Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts Read Free Book Online Page B

Nell Channing might not have been looking for trouble, but she wasn’t a stranger to it.

    Nell served apple turnovers and lattes to the young couple by the window and then cleared an adjoining table. A trio of women were browsing the stacks, and she suspected they’d be lured into the café section before long.
    With her hands full of mugs, she loitered by the window. The ferry was arriving from the mainland, chased by gulls that circled and dived. Buoys bobbed in a sea that was soft and green today. A white pleasure boat, sails fat with wind, skimmed along the surface.
    Once she’d sailed on another sea, in another life. It was one of the few pleasures she took from that time. The feel of flying over the water, rising on waves. Odd, wasn’t it, that the sea had always called to her? It had changed her life. And had taken it.
    Now, this new sea had given her another life.
    Smiling at the thought, she turned and bumped solidly into Zack. Even as he took her arm to steady her, she was jerking back. “I’m sorry. Did I spill anything on you? I’m clumsy, I wasn’t watching where—”
    â€œNo harm done.” He hooked the fingers of one hand through two mug handles and, careful not to touch her again, took them from her. “I was in your way. Nice boat.”
    â€œYes.” She sidestepped, hurried back to the counter, behind it. She hated having anyone come up behind her. “But I’m not getting paid to watch boats. Can I get you anything?”
    â€œTake a breath, Nell.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œTake a breath.” He said it gently as he set the mugs on the counter. “Get yourself steady again.”
    â€œI’m fine.” Resentment pricked through her. She clanged mugs together as she scooped them off the counter. “I didn’t expect to have anyone hulking around behind me.”
    His lips twitched. “That’s better. I’ll take one of those turnovers and a large coffee to go. Did you finish your planting?”
    â€œNearly.” She didn’t want to talk to him, so she busied herself with the coffee. She didn’t want to have the island cop making friendly conversation and watching her out of those sharp green eyes.
    â€œMaybe you can make use of this when you’re finishing up and tending to your flowers.” He laid a bag on the counter.
    â€œWhat is it?”
    â€œGarden tool.” He counted out his money, set that on the counter as well.
    She wiped her hands on her apron, scowled. But curiosity pushed her into opening the bag. Baffled humor lit her eyes as she studied the perfectly ridiculous rolled-brim straw hat. Foolish fake flowers danced around the crown.
    â€œThis is the silliest hat I’ve ever seen.”
    â€œOh, there were sillier,” he assured her. “But it’ll keep the sun from burning your nose.”
    â€œIt’s very considerate of you, but you shouldn’t—”
    â€œAround here it’s called being neighborly.” The beeper on his belt signaled. “Well, back to work.”
    She managed to wait until he was halfway down the steps before she snatched the hat and dashed into the kitchen to try it on in the reflection of the stove hood.

    Ripley Todd poured herself another cup of coffee and sipped it while looking out the front window of the station house. It had been a quiet morning, and that was just the way she liked it.
    But there was something in the air. She was doing her best to ignore it, but something was in the air. It was easier to tell herself it was overstimulation from the week she’d spent in Boston.
    Not that she hadn’t enjoyed herself. She had. The law enforcement workshops and seminars had interested her, given her food for thought. She liked police work, the routine and detail of it. But the demands and chaos of the city wore on her, even in that short a time.
    Zack would’ve said it was simply that she didn’t like