Whisper Read Online Free Page B

counter and relaxed. She’d probably sense any tension from him.
    “You okay?”
    He waited as she stole a glance from behind long bangs. She nodded then sighed. “I’m a mess right now. Accident. That’s why I haven’t been at work.”
    “Heather mentioned something about it.”
    “We have enough to eat, but Heather gets crazy ideas.” She laughed quietly before her shoulders trembled slightly. She rubbed her palms up and down her arms as if chilled in the sweltering kitchen. “She thought I needed protein to heal some bruises. We were low on meat, but had plenty of other stuff. We weren’t about to starve.” She swiped the back of a hand across her forehead. Every male instinct kicked into high gear the second he glimpsed her face. The damage wasn’t from a simple accident. “Just you and Heather live here?”
    “Why?” Hesitation and mistrust surrounded the single word.
    “Because I’d take care of the man who did that to you if he’s still around.” He’d meant the statement as an offer of protection.
    Every taught line of her rigid stance relayed she hadn’t taken it that way. “No. Just me and Heather.”
    “No boyfriend—husband?” When she shook her head, he asked, “What happened?” 22

    Whisper

    Her hand rose and flipped as she bent her wrist.
    It happened twice before she actually made words softly come out with the gesture. “After work. Didn’t see him. He jumped me.”
    “You were robbed?” It wouldn’t surprise him with the increase in violent crimes. Heather said something about her working nights.
    She shook her head and his chest tightened. She seemed embarrassed. “Johnny took care of it.
    Nothing happened.”
    By the look of her, a hell of a lot happened.
    “Heather doesn’t know. Not exactly. I told her it was a car accident.”
    She finally looked up and his right hand fisted before he made it open. He hoped Johnny took the problem seriously. Both of her eyes were swollen with greenish bruises circling them. Damn it! “You sure you’re all right?”
    “Yep.” She looked down, purposely hiding her face. “I’m going back to work next week.”
    “Are you up to it?”
    “Yes, I’m fine,” she said quickly. “No problem.” Her voice grew a little in volume as she crossed her arms. “We need to get our routine going again.”
    “Is money the problem?”
    “No. I’ll get back to work and we’ll make ends meet just fine.”
    “Don’t worry about rent.”
    She laughed and it sounded polite. “Oh, okay, I’ll let the landlord know the guy across the street said not to worry about it.”
    Heather must not have mentioned who owned the house. He smiled when she looked up. “The guy across the street is the landlord.”
    “You?”
    “Yep, you pay me.”
    “What about Nomad?”
    “He helps, sometimes rents out a house if one of 23

    Kathleen Lash

    us can’t.”
    “But the money orders—”
    “Are made out to Manchester, right?”
    “Yes.”
    He extended his hand. For a minute he didn’t think she’d take it. When she did, he said, “Keith Manchester, the guy across the street.”
    “Whisper Neuman. I really am sorry about last night. Heather’s never done anything so rash.”
    “We got off on the wrong foot. I have this uncanny knack for jumping to conclusions.” Her hand was tiny and delicate with long fingers. He imagined under the discoloration on her face, at the very least, she’d be pretty. She appeared somewhat backward and shy which added to the impression of her being very fragile. She didn’t have an out-and-out drawl, but part of the South still lingered in certain enunciations.
    Heather walked in and when she saw their joined hands, a smile lit her face. “I told them they couldn’t eat until you got back, Keith. I don’t think they’ll behave long. Whisper makes the best fried chicken.”
    Whisper drew her hand away and his felt empty.
    “I better get back, then. Thanks again for cooking.
    We spent the day wondering where