?”
    He didn’t rise to the bait. “I’ll let the McGuiness women know we want to take a look into his family and see whether they’re up for it.”
    “I’ll sit in on the next meeting with you,” Charlie said, not posing it as a question.
    The door closed behind her petite frame before he could respond—just like she’d intended. It looked like he was going to have a partner on this one. Of course, the sisters might decide not to move ahead after learning the official trail was a dead end. But something in Shelby’s eyes told him she was ready to pursue the truth about her father as doggedly as he had tried to solve his own father’s case. After meeting her and her sister, he had to admit he was pretty happy to have Charlie’s support.
    Not that he’d ever tell her that.

Chapter 3
          

    Sadie was ridiculously worried Susannah might see through her lame gift. She’d made extra peach jam to help pacify the guilt she felt every time she thought about hiring Vander without her eldest sister’s blessing. Somehow telling J.P. she and Shelby had finally gone ahead and done it hadn’t soothed her none.
    Now she would have to join the rest of the family for their usual Sunday dinner and act like nothing was wrong. It was hard enough to lie at the best of times, which this wasn’t. Vander had called them a couple of hours after Friday’s meeting to say their daddy seemed to have disappeared without a trace. After the initial shock, Sadie and Shelby had confirmed with Vander that they wanted to dig deeper. J.P. had been supportive, thank God.
    But the questions hadn’t stopped racing through her head. How could anyone disappear like that? And why? Did it mean Daddy was dead?  
    Sadie headed into J.P.’s backyard, but while she’d gone around back in the hopes of getting a little more time to herself, Susannah stood there in the sun on the deck, her skin emitting a healthy glow. Heck, who could blame her—she and her husband, famous country-music star Jake Lassiter, were wrapped around each other. Susannah tugged away just enough to greet her, and Jake managed to kiss her cheek without letting go of his wife. She waved at the rest of the people lounging on the deck, and they returned the greeting before continuing their chatter, the melody of their voices blending together like the cicadas in the background.
    “I brought y’all some jam,” she said with a bright smile, thrusting the Mason jar out to Susannah.
    The lime-green ribbon blew in the breeze. “Peach,” Susannah said brightly. “Your favorite, honey.”
    “You’re my favorite,” Jake assured her before kissing her again.  
    It was something Sadie expected newlyweds should do, but it still embarrassed her a little. Kissing wasn’t the only thing they were doing, of course, and it was weird to think of one of her siblings having sex. Of course, J.P. and his wife were too.  
    Sadie tried not to think about it. In fact, she tried not to think about sex, period. What was the point when you were a good girl and not supposed to have any before