Time of Possession (Seattle Lumberjacks #5) Read Online Free PDF

bill.”
    “He’s hardly a stray.” Estie refused to
admit to anything, though she’d concede Sylvia had a point. Estie
had been bringing home stray animals for as long as she could
remember, and the sorrow in Brett’s eyes reminded her of a homeless
puppy begging for someone to love him, or at the least, give him a
pat on the head. Estie snorted at that thought.
    “So who is Parrot Man?” Sylvia sized her up
shrewdly, knowing there was more than she was saying.
    “Brett Gunnels.”
    “Ahhh. Shorter than you, isn’t he?” Sylvia
understood shorter men. In fact, she dated all sizes of men and
didn’t discriminate.
    Estie squirmed. “Not really, as long as I
don’t wear heels. Not that it matters.”
    “You like your heels. Wasn’t he the guy who
was in the military for four years right out of high school then
walked onto the Boise State team and made it?”
    “Yes.”
    Sylvia beamed like a proud mother. “I know
my football.”
    “That you do.” No one with a brain would
argue that point.
    “Brett Gunnels. Hmmm. Quiet guy, team
player, never causes trouble. Pretty much blends into the
background and flies under the radar.”
    “That’s him.”
    “You’re crushing on him.”
    “I am not.” Estie’s face burned with
embarrassment. She wasn’t. Not at all. She was an engaged woman.
Engaged women in control of their futures didn’t crush on teammates
of their brothers they’d met for a sum of five minutes.
    “Hey, it’s okay. You’re not dead. Nothing
wrong with window shopping, especially when you haven’t bought the
goods yet.” Sylvia grinned, showing perfect white teeth set off by
her brilliant red lipstick. Estie marveled at how put together her
friend looked no matter how many hours she’d worked. Estie cleaned
up well, but she didn’t always bother.
    “He’s on layaway, and I’m just about to whip
out the credit card and pay the final payment.”
    “Once you pay that price by putting your
signature on that wedding license, it’s done.”
    “I know,” Estie muttered, staring down at
her hands clasped in front of her.
    Besides, Brett Gunnels did not figure in her
long-term plans. Other than sharing her love of animals, she knew
very little about the quiet man who seemed to like to fade into the
background.
    Richard was the perfect complement to her
controlling, borderline OCD personality.
    And she’d keep telling herself that for as
long as it took.
    * * * * *
    Sunday morning Richard showed up at Estie’s
house to pick up his golf shoes he’d left behind the other night.
When she opened the door, he looked her up and down in her
Lumberjacks navy and gold and grimaced. Estie scowled right back.
Richard wasn’t into sports unless it was golf.
    She’d been friends with Richard so long she
couldn’t visualize life without him any more than she could without
her brother or sister, but was that any way to think of a future
husband? What about passion? What about mutual interests and
hobbies? What about needing him like she needed to breathe? Yes,
what about all that?
    Overrated, romantic crap, her practical self
insisted, not to mention messy. She hated messy. Richard was boring
said her suppressed wild side. But Richard had been her friend
through the worst of times. That was worth a lot. He’d been her
crutch when she’d most needed one after her father died, and her
defender to her ruthless, critical family. He was safe.
    “Let’s go golfing and spend some couple’s
time together. We rarely do that.”
    “I love football. You know that.” She
perched her hands on her hips and braced herself for yet another
argument regarding the value of professional sports.
    “Your brother isn’t playing, so why go?”
    “I told you. I love football.”
    Waking from his slumber as if on cue,
Dozer—her huge St. Bernard cross—made a dive for Richard. Estie
grabbed the large animal by the collar. Richard hated dog slobber,
and Dozer fancied himself a professional drooler. In fact,