Picture Perfect (Butler Island) by Nikki Rittenberry Read Free Book Online

him completely. He’d always been a large man and in the
nine years she’d been away, he’d obviously managed to expand his waist
circumference by more than a few inches.
    “I heard you were back in town and I
was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to stop by and see me!” Chief
placed his hands on her shoulders and took a step back. “Look at you—all grown up!
Hell, it seems like just yesterday you were sitting in the fire truck
pretending to drive!”
    “Yeah, it does…
I hope you’re hungry; I brought three dozen doughnuts from Anderson’s Bakery.”
    Chief smiled and then grabbed his
belly, giving his blubber a slight jiggle. “Are you kidding me?—I’m always
hungry!” Cupping his hand over his mouth, he continued in a hushed tone, “And
if by chance you happen to run into my wife, please be sure to exclude what I’m
about to do, okay?”
    Olivia watched as he picked up a
paper plate and eagerly piled four doughnuts on top before licking his
fingertips. No wonder he didn’t want Mrs. Handler to find out. He wasn’t eating the “breakfast of champions” ;
he was moments away from consuming a heart attack on a plate. “Don’t worry,
Chief, you’re secret is safe with me…”
    Chief Handler devoured his first
doughnut in roughly three bites and then turned to face Ty. “Everitt, I need to
speak with you in my office about the state fire marshal’s latest report.”
    “Alright Chief, I’ll be right there.”
Ty glanced toward Olivia and gave her a smirk. “If I’m not back in thirty
minutes—pull the fire alarm”, he whispered wryly before he turned and walked
away.
     
     
    “Should we save a few doughnuts for
Jarrod?” Tommy Carson asked.
    “C’mon, man. You
honestly think he’s gonna eat one?” Jimmy questioned.
    “Good point.”
    Olivia looked at the men surrounding
the doughnuts. “Okay—who’s Jarrod and why wouldn’t he want any doughnuts?”
    “Because, those things will kill ya…”
     Olivia turned around just as a tall,
lean, shirtless man emerged from the hallway. He’d obviously just completed a
workout: his wet, blonde hair falling across his forehead, his chest glistening
with sweat. His eyes were dark and mysterious. And they were currently gliding
across her body.
    “I don’t believe we’ve met yet. I’m
Olivia, Ty’s sister”, she said as she offered her hand.
    He replaced the lid to his water
bottle and gave it a firm twist before wiping his free hand on his shorts. He
then took a step toward her and shook her hand as he spoke. “Jarrod James. It’s
a pleasure…”
    Olivia removed her hand from his grip
and smiled. “How come I haven’t seen you before?”
    “Well, probably because I missed the
latest poker game and I was out of town last weekend for the Halloween party.”
    “Oh. Well, are you sure you don’t
want just one doughnut? Surely one won’t kill you!”
    “No thanks.” Jarrod turned away
toward the refrigerator and reached for a cup that resembled the size of a
bucket. He cracked five eggs into the cup, discarded the shells, and then added
several dashes of hot sauce before raising it to his lips. He threw back his
head and in one swift motion, swallowed the raw egg mixture. And as if his
choice of breakfast was the most natural thing in the world, he simply rinsed
his cup, turned around and headed back to the weight room.
    The room fell silent for several
moments before anyone spoke.
    “Sweet baby
Jesus”, she whispered. “That brings a whole new meaning to sunny-side up,
doesn’t it?” The remaining men in the room suddenly broke out in laughter.
She’d never seen anyone turn down one of Mr. Anderson’s doughnuts before—and
she’d certainly never witnessed consumption of a raw egg cocktail either. “Is
the stove broke or something?”
    And that’s when
she noticed. The entire kitchen looked different—newer. She’d been so caught up with visiting and then
meeting Jarrod, she hadn’t recognized there’d been