Free Falling by Debra Webb Read Free Book Online Page B

head, though she knew it was a
lost cause. “I’m not alone. I have housemates. Don’t forget Alex
and Emily.”
    “They don’t count. You need a man,” he
informed her in his best I’m-the-law-and-you’d-better-listen
voice.
    The rumbling sound of a Harley touched Free’s
ears. She smiled when Lance came into view. “Why would I need a
man?” she said sweetly. “I already have one and there he comes
right now.”
    Phil shot a disgusted look at the hunk of
black and chrome Lance straddled. “ He sure as hell don’t
count.”
    Lance shut the noisemaker off and flipped the
cigarette he’d finished. Tall and lean, he made a fairly imposing
figure in faded jeans, tattered T-shirt and leather biker boots.
The numerous tattoos lent a definitely intimidating quality to his
image. He rubbed a hand over his cropped blond hair as he sauntered
across the unkempt yard. Twenty-one, Free mused, and full of
himself.
    “What up, bro?” Lance slapped Phil on the
back, removed his mirrored sunglasses and winked at Free.
    She bit her lip to prevent the smile that
struggled to surface. “You’re late,” she informed him flatly.
    Lance hinted at a shrug, “What can I say? I
had a long night.” He grinned sheepishly, then reached for her tool
bag.
    “I have to get going,” Phil put in quickly.
He didn’t much like Lance and made no bones about it. He glanced
back at her briefly before he took off. “I almost forgot. We’ve had
some reports of vagrants hanging around these old houses. You watch
out for yourself. Most of ‘em are harmless, but you never
know.”
    “We’ll be fine,” Free assured him.
    Lance draped an arm around her shoulders.
“Don’t sweat it, Officer Gerard, I’ll take real good care of her,”
he said suggestively. Free jabbed her helper in his ribs. His
answering grunt satisfied her flare of irritation.
    “Somehow, Lance, that’s not reassuring at
all,” Phil said bluntly. “One more thing.” He focused back on Free.
“If you run into any of those vagrants, don’t give them any money.
Hell, you’ve given away a fortune in the last three years. Think
about yourself for a change.”
    Free saluted stiffly. “Yes, sir!” She giggled
when Lance followed suit.
    Phil shook his head and rolled his eyes. “God
bless the simple-minded and foolish,” he said, casting a
long-suffering look in Free’s direction. He opened his car door,
then paused. “I guess I didn’t see your helmet, Lance.”
    Lance stiffened. “I…ah…took it off while you
weren’t looking.”
    “Yeah, right.” Phil shook his head before
settling behind the wheel of his car.
    When he had driven away, Lance turned to
Free. “Where did you want me to start, boss lady?”
    Free batted his hand away when he tugged at
the bill of her cap. “I’ve told you not to call me that.”
    “Sorry, honey,” he offered.
    Free drew herself up to her full five foot
six inches and still she was nearly a foot shorter than this lanky
kid. She folded her arms over her chest and arched one eyebrow.
“Excuse me?”
    “Just kidding,” he said quickly. “Where did
you want me to start?” he repeated.
    Free thought about that for a moment. She and
Lance had already taken what little could be salvaged from the
other two houses. She had completed her inventory of what this last
place had to offer a few days ago, and it really wasn’t that much
either. All they had to do was remove a few items and load up.
    That part always made her sad. It reminded
her of the old movies she had watched where some high-ranking
officer would strip the rank off the sleeves of some unfortunate,
wrongly accused soldier. She shuddered inwardly. Oh, well, it had
to be done. Better to be by her than someone who didn’t care.
    “Oh, shoot!” Free rubbed the ache beginning
in her forehead. She had completely forgotten to drop off the last
of Julius’s wainscoting. How had she forgotten those final pieces?
Mac’s handsome mug flitted through her mind briefly.