Last Dance Read Online Free Page A

“Shouldn’t you tell Nona that you’re leaving?”
    “Did already.”
    “But you didn’t bother to fill me in on whatever lead you’re following. That’s not how partners work. If you found out something important, I demand to know what it is.” I grabbed the edge of the car window. “You’re not going anywhere till I have some answers.”
    I expected him to yell at me to get out of his way. But instead of losing his temper, he broke into a smile. “You think you’re strong enough to stop my truck?”
    “Probably not.”
    He chuckled. “But you’d try anyway?”
    “Sometimes trying is all you can do.”
    “I know,” he said with a nod. “You’re good at it.”
    Our eyes met and we weren’t talking about the truck anymore. Energy sizzled between us, making me hot and uncomfortable, like wearing a wool jacket on a sunny day. I didn’t understand these feelings, nor did I want to. Dominic and I only had one thing in common: my grandmother.
    “Okay, partner, here’s the situation,” he said briskly, shutting off the truck’s engine so the yard was suddenly quiet. Even the chickens ceased cackling. “I’ve been making calls and checking records for Florence Jane Walker Tuttle.”
    “Nona’s grandmother?” I asked eagerly. “What did you find?”
    “I tracked down this guy, Alex Tuttle, who has old pictures of a distant aunt named Agnes.”
    “Our Agnes?”
    “Don’t know. But I plan to find out.”
    “So you’re driving all the way up the Oregon coast? Couldn’t you just ask on the phone?”
    “Not if I want to look through family albums.”
    “Albums?”
    “Very old family albums.”
    “Wow. I’d love to see them.”
    “So come with me.” He held out his hand invitingly, his fingertips brushing against my arm.
    I jumped back, my skin tingling where he’d touched. “You can’t be serious.”
    “Why not? We are partners. ” He spoke the word in a soft, teasing way and he studied me with a look that made me uneasy.
    “But—I can’t just drive off with you.”
    “Why not? Afraid?”
    “Of course not!” I faked a laugh. “Not even.”
    “Then get in the truck.”
    “I can’t! I have school tomorrow.”
    “Skip it.”
    “I wish I could—for a lot of reasons.” I shifted uneasily on the driveway. “But I have responsibilities, like the school newspaper, homework, and my friends.”
    “Your wannabe magician boyfriend?” he asked with a sneer.
    “Leave Josh out of this. And shouldn’t you have some kind of school, too?”
    “Not me.” He grinned wickedly. “Besides, I got to move on this fast. Tuttle may have more than old pictures.”
    “Like what?”
    “Well …” Dominic drew out the word deliberately. “He mentioned a trunk of old books.”
    “And?” I prompted.
    “One of them could be the remedy book.”

I appreciated Dominic’s dedication to helping Nona, but I resented being left out and wanted to be the one to find the remedy book.
    Remembering Dominic studying me, as if he could see through my clothes, added to my sour mood. What was it with him anyway? Why had he invited me to go with him? He usually shunned the human race, so his sudden offer was confusing. Maybe he felt sorry for me because I’d failed to find results on my own. Well, I’d show him! While he drove to another state after clues, I’d find out more right here.
    And I knew just where to start. Agnes’s Bible. Taking out the thick, brittle book, I fluttered through age-worn pages and made a list of births, marriages, and deaths going back almost two hundred years. My family tree branched across paper with mostly unfamiliar names. So many unknown, forgotten relatives with tragedies and triumphs recorded in brief passages.
    By the next morning, I had twelve pages of information in my notebook—and I was eager to show it to Dominic. Only there was no word from him yet. I jumped whenever the phone rang and kept listening for the sound of a truck. Nona didn’t seem concerned, and