The Men of Thorne Island by Cynthia Thomason Read Free Book Online

face. At least Dexter Sweet had the decency to pick up a sports magazine and pretend he wasn’t aware of his companion’s rudeness. And poor little Ryan—he’d scuttled out the back way after his mention of the compost pile had turned the gathering quite hostile.
    It was only a hundred yards on a narrow path through budding maple trees from Brody’s small cottage to the Cozy Cove Inn. Aware that Nick was following her, Sara stomped her feet as loudly as herNikes allowed. She wanted the determination in her step to let him know she did not desire his company. When she reached the back door of the inn, she swung the screen open wide, stepped into the kitchen and let the door bang shut behind her.
    “Damn it, woman!” he hollered. “You know I can’t keep up when you walk this fast.”
    She slammed the bags on the clean counter, catching a glimpse of her catlike grin in the side of Nick’s gleaming toaster. “I wasn’t aware we were out on a stroll, Bass,” she said when he came through the door.
    He sat on a stool and whipped the Indians cap off his head. Dark curls tumbled onto his forehead. For the first time she noticed coarser strands of gray at his temples. They lent an air of dignity to a man who certainly didn’t deserve it.
    “That’s not the only thing you’re not aware of,” he snapped.
    She began yanking her purchases out of the sacks. “If you’ve come to spy on me, don’t worry. I won’t take much of your space.”
    “Yeah? Starting when?”
    She slapped a package of bologna onto the counter, gripped the smooth pine edges and stared at him. “We’re hardly overcrowded here, Bass. We’re five people on forty acres. This isn’t a ghetto.”
    He almost smiled, and since she was mad at him, she was glad he didn’t.
    “Look,” he said, “if it makes you feel any better, I agree that Brody acted like an ass back there. But you’ve got to give him a break. He’s hard to get along with even on his good days, and he started outgrouchy this morning. At times like this, it’s good to give him some space.”
    “I’d like to put him on a raft, tug him halfway to Canada and leave him in the middle of the lake. That ought to be enough space even for him.”
    Nick got off the stool, picked up the bologna and put it in the refrigerator. “Forget about Brody. I think Ryan’s decided to give you a chance.”
    Sara refolded one of the bags and placed it in a lower cabinet. “At least he understands about the vineyard,” she said. “But it won’t be long before Brody turns him against me.”
    “Well, you did make him mad with all that special request nonsense.”
    “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Sara handed Nick a jar of pickles and he slid it into the refrigerator. “Just because I don’t want to eat Frosted Flakes or Captain Crunch.”
    Nick looked up at her, a mock-serious expression on his face. “Tony the Tiger and the captain are American icons.”
    She handed him a frozen dinner to put away. “And I don’t mind microwave meals, but do I have to buy every one of them in ‘hungry man’ or ‘family-size’ portions?”
    “When you’re living with men, I guess you do. You’re making life different around here already, Sara, and you’ve got to know that’s not easy for any of us.”
    She scowled at him before she read the price sticker on a can of tomato soup. Then she read the sticker on a loaf of bread and a half carton of eggs. “All these groceries are from Kroger’s,” she said.
    “So?”
    “But the marked prices are the same as the ones Brody charged me. He didn’t add anything to the Kroger price.”
    Nick didn’t say anything. He indicated another question by raising his eyebrows.
    “Well, if he gets the food from Kroger’s…”
    “Winkie fills the order at Kroger’s, according to Brody’s list, and delivers it to us,” Nick corrected.
    “Okay, but if Brody pays Winkie and doesn’t increase the price to you guys, he’s not making any money.”
    “He