A Shot in the Dark Read Online Free

staff if we’re going to keep up.”
    Paige sighed. “That’s going to be my job for today. I think we’ll start with a Help Wanted sign in the door. I was going to call some of the placement agencies to give them a heads up. Students will be our best bet.”
    Ian groaned but for once didn’t argue with her. “I’m going to take a quick walk. If I’m going to be here all day then I need some fresh air for a bit.”
    Paige watched him leave, not liking the way his shoulders slumped forward. She turned to Sadie, but before she could even ask, her sister held up her hand.
    “I don’t know. It could be that the reality of being a business owner is finally hitting home with him. I think he’s tired.”
    “If he wasn’t so stubborn and would back off for a bit, then maybe he wouldn’t be stressed out.” Paige loved Ian with every fiber of her being. He was hardworking and would do anything for either of them. But when he got fixated on something, he let that thing consume him.
    “He’s a bit like you that way.” Sadie tried to hide her smile by taking a sip of coffee.
    “I know when to take a step back and reevaluate. Ian doesn’t let go. Ever.”
    “I meant he doesn’t have much of a personal life because he’s forever working.”
    Paige rolled her eyes and threw a towel at her sister. “I have a social life.” It was simply on temporary hiatus.
    “Apparently. Who’s the cutie firefighter?”
    “No one.” Grabbing a piece of paper from the file folder she’d left behind the counter, Paige held it up. “Do we have any markers? I want to put up a sign.”
    Sadie crossed her arms and stared at her. “That’s evasion if I ever saw it. Who is he? Did you meet him at a club?”
    “Just because you and Paul are all happy families now doesn’t mean you can interrogate the rest of us. He’s some guy and I’d appreciate it if you’d stop meddling in my life.”
    Sadie’s arms dropped to her side. “I’ve never meddled.”
    Shit. “Sade, I’m—”
    “No. Stop right there.” Sadie took a step back, her eyes brighter than they should be. “I have never once meddled in your life. In fact, I’ve suffered at the hands of your meddling for years now.”
    Paige stood still, the words for once not coming. It was a common enough accusation from Ian, but never Sadie. Not once.
    “I don’t know what’s happened to you, but you’ve gotten worse over the past few months. You hardly smile anymore, and when you do seem to be in a good mood it hardly ever lasts.” Sadie cleared her throat and moved toward the kitchen. “I think you need to take a closer look at your life and what you have going on before you continue to pick on the rest of us. I’m going to get some baking done. Call me if things get busy.” Without another look, meek and mild Sadie stormed off.
    Paige’s hands shook as she reached for a mug, needing the caffeine jolt to help right her world. Had she sunk to the point where she was pushing away Sadie, one of the few people still important to her? She didn’t have a lot of friends, not anymore. She’d left them behind when she walked away from Rick. The result had been her leaning on Sadie and Ian, and, from the sound of things, driving them both nuts.
    The last thing she wanted to do was force them away. While they didn’t know the reasons for her breakup with Rick, or why she’d stopped going out and doing a lot of the things that had been a part of her life, they still tried to be there for her. She’d made a deal with herself the night she left Rick that she wouldn’t tell them any of the details.
    Neither of her siblings needed that level of shit in their lives.
    The bell above the door announced the arrival of Customer 1645, or Blue Eyes as Sadie called him. Ian had been trying for months now to figure out his name, and he played along by not giving Ian any hints. Ian was head-over-heels-in-lust with the man, and for once Paige had to agree with her brother’s tastes. A bit