Some Girls Don't (Outback Heat Book 2) Read Online Free

as he pulled a beer out of the fridge with the other. “Ah …”
    She tried to be strict with her size-twelve figure. She tended to put on weight easily and the camera added ten pounds. God alone knew what she was going to weigh after three days of Grandy’s cooking.
    But hell, she’d already had a sherry tonight. “Sure. Thanks.”
    He cracked the lid and handed it to her, then tossed another one to Marcus. She noticed he grabbed some water for himself. “On call?”
    “When isn’t he on call?” Marcus snorted. “No downtime for the chief of police. Captain Serious must wear his cape at all times.”
    “Bite me,” Ethan said, flipping his brother the bird.
    “Daaaad, I’ve finished.”
    Ethan dropped his finger quickly as Selena turned to find a girl with a ponytail walking into the kitchen from the hallway, a book in her hand. She figured she was Ethan’s daughter who must be about thirteen. Although Selena had left Jumbuck Springs a couple of years before Delia had become pregnant, Grandy had kept her up to date on the gossip.
    Selena had been in Delia’s grade at school. She’d never much liked the other woman. In fact Delia had been a bitch from the second she grew a pair of breasts, but she and Ethan had sure as hell made a cute kid.
    “Hi,” Selena said. “You must be Connie.”
    The girl looked at her curiously as she grabbed a jam drop off the plate and stuffed it in her mouth. “Hi.”
    “This is Selena,” Ethan said. “Mrs D’s granddaughter.”
    Connie’s eyes visibly widened as she hastily swallowed. “You’re the one who—”
    “Okay,” Ethan said hurriedly, clamping his hand down on his daughter’s shoulder as Marcus almost spat a mouthful of his beer out as he started to laugh. “Time for bed now.”
    “Can I have another jam drop first?” she asked looking longingly at the plate.
    “One more.” Connie swiped it quickly as Ethan deposited the plate on the table. “Say goodnight, Missy.”
    “Night,” Connie mumbled around the biscuit as she followed her father out of the room.
    Selena cocked an eyebrow at Marcus who was still laughing. “I’m the one who …?”
    “Broke her uncle’s heart.”
    “Jarrod told his niece that I broke his heart?”
    “Hell no,” Marcus said, shaking his head. “ I told her that.”
    Selena shook her head. “Gee, thanks.”
    “No worries,” Marcus grinned, completely unabashed. “Speaking of which. If you’re looking for grumpy bum he’s out back.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “He’s kinda pissed off at the moment though.”
    Fabulous. “Why?”
    “Well, I’m no shrink, but I’m assuming it’s because of you.”
    “Me?” she squeaked. “I haven’t done anything other than show up.”
    Marcus waggled his eyebrows as he sucked on his beer. “Precisely.”
    Selena glanced at the door that lead to the back veranda. She didn’t have to see him tonight. She’d delivered the biscuits as asked.
    Marcus cocked an eyebrow then made chicken noises at her. “Bok-bok, bok-bok.”
    “ Seriously?”
    He winked at her. “He’ll be even more pissed if you call in and don’t say hi.” He walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer. “Take this.” He handed it to her, then picked up the plate. “And this.” Selena took both beers in one hand as he shoved the biscuits into the other. “And for God’s sake, cheer him up a bit.”
    Selena’s brain flipped through a dozen ways she could cheer him up. All of them involving her wearing his tool belt. Marcus laughed again, reading the look on her face. “Yeah,” he said. “That’ll work,” as he gave her a light shove towards the door.
    *     *     *
    Old boards moved beneath Selena’s feet as she stepped out onto the enormous wraparound veranda, which was covered overhead by the pitched roof extending all the way out to the railing. Jarrod was sitting in the dark in a squatter’s chair, his legs up on the flat wooden planks that extended out from