Throw a Monkey Wrench (an Emma Cassidy Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free

the low
table between the couches.
    “Isn’t this exciting?” Madison squeezed
Sean’s arm and wriggled about. She seemed on edge, Emma thought. All brides got
nervy as the big day drew near, but Madison seemed unusually high-strung.
    So did Sean, now that she thought about it.
But his mood appeared less excitable and more dour. He nodded vaguely as he bit
his thumb, his mind clearly on other things.
    “Sure, babe,” he muttered.
    “Here’s a sample menu I thought you might
like.” Emma handed the tablet to the couple. “Why don’t you two look over that?
We can start with what you want for appetizers.”
    Madison leaned forward to study the menu,
but Sean was gazing off into the distance. She pinched his knee playfully.
“Hey, coochie pie. We’re supposed to be doing this together.”
    He blushed—as any man would at being called
‘coochie pie’ in public, in Emma’s opinion—and shook his head. “Sorry. It’s
just that I’ve got a lot on my mind at the moment.”
    Madison’s face puckered up in concern. “Aw,
what’s wrong? Anything I can help you with?”
    “Uh, no. It’s nothing.” He cracked his
knuckles, the popping sound explosive in the library.
    Sitting across from the happy couple,
Cynthia White frowned. She’d been quiet ever since they sat, but Emma didn’t
miss that grimace or the disapproving look aimed at the tattoos stamped on
Sean’s forearms.
    Madison’s mother was the epitome of
elegance. Artfully colored blonde hair framed a sculpted face while a taupe
silk dress draped over her thin frame. She toyed absentmindedly with a long
rope of pearls hung around her neck. Pearls were a fast favorite of hers, and
she never appeared without a necklace or bracelet of them. The creamy, subtly
colored jewels suited her restrained personality. Emma had never witnessed
Cynthia raise her voice or lose her temper, yet she got the impression that
beneath that cool veneer, Cynthia’s emotions ran deep.
    “I’m going to ask Maria to make some
coffee,” Cynthia drawled, rising fluidly to her feet.
    “Oh, by the way, Mom, Sean’s staying for
lunch,” Madison said.
    Cynthia paused midway to the door and
pursed her lips. “Very well.”
    She sailed out of the room without another
word. But Emma had seen enough to confirm her suspicions. Cynthia did not
approve at all of Sean McCluskey, and she must be dreading the thought of her
precious daughter, her only child, marrying him. No big surprise there, Emma
mused as she watched Madison and Sean poring over the menus. Not many families
here in Wineglass Bay would enjoy being linked with the infamous McCluskeys.
The only surprise was that Cynthia and Howard White had allowed the wedding
preparations to progress this far.
    But why was she thinking along these lines?
Emma chided herself. Maybe the Whites saw how much Sean meant to Madison and
were happy for their daughter, even if they might have chosen a different
son-in-law. Happy, reasonable families did exist.
    “Let’s go with the lobster,” Madison said,
pointing enthusiastically at a photo on the tablet screen. “It looks delicious.”
    “And pricey,” Sean muttered, a slight frown
furrowing his brow. “Couldn’t we go with shrimp instead?”
    Madison pulled a face. “Shrimp cocktail?
That’s so dated, Sean. Why can’t we go with the lobster?”
    “I’m only trying to economize here. The
budget’s already blown out twice and we haven’t got the final figure yet.”
    “If the budget’s worrying you, then I can
talk with Daddy.” Madison tossed back her hair. “He said he’d be happy to bail
us out if we need it.”
    Sean clenched his fists. “Yeah, I’m sure he
would.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “I mean he’d jump at the chance to show you
how much money he has, how he can provide for you so much better than I can,
how you’re making a mistake with me.”
    “How can you think that? Daddy made the
offer because he’s generous and he loves me, but you