Neighing with Fire: A Mystery (Colleen McCabe Series) by Kathryn O'Sullivan Read Free Book Online Page A

coffee?” she asked.
    “Coffee would be great,” he said and cut the engine.
    She exited and closed the door. Bill’s phone buzzed to life.
    “What’s up,” she heard him ask as she crossed to his side. Through the open window, she heard Rodney on the other end say something about speeding. “On my way,” Bill said and hung up.
    “You’ve got to go,” she said.
    “Some kids are racing motor scooters on Ocean Trail between Duck and Pine Island.”
    She shook her head. That stretch of the two-lane road was winding and had lush foliage from the wildlife preservation center on both sides, which made seeing around the bends difficult. If anything, it was best to slow down in that section.
    “I’m sorry you can’t come in,” she said, trying to hide her disappointment.
    “Me, too,” he said softly.
    Her cheeks flushed pink. These were the moments that were still awkward for them. When they were “just friends” she would have pounded the side of his vehicle and told him she’d see him later. Now all she wanted was for him to stay.
    “I gotta go,” he said, breaking the silence.
    “Be careful,” she said, then thought how stupid the comment was since it was unlikely he’d encounter danger from teenagers on scooters.
    Bill flashed a smile, leaned through the window to give her a kiss, got pulled back by his seat belt, and grazed her cheek with his lips. They chuckled at the uncomfortable moment. His phone buzzed again.
    “That’s probably Rodney,” she said. “Let me know if you hear anything more about Fuentes.”
    He nodded, started the engine, and maneuvered out of the driveway. She watched the emergency lights flash as he disappeared around the corner, then listened for his siren to kick on before going inside. One of these days, things aren’t going to be so awkward between us, she told herself.

 
    Chapter 4
    Sparky and Smokey stared intently at the two bowls of food in Colleen’s hands, prompting her to recall the twentieth-century philosopher Martin Buber’s saying, “An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” She wasn’t sure how “great” the language her furry friends were speaking to her right now was, but it was crystal clear.
    She set down the food—Fancy Feast Ocean Whitefish and Tuna for Smokey, Beneful Beef Stew for Sparky—and sank onto the kitchen floor, exhausted. She leaned against the refrigerator and observed her companions savoring their meals. Smokey briefly looked up while licking away a bit of food from her mouth, blinked a “thank you” to Colleen, and then returned to her dish. She rubbed the cat’s ears. Even though the chatty Siamese could annoy Colleen with her habits of sleeping on the dining table, jumping on the kitchen counter, and occasionally swiping at Colleen’s foot, Smokey was a loving kitty. And there was no sound she enjoyed more than listening to Smokey’s loud purr while falling asleep.
    Sparky slurped up his food and then ogled the cat’s dish. Colleen admired her canine companion’s intelligence and loyalty. Unlike other dogs, Sparky wasn’t prone to making fast friends with every dog he met. In fact, quite a few dogs annoyed him with their enthusiastic sniffing and jumping. It had surprised her when he had taken to the golden retriever on the beach this morning. He could be cautious with people, too, until he trusted them. He had even been guarded with Bill at first—hard to believe now given how much he enjoyed Bill being around since his return to town in March.
    Since Bill’s homecoming, she and he had been redefining what exactly they were to one another. She didn’t know why the transition felt so awkward. She had had boyfriends before, even lived with one. But this was different; Bill was different. He was her best friend. She didn’t want to mess that up. She suspected that he might be feeling the same, and it was for these reasons they had moments like the clumsy kiss good-bye.
    She had had to adjust to