Read It and Weep (A Library Lover's Mystery) by Jenn McKinlay Read Free Book Online Page B

Brian hissed.
    If he had shouted the words, it would have been less scary, but his quiet assuredness made the hair on Lindsey’s neck stand up. She had no doubt he meant what he said.

7
    A crash sounded from backstage, and Lindsey jumped out of the closet to make sure Brian hadn’t done anything so stupid as to harm Robbie.
    She saw a door slam at the end of the stage and a curtain swirled nearby. The men appeared to have stormed off, for which she was grateful, given that she didn’t want to face either of them.
    Sully was standing near the closet, looking at a piece of set that appeared to have toppled over.
    “Oops,” he said.
    “Breaking up some tension?” she asked.
    He shrugged.
    “So,” he said.
    “So,” she replied.
    They were both quiet. Sully looked like he wanted to say something, but naturally he didn’t. Lindsey refused to be the one who breached the chasm between them. As far as she was concerned, he had done the breaking up, so it was his responsibility to do the making up.
    “Did you find what you need?”
    “I did.” Awkward would be an understatement for the tension between them. Lindsey gestured to the piece of scenery, “Need a hand?”
    “That would be great. Thanks,” he said.
    They moved so they were on opposite sides of the canvas framed on the wood. Together they hefted it up and propped it against the wall. Lindsey wiped her hands on her jeans.
    “Lindsey, listen,” Sully said.
    She glanced at him and felt her chest tighten. Was he finally going to admit that breaking up was a bad idea? What should she do if he did? She wanted to throw herself at him, but figured it would be better to try to keep cool at least a little. It was really hard, though, with his brilliant-blue eyes looking at her as if . . . as if . . . hmm. As if he was about to say something she wasn’t going to like.
    “What is it?” she asked.
    “You should probably steer clear of Robbie Vine,” he said.
    “And why’s that?” she asked. Even to her own ears, her voice sounded so frosty she was surprised snowflakes didn’t fly out of her mouth when she spoke.
    “He’s married, for starters,” Sully said.
    “I know.”
    “And he has a girlfriend,” Sully continued.
    “I know that, too.”
    “And you’re okay with that?” He looked as outraged as if she’d just taken up spitting in public.
    “I don’t think it’s any of my business,” she said. “Or yours either, for that matter.”
    Sully clapped both of his hands to his head as if he was trying to keep his hair on. In all the time Lindsey had known him, she’d never seen him lose his cool. She realized it was sort of nice to see the Captain feeling an excess of emotion.
    “Was that all?” she asked.
    He goggled at her as if he couldn’t believe his ears.
    “Yes,” he said.
    “I’ll see you around then.” She turned and headed back into the closet to retrieve her materials.
    “No, wait!” His voice was reluctant as if the words were being forced out of him at gunpoint.
    “Yes?”
    “I really think you shouldn’t get involved with him, Lindsey,” he said.
    She wasn’t sure what made her do it. Maybe it was just a frustrated need to get through his thick emotional skin. But she turned and stepped toward him until they were just inches apart.
    She raised one eyebrow in what she hoped was a challenging expression and asked, “Why not?”
    Sully seemed rendered speechless by her nearness, and she took a certain amount of comfort in knowing that he felt the attraction snapping between them just as strongly as she did.
    Lindsey stared at the handsome face so close to hers. She loved that face. Not because it was handsome, although it was, but because it was such an honest face, so full of humor, intelligence and kindness. She had missed that face terribly over the past few months. And now, if his full lips could just form the words telling her how he felt then maybe, maybe, they would stand a chance.
    He reached out and tucked