Grave Homecoming (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

those two going at each other.”
    “He looked like he was ready to throttle them both.”
    “And how did he react to seeing you?” Olivia’s question was pointed.
    Maddie averted her gaze. “He seemed surprise.”
    “And?”
    “He gave me a quick hug, and then we had to go.”
    Olivia’s face was hard to read. “I’m betting there was more to it than that.”
    Maddie plastered an inscrutable look on her face. “Why are you and Granny so convinced there’s some conspiracy about my relationship with Nick? We were friends – a lifetime ago – and now we’re just old acquaintances.”
    “Is that what you’re telling yourself these days?” Olivia asked.
    “It’s the truth.”
    Olivia’s enigmatic smile set Maddie’s teeth on edge. “Keep telling yourself that, sunshine. The longer you keep deluding yourself, the longer you’ll be in pain.”
    “What is that supposed to mean?”
    “You know exactly what it means,” Olivia chided. “Don’t act stupid. You’re a bright girl, Maddie Graves. I’ve always known that. The only thing you can’t see is the truth when it comes to Nick – and yourself. You’re clearly not ready to see what’s in front of you, so I’m not going to push you. How about, instead, we get the store organized? It seems to have fallen into disarray during my death.”
    “Granny has interesting cleaning habits,” Maddie agreed.
    “Since I can’t help, I’ll supervise,” Olivia offered, smiling widely. “I think this is going to be fun.”
     
    NICK pumped his legs hard as he climbed the hill, raising his knees high as he finished the fifth mile of his morning run. His mind was busy, memories of his past colliding with the uncertainty of his future as he tried to wrap his brain around Maddie’s sudden arrival the day before.
    What was she doing back here?
    There had been a time when Nick had been convinced he would marry Maddie. He knew it in the fiber of his very being. He had grand delusions of her triumphant return to Blackstone Bay after getting her nursing degree, of her racing into his arms and admitting she loved him the second she crossed the town line. He saw a big wedding, children, and happily ever after.
    Those fantasies had all been for naught.
    It had taken years for Nick to finally relinquish them. When she left for college, Nick considered going after her. He even had his truck packed and a speech written down on a napkin to recite back to her, one that professed his love in no uncertain terms. His courage failed that day. What would’ve happened if it hadn’t?
    For the first few months, Nick called her every week. She answered eagerly at first. He could almost hear her fighting off tears over the phone as they talked. After a few weeks, though, she stopped answering his calls. It had taken months for him to give up, each unanswered call poking another hole in his heart. He was bitter after a time, and he’d spent years cursing her very existence – mostly because her angelic face kept haunting his dreams.
    Now? Now he was thrown. Every hateful thing he’d ever thought about Maddie had flew out of his mind – and memory – the second he saw her. He’d hugged her out of instinct, and the way she’d melted into his arms caused a familiar longing to bubble back up.
    Dammit! He was still in love with her. After ten years, after a multitude of nightmares and despondent tears, after … everything … he was still in love with her. He was a glutton for punishment. There could be no other explanation.
    Maddie had seemed so … distant … when she approached him. She’d always been shy, but the woman standing in front of him the day before had seemed haunted more than anything else. He didn’t like it.
    A flash of flaxen hair caught Nick’s attention out of the corner of his eye. He jerked his head, his heart skipping a beat when he recognized Maddie’s long blonde hair as it flopped in the wind. He knew it was her without hesitation. Her hair was in a