The Broken Road Read Online Free Page A

Paul. My hands are tied. Besides, there could be a conflict of interest.…” Bob's voice trailed off and I couldn’t hear what he said next.
    That's interesting. Uncle Bob is normally all about the high-profile cases, so why is he hedging about this particular one? I brushed the thought out of my mind. It’s not my concern, I told myself. Before I knew it, it was five o’clock. I had just logged off the computer when my phone rang.
    “Connors, Piper, and Dobbins. This is Megan. How can I assist you?”
    “Hey Megs.”  I practically melted at the sound of his voice. God, get a grip. I should not be acting this way.
    “Hey Shane. What's going on?”
    “Are you going to the pub tonight?” he asked. I could hear traffic in the background, so I figured he was on his bike.
    “Yeah, I’m meeting Jen around eight. Are you gracing us with your presence?” I teased.
    Shane laughed. “Yeah, I think Allison and I might join you. Is that cool with you?” I silently groaned. Seriously? Yes, I mind, you fool. But I didn't tell him that.
    “No, that’s cool. We’ll get a booth,” I replied, hoping he didn't notice the sarcasm in my voice.
    “Okay, good. I'll see you at Artie’s,” And with that, he hung up.
    I sighed. Really? Did he have to bring Allison with him? I sucked it up, because I knew that if I wanted to hang out with him, she’d tag along.
    Shane’s truck was parked on the street when I got home.  I brought my bags inside and was greeted by an eager Penny.  I went upstairs to trade my dress clothes for a pair of sweats and track shoes and clipped a leash to her collar.
    “Come on Pen, let’s go,”   We took off down the street and made it a good mile and a half before turning around. By then, my cheeks were freezing and my nose was running. Once I turned the corner, I noticed a green Expedition pull up to the house. Oddly enough, it stopped in the middle of the road, then drove away. Weird. I slowed down to a walk and watched the taillights fade. I wonder what that was all about.
    I deactivated the alarm in the house with a push of a button on my key ring and let Penny in. I quickly turned the alarm back on and locked the doors. I didn’t know who they were, but I didn’t want advertise that I was home. My parent’s rules on home safety echoed in my head:  Always lock your doors as soon as you’re inside. I fed Penny and ran upstairs to take a shower before I met everyone. It was six-thirty and I was running late.
     

Chapter 3
    An hour and half later, I arrived at Artie’s Pub and Grill. The noise was deafening and the pub was full of familiar faces. The old neighborhood hang has always been the place to be on Friday nights. It took a while but I finally saw Jen through the crowd and made my way over to her table.
    “Hey Girl,” Jen gave me a big hug. She is about six inches taller than me, with long curly hair and deep green eyes. Her white cowl-necked sweater and dark jeans set off her tan from last month’s Aruba trip nicely.
    “Hi. It’s crazy in here,” I shouted; I could barely hear her above the din of the crowd.
    “Yeah, its nuts. It’s too cold to do anything else. What better way to get rid of the wintertime blues than to come and drink?” Jen laughed.
    I joined in. It felt so good to see her again. Even though we only live twenty minutes apart, life just keeps getting in the way.
    “How are Matt and Lauren?” I mentioned for the waiter and asked for a beer.
    Jen sipped her wine. “They’re great. Matt’s working the late shift tonight at the hospital and Lauren’s going through the terrible threes. How are you? How’s work going?”
    I launched into a tirade about how Paul was treating everyone. I took a breath to sip my beer, and felt a hand on my shoulder.
    “Feel like moving over?” said a low voice. I looked up to Shane and Allison standing next to me.
    “Sure thing.”  I smiled weakly and shifted over next to Jen.
    Shane sat down across from me. “Guess