The Posse by Tawdra Kandle Read Free Book Online Page A

music.
    “None of your country twang,
Em!” Jude gave her a friendly nudge. “Play something cool.”
    Emmy didn’t look up. “Oh,
you mean like Billy Idol? Adam Ant?”
    “They would definitely meet
the cool requirement, but since your taste in music is still,
umm...” She cocked her head, considering.  “...maturing, I’ll
compromise on Pat Benatar.”
    “That’s a compromise?” Emmy
sighed. “I have a great mix list. I promise, you’ll be happy with
it. I even have some Blondie.”
    “I guess I’ll trust you. Any
love songs on there? We might need them later.” She winked and went
in search of the drink her sister-in-law had promised.
    “Captain and coke waiting
for you in the back, Jude!” Sam called.
    “You’re my favorite
sister-in-law, you know that?” She found the glass and took a long
swig. Spying her brother flipping burgers, she made her way to his
side.
    “Hey, trouble.” He reached
around her shoulders to give her a quick squeeze. “Look at this,
you got me back at my old job.”
    Jude grinned. “Yeah, and any
time you get tired of training the young minds of tomorrow, feel
free to come back. We can always use another hand at the grill.”
She glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice. “One of these
days, Sadie really is going to beat Mack. Or maybe pick up a knife
instead of a spoon. Came real close today.”
    Mark winced. “I don’t miss
that. I remember when I was a kid thinking they were ancient and
worrying one of them was going to drop dead, yelling at the other.
Dad used to just laugh.”
    “Every time I hint at
retirement, Sadie blows a gasket and Mack begs me not to make them
stay home together. And truthfully, I don’t know I could run this
place without them.  The thought of having to train someone to
do what they do gives me hives.” She reached around and pulled a
too-hot fry out of a basket.
    “So you doing okay, sis?”
Mark kept his eyes trained on the burger he was getting ready to
flip, but Jude knew he could do it in his sleep. She punched his
shoulder.
    “Yes, I’m fine. Logan checks
on me every morning, and Matt took me to dinner Friday night. Sam
and/or Janet call me every day. I’m feeing the love, but please
stop worrying.”
    Mark moved the burger onto
the plate next to the grill and smiled. “Whatever you say. Hey, can
you grab me some cheese for this next batch?”
    Jude turned toward the
fridge just as the door to the restaurant opened. Sandra came in,
looking more than a little worse for the wear, followed by a little
girl in pigtails who Jude assumed was her daughter Lily. Holding
the door and bringing up the rear was Matt.
    “Here, Mark.” She tossed the
block of Swiss in her brother’s direction and went to greet the
newcomers.
    “I’m so sorry we’re late!”
Sandra hugged Jude and then held her at arms’ length. “And I’m a
mess! My car broke down on the inter-coastal bridge, and I was
standing out there in the heat...” Her eyes slid sideways. “Until
my hero showed up.”
    Sandra’s dimpled smile
turned full force on Matt, who flushed and managed to look both
uncomfortable and pleased at the same time.
    “Matt! You rescued Sandra
and Lily?”
    He shook his head, grinning
all the while. “I just stopped to help. Anyone would have done the
same.”
    “But no one else did except
you.” Sandra laid one hand on his arm and smiled before she turned
back to Jude. “I’d called for the road rescue, but they said they
were going to be over an hour coming. Matt here put flares around
my car, took Lily and me into his air-conditioned Jeep and
convinced the tow truck to come sooner. He was amazing.”
    “That’s our Matt,” Jude
murmured, meeting Logan’s eyes across the room. “Always a hero.”
She stifled the urge to do a victory dance.
    “Let’s get you all something
to drink and some food. You must be famished.” She smiled at the
little girl. “Lily, the kids are all eating out of the deck, so
they can run back