We're One by Mimi Barbour Read Free Book Online Page B

to himself when she’d stirred in her sleep had him sweating. Now with her awake, and moving her adorable, sexy body in tandem with his roving eye—or was it the other way around?—could prove to be his undoing.
    No time!
    Concentrate!
    Big ugly sucker with murder on his mind!
    Right. Got it.
    Showers, breakfast and packing, then feeding the critters—it all took very little time with Ashley spurring them on like a drill sergeant. They gathered up the mess and headed for Rhett’s new house, where the housekeeper’s unfriendly glare impaled Ashley as he approached her. He could never see what Carrie liked about the woman, but they’d become close friends. Far be it for him to complain. Thank heavens he didn’t have to live with her.
    Nonetheless, it took all his skills to persuade her to look after five cats, a turtle and two birds. Especially when the animals obviously didn’t want to stay behind without Crystal. The distinct yowling of “help ” from a perturbed Daisy followed them as they hurried to the car.
    “My God, that cat yowled ‘help.’” Ash quickly reversed out of the driveway, wanting to put space between them and the house, in case the old harridan decided to shut the roadside gates.
    “I told you. But you didn’t believe me, did you?”
    “Who would believe the bloody cat could make such a racket? I hope the old battleaxe takes care of them. She didn’t look too pleased.”
    “Oh, she’ll be just fine. She’s not a battleaxe; she’s a dear. She has a heart of gold.”
    “She does? I’ve certainly never seen it.”
    “‘Cause you’re a man. She doesn’t like men.”
    “You could tell that from the short time we spent with her?”
    “Sure! I recognized the symptoms from inside myself. I’ve never liked men much, either.”

Chapter Seven
     
    “Arnie, what’re you up to, coming in to work this late? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you all evening.” Joey hid his anxiety behind a false friendliness. Losing sight of this man had made him very nervous.
    The big lug lumbered up in his unpressed suit, the chokingly tight collar of his wrinkled shirt enclosing a tie so creased he’d have done better to leave it off. There were greyish bandages over his swollen nose that didn’t begin to cover the swelling around his eyes.
    “Hey, Joey. Remember I told you earlier that I’d found out who done this to me? Well, I know where the face-wrecking bitch lives. Thought I’d pay her a short visit.”
    “And I thought I told you to drop it. She’s the star here, for Christ’s sake, the Ice Princess. She brings in hundreds of people every night to see her show. You tell me, dumb ass, what’s the boss gonna care more about—your face or her moneymaking performances? Grab a brain, Arnie! She’s off limits! Don’t make me tell you again.”
    “I wasn’t gonna hurt her none, just scare her a little.”
    The whining tone angered Joey as much as his loss of control over the big jerk.
    “The side of that building musta loosened some of the few lonely brain cells roamin’ around in your skull. We made a deal, Arnie. You promised you’d leave her alone.”
    “I will, already. But I couldn’t find Parks. I figured for sure he’d be with her. Went to his fancy digs at the casino, but no luck. They musta skipped out together. I seen her show’s been cancelled here, too, so it looks like they split. I went back to the Parks and convinced his doorman to share what he knew about his boss’s travels. Looks like they’re headed for the airport.”
    “Whaddaya think? They’re gonna wait around for you to bash their heads in? Let it go, already! Hell! You know she didn’t mean nothin’ personal with the bat. The dumb broad tried to protect one guy getting beat up by three big guys—that’s all.”
    Funny, how Joey saw himself. The fact that he’d stood a foot shorter than anyone else at the altercation obviously passed him by.
    “Nah, can’t do that. I’m heading for the