The Scarlett Legacy (Woodland Creek) Read Online Free PDF Page A

off things, he says.
    Evie’s fingers tingled as she swiftly left campus.
    The words in her text message from her brother, Wes said it all.
    Hugh Prince is dead .
    If she didn’t get away before the news was out to the public, she’d be bombarded with questions, odd looks, or worse.
    Evie could barely breathe when she reached her car.
    Hugh Prince is dead.
    She couldn’t stop repeating those four words in her head.
    She squeezed her eyes shut.
    Wes wasn’t kidding. They really did it.
    The man that killed their father was dead.
    Now we are even, she thought.
    Right?
     
     
     

 
    “ARE YOU SURE you’re okay?” Quinn watched Evie as she stepped out of her afternoon shift at Carter’s Books and Gifts.
    Evie nodded, offering a half-hearted smile to her best friend. They met up every Friday after her shift for coffee.
    “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”
    “Crazy that he just died in his holding cell. From a freaking spider bite! How does that even happen?”
    Evie shrugged.
    You’d be surprised what could happen when you’re on my family’s bad side.
    Quinn adjusted her red-rimmed glasses as she gazed at the gray sky. “It’s about to storm.”
    Evie smoothed her wavy black hair down. “Well, let’s hurry over to Geek Beans.”
    “Sure. I can’t stay out late tonight. I have to study for my Physics test.”
    “Okay. I can’t stay late either,” Evie said as they made their way down Albrecht Street.
    Quinn shook her head with an annoyed grunt. “You’re so lucky you chose English instead of biology. My physics class is killing me.”
    “You’re right. I’m a writer. I’ll stick to the words.”
    “How about you write me an excuse from my exam,” Quinn said with a sigh.
    “I wish I could.”
    Another wind brushed her hair across her face. A cool droplet of rain splashed on her nose. “Let’s hurry. I just felt a drop!”
    Evie was glad she wore her ankle boots as they ran the rest of the way. A man held the door to Geek Beans open for them, and they hurried inside.
    “Thanks,” Quinn said as she pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail. A loud crash of thunder made her jump. “Whew. Close one.”
    Evie’s eyes scanned the coffee shop for a seat somewhere discreet.
    Geek Beans was one of the coolest places in town. Inside it felt like they weren’t in Woodland Creek. Appropriately named, all of her fellow geeks could hang out in a judgment free zone. With colorful tables that didn’t quite match, hanging plants, colorful artwork, and everyone with their tablets and laptops, it felt as if they were in a quaint coffee shop in Soho or something.
    One day Evie would see Soho. She’d see the world and would forget this small town.
    “What are you wearing to the Halloween party?”
    Evie shrugged. “I haven’t thought about it yet. What about you?”
    She breathed in the room’s delightful scent of roasted coffee beans, cinnamon, and apples. The low hum of chatter mixed with the sound of a guitar playing.
    “Naughty nurse. Get it? Since I’m going to be a registered nurse,” Quinn said, nudging her.
    Evie nodding, only half listening. She turned to see who was playing. Her eyes locked with the musician the moment she found him. It was as if he’d been watching her.
    “Whoa,” Evie said under her breath. She couldn’t look away.
    Something about him left her frozen in place. He had a familiar face, but she couldn’t place where she’d seen him before.
    This was Woodland Creek, Indiana, where everyone knew everyone.
    He strummed the guitar strings with grace. His voice made the hairs on her skin rise as he sang along to the guitar. She couldn’t look away. It was as if he held her captive in a spell.
    With striking green eyes, tanned skin, and hair cut low on both sides and long on the top he looked like a model from a magazine. Within seconds, she imagined herself running her hands through his rich red colored hair while they kissed in the rain.
    Evie felt her cheeks flush and