The Rancher And The Runaway Bride: Part 3 by Susan Mallery Read Free Book Online

asked.
    “As you’d expect. They want us to take the next flight back.”
    “Forget that. I’m not going to let them put a bullet in my head just because the girl
     got away. A friend of mine has an import company in Singapore. He wants me to come
     work for him. Same sort of job, less trouble if you screw up. Interested?”
    The bald man thought about the alternative. There was no way to fix this problem.
     If the woman had spoken to the police, killing her now would accomplish nothing. He
     could return as he’d been ordered, or he could make a run for it.
    “I’m interested,” he said, picking up his small overnight case and wondering how many
     movies they showed on a plane trip to the Far East.
    * * *
    Brady stirred his black coffee, then put the spoon down when he realized the action
     betrayed his nervousness. He told himself to relax, that the outcome of Randi’s meeting
     wasn’t his business. Yet he couldn’t convince himself of the lie. Of course it was
     his business. Randi was meeting with Hal Stuart, her former fiancé.
    He leaned back in his seat. There was no point in straining to hear the conversation.
     While he’d settled in at the back of the diner so he could watch what was going on,
     Randi and Hal had a booth up toward the front. Even if they spoke loudly, the conversation
     from other patrons and the clink of dishes muffled their words. He was at right angles
     to them. All the better to torture himself with, he thought grimly. He could see them
     looking at each other, catch every nuance of body language, and watch them either
     reconcile or break up.
    Maybe he should have waited in the car. It would have been easier not to watch. Yet
     it was like staring at the scene of an accident. Even though he didn’t want to look,
     he didn’t have the strength to turn away.
    At least Hal Stuart wasn’t the paragon he’d feared. While the man was fairly tall
     and in some circles might be considered handsome, Brady found his perfect blond hair,
     tanned skin and practiced smile too polished for his taste. Hal reminded him of an
     old-fashioned snake oil salesman. What had Randi ever seen in him?
    Watching her now, it was obvious she was battling with the same questions. When they’d
     first met, Hal had been cautiously friendly. He’d held out his arms for a hug. Randi
     had offered a tight smile instead. Brady had breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing
     he wanted was to watch the woman he loved give herself to another man.
    Hal leaned forward in the booth and spoke earnestly. His manicured hands cut through
     the air, emphasizing what he said. Randi nodded a couple of times, then shrugged.
     She still wore the same clothes she’d had on yesterday. Worn jeans and a faded T-shirt.
     He’d offered to take her by her mother’s house so she could collect some clothes,
     but she’d refused. Her long hair hung loose around her shoulders. She looked like
     a pagan goddess.
    Suddenly Randi and Hal stood up. They shook hands across the table. Hal left without
     giving Brady a single glance while Randi headed toward the rear booth.
    “Hey, good-looking,” she said, sliding in across from him. “What’d you think about
     Hal? I noticed you didn’t beat him up.”
    “If he’d tried anything, I would have. So, what happened?”
    She smiled. “We talked about the wedding. I told him my concerns. He agreed that under
     the circumstances it would be best not to resume the relationship. End of story.”
     She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t believe everything is turning out so well. Why on
     earth did I resist coming home? The police believed me, Hal accepted the broken engagement
     without a whimper. All that’s left is talking to my brother.”
    “And your mother.”
    “Oh, Brady, why’d you have to go and spoil my mood? I was doing fine until you mentioned
     her.”
    “You know you have to talk to her.”
    “Yeah, but she’s going to get on my case about Hal, and she’s going to want