Grave Delight (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 3) by Lily Harper Hart Read Free Book Online Page B

guys would fight it for at least another two months. I forgot to take your desperation into consideration.”
    Nick shot his brother a look. “You were in the pool?”
    “We all have to entertain ourselves the best way we can,” John said. “Now … drive. Now that I’ve mentioned eating down by the marina all I can think about is crab legs.”
    Unfortunately for Nick, all he could think about was something that he probably wasn’t going to get … at least not tonight.
     
    BLACKSTONE BAY is one of those small towns that has just about everything to offer – except progress. The storefronts are quaint, the side streets made out of cobblestone, and the water is expansive.
    In addition to the huge lake, the hamlet also offered various rivers, ponds and other smaller lakes to entice the local population. The town was a coveted destination in the summer and a quiet place to snowmobile, ski, and ice skate in the winter.
    It was a beautiful area, and one of the best spots to visit was Blackstone Marina. Most local denizens owned boats – even if they were small fishing boats – but a handful of the more affluent denizens rented slips at the marina for the summer months.
    “I haven’t been here in almost two years,” John admitted, striding down the impressive fishing pier and scanning the regulars with a smile. “I used to love coming here when we were kids.”
    “It’s nice,” Nick said, noncommittal. “I prefer the lake behind Maddie’s house, though. It’s more private.”
    John arched an eyebrow. “What have you two been doing in the lake?”
    Nick smiled. While sex had been off the menu, skinny-dipping had not. Nick had seen everything he was missing – on multiple occasions – and he was still annoyed it looked like he would be missing it again. He’d called Maddie, but she hadn’t picked up, so he’d been forced to leave a bittersweet message. He was hoping against hope she would go against her better nature and not understand. If she pitched a fit he’d have a reason to abandon his brother for the evening.
    “That’s an absolutely adorable smile,” John said, studying his brother. “I’m guessing the lake has been serving as your personal playground – especially with it being so hot lately.”
    Nick forced himself to return to the present. “We loved that lake long before we started dating.”
    “I remember,” John said. “I kept sneaking down there in the hopes I would catch you two doing something. Even when I came back for summers when I was in college I was sure I would finally find you two … doing something. Usually, I just found you catching turtles and talking. You two were the most boring teenagers ever.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Poor, baby brother,” John said, reaching over and snagging Nick’s cheek. “You’re just so under appreciated.”
    Nick jerked his cheek away. “I’ll have you know, we weren’t boring teenagers,” he said. “We had a great time together.”
    “I know you did,” John said. “You were still geeks.”
    “Don’t ever say anything bad about my Maddie,” Nick warned. “I don’t like it, and I’m going to have to beat you to a bloody pulp if you continue to do it.”
    “You’re so happy it’s sickening,” John said, smiling. “I’m happy for you.”
    “Thank you,” Nick said, averting his gaze. “I’m happy for me, too.”
    “So, when are you going to propose?”
    Nick shook his head, dumbfounded. “Seriously? We’ve been together for two weeks.”
    “You’ve been in love with her for your entire life.”
    Nick shrugged. “I’d propose right now,” he said. “She’s all I want. I don’t want to rush it, though. I want to be able to enjoy dating her. I want to enjoy moving in together. There’s no reason to hurry.”
    “Are you afraid she’s going to run again?”
    It was a serious question, and Nick had silently asked it more than once. The truth was, though, he wasn’t scared of that. He knew why Maddie ran the first