3 Dime If I Know Read Online Free

closing time. Turns out his wife threw him out of the house, so he’s living over at the Catoctin View Motel.”
    What was Rafe doing on that side of town? Rumor had it prostitutes worked out of Catoctin View. Another rumor said a drug ring used the premises for pharmaceutical transactions. Any way I looked at it, Rafe’s presence at a seedy motel a little past two in the morning wasn’t a positive thing.
    “Bastard,” Jonette repeated with vehemence. “Two-timing, sneaking, thieving, shithead of a loser. You demand he get tested for sexually transmitted disesases, Cleo. Don’t let him near you unprotected until he gets a clean blood test. What am I saying? Don’t sleep with him ever again. Let’s do a Lorena Bobbitt on him. He deserves having his privates hacked off for catting around. Son of a bitch.”
    His likely betrayal cut me to the quick. “I can’t believe he went out and paid for sex.”
    “We don’t know that he got laid,” Dean warned. “All I said was his car was there. He could have loaned his car to a friend. The car could’ve been stolen. There are many perfectly good reasons why his car might be at the Catoctin View Motel.”
    Instead of cheering me up, Dean’s assertions plunged me into a volatile mood. Right or wrong, Rafe had concealed his actions. He didn’t want me to know.
    I wasn’t important enough to rate an explanation.
    I deserved more than that.

C HAPTER 4
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    Other than a quick buss on the lips, Rafe remained distant throughout dinner, confusing me further. I passed the green beans topped with peanut chocolate candies down to my ex-husband, Charlie, who’d invited himself to dinner once he sniffed my chicken and rice casserole. This whole business of him living next door was entirely too convenient for him for my liking.
    Which is why he became my neighbor, to remain underfoot until I forgave him for his adultery and second marriage and welcomed him back into my bed. Not happening. I wouldn’t be so gullible ever again, which made me wonder why I sat here pretending everything was fine with Rafe.
    “More chicken and rice?” I asked, passing the serving dish down to Rafe.
    “Thanks.” He spooned another large portion on his plate and wolfed it down.
    Men who drove fancy sports cars probably expected more out of Sunday dinner than a casserole, congealed salad, canned green beans doctored up by Mama, and store-bought rolls, but he wasn’t complaining. Worse, he acted as if nothing was wrong.
    “There’s this new guy who wants to be on the yearbook staff,” Lexy said when I asked her about her week at school. “He’s a photographer like me.”
    “Is he cute?” Charla asked, vibrating with enthusiasm. “Is he a freshman?”
    “He is in my grade. You may have seen him. He wears dark framed glasses and has really short hair. He had on a button-down collar dress shirt on Friday.”
    Charla made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “Major geek. Don’t waste a minute on him. You’ll never fascinate him as much as the mysteries of the universe.”
    “He’s an excellent photographer. His pictures really grab you. Everyone on staff couldn’t stop talking about his pictures last week.”
    “You take good pictures, too,” I said. One of the puppies over in the puppy box started yipping. I shushed him. “I’m sure there’s room for two top-notch photographers on the yearbook staff.”
    Silently, I urged Charlie to chime in and support his youngest daughter, but my ex-husband was lost in his own world. Some things never changed.
    “Mom, our cheerleading captain has the cutest little car. It’s pink. Who knew they made pink cars? I want one like Liz’s car, only I want mine to be purple. That’d be way cool.”
    I scooped up a forkful of chocolatey and peanuty green beans. “Got news for you, dear. Your car is a classic color. Gunmetal gray to be exact.”
    “Oh, Mom. Not the beast.” Charla’s horror radiated from every fiber of her being. “You can’t be