Ready To Burn (Due South Book 3) by Tracey Alvarez Read Free Book Online Page B

come work here.”
    Del leveled a stare at his brother. He’d need to work more on his poker face because West wasn’t buying it. Maybe a partial truth would convince him rather than an outright lie.
    “I didn’t take a leave of absence. Me, the owner, and the head chef had different ideas on where Cosset should be heading, so I walked.”
    “You quit? You told me you fought like a bloody lunatic to get a job there.” West’s surprise changed to a frown and a speculative eye narrowing. “When I told you I was getting hitched, you mentioned a woman you were seeing—Jacy? Julia? The owner’s daughter. Is she the reason?”
    “Jessica—and no, she’s not the reason.” Okay, forget partial truth. This time he needed to employ a bald-faced lie. “Things didn’t work out, but we parted friends.”
    Although maintaining a friendship with his brain-injured ex-girlfriend now residing in an expensive, long-term care facility bordered on impossible.
    “You got another job lined up?” West walked to the sliding doors and tugged the drapes closed. “Back in LA?”
    “I’ve got a couple offers to think about.” His nose would shoot out five inches any second.
    “I’m assuming you’re going to stay after the evening’s drama?”
    “Drama doesn’t worry me, and Shaye had good reason to be offended. She’ll come around; it’s not as if I’ll be permanently stepping on her toes.”
    “She’ll come around?” West gave him a grim smile. “Have you forgotten what the Harland women are like?” He shook his head and stared out the window. “Man, I still can’t believe you’re here.”
    “I still can’t believe you eat frozen pizza.” Del kept his tone light. “Now piss off, so I can have a shower.”
    West laughed. “You’ll believe it after you taste Piper’s home-made version.” He swaggered out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
    Del stared after his brother a moment longer, his accumulated travel grime making him feel less dirty than the half-truths he’d told. He wasn’t being completely honest about his motivations in helping out with the family business, but he’d still work his ass off training up Ms. Harland and getting Due South on track.
    For the short term.
     
    ***
     
    Holly, Shaye’s bestie since forever, flung open the door to her second floor apartment. “What did he do, and how much are we gonna hurt him?”
    Shaye, still in her shopping clothes, which looked worse for wear with sweat stains soaked through the fine cotton fabric of her shirt, stood on Holly’s doorstep. She’d taken off like a competitive speed walker after leaving Due South, heading non-stop to Holly’s place.
    “You’ve heard about him already?”
    “Him who? Spill.” Holly fisted a hand on her bare waist. Above her tight skinny jeans, the wink of her belly button ring sparkled in the last rays of sunlight. “Because I know it’s a guy. You’ve got that I’m gonna set fire to someone’s balls look on your face.”
    “I have?” Shaye blinked.
    Oh, right. She’d little ability to mask her emotions, like, say, Piper, who often cleaned up on the poker nights they gate-crashed with the guys.
    “Damn. I guess I have. Well, Del Westlake is who I’m talking about. The jerk.”
    “ Del Westlake?” Holly parroted but stepped back. “You’d better come in. I’m assuming you want chocolate.”
    “Yes to the power of hell, yeah.” Shaye toed off her shoes and followed her friend inside, wrinkling her nose at the chemicals drifting out of the tiny spare bedroom Holly used to cut hair. “Am I interrupting?”
    Holly crossed the floor of her family room/kitchen-dining area and perched on the arm of an over-stuffed orange and yellow floral couch. She patted the hideous sunflower-patterned cushion in a sit-down gesture. “Nah, Mrs. Taylor just left after her rinse and set. It’s definitely wine and chocolate o’clock.”
    “Hold the wine, break open the emergency chocolate.” Shaye curled