Flying in Shadows (The Black Creek Series, Book 2) Read Online Free

she chided herself. It's none of your business
     who he dates.
    He had on his time-honored faded blue jeans and scuffed boots with a long sleeved,
     classy brown collared shirt. So Andy. Expensive sunglasses rested backward on his
     head. She wondered if her heart would ever beat normally when they were together.
    She wore sneakers and a sweatshirt.
    "I'm just glad you're here," she said to him. "I feel better already. Come around
     and say hello to mom. She'll want to see you, too."
    As they sauntered toward the back, Andy took her hand and tucked it through his arm.
     He set his on top. It felt rough and warm.
    She glanced behind them. "New car?" she asked.
    A smile as big as Texas spread across his face. "New for me," he all but hummed. "Like
     it?"
    "Sure." She shrugged. "Your cars all sound the same. I thought college students were
     also starving."
    "It's used and that's not cheap, either." He nodded over toward her F-150. "You're
     not even in college yet. Why don't you come with me to the game?" His eyes narrowed
     and he dipped his face closer to her. "Have you been to a single one since I left?"
    "I don't have to go. I'm not sleeping with any of the cheerleaders."
    Andy stopped walking and blinked rapidly.
    "Fast forward past the girl-on-girl fantasy, pal." She smacked his shoulder with the
     back of her hand. "And why would I go when you're not playing? I don't even like basketball."
    Andy shook his head, then rolled his eyes dramatically before answering. "You're a
     senior. It's Regionals."
    "She doesn't want me there." Slowly, she lifted her eyes to him.
    "She doesn't care," he said. It sounded sort of like a question. "Come on. Be a team
     player."
    She took a deep breath through her nose and blew it out, letting her cheeks expand.
     "What day? What time?"
    "You're a senior," he repeated as he shook his head again. "You should to know this."
    "Andy," she pointed out playfully, "I thought you would have figured out by now not
     to tell me what I'm supposed to know."
    She grinned at the thought of the first time he told her what she was supposed to know. At five years old, she had been stacking his toy Duplos in a single stick.
     He thought it was wrong, of course, and tried to show her what she was supposed to
     do with them. Her grin turned into a full smile as she remembered closed-fisting him
     in the nose, and the bloody mess that followed.
    * * *
    Amanda watched as Rose waited in the front room for the sound of Andy's Mustang. "Is
     that what you're wearing?" she tried to ask gently.
    Rose was biting her nails, then looked at her wristwatch for the third time. "I refuse
     to wear that phony girly crap."
    She tapped the top of her daughter's head. It was wrapped in a bandana.
    Sighing, Rose yanked it off and pulled out the rubber band. Gathering the mass of
     dark strawberry blond around the side of her neck, she started braiding. Rose glared
     at Amanda like only her Rose could do. "Not a word."
    Amanda made the motion of zipping her lips and walked back into their conservative
     kitchen. She heard the rumble of the car, the car door and then the bell.
    She could hear murmurs, some laughter. Then, they came in to say good-bye. Amanda
     turned, trying not to look anxious, and spotted the small bouquet of flowers. White
     daisies. "Oh, Andy." She dipped her head. "You're a smooth one."
    "Only the best for my favorite detective's wife. I'll have Rose home on time."
    Amanda touched his arm before reaching for the cabinet that held the vases.
    When she heard the door shut, she paused before clipping the stems of the flowers.
     Letting out a contented sigh for her daughter, she decided to choose a cigarette from
     her purse instead of the valium she'd been thinking about all afternoon.
    * * *
    As they drove with the top down and Zeppelin jamming from the speakers, Rose sensed
     Andy's gaze turn momentarily.
    "This is new," he said as he flicked her braid.
    Even though it was a platonic gesture, she was acutely