With Her Last Breath Read Online Free

wagging her tail.
    Because Nick came from an Italian background where “Eat, you’ll feel better,” was a standard cure-all, his instincts told him that she needed a good meal. While Nick was a winegrower, his family served the best food in town. He dug into his pocket, extracted his wallet, and held out a “Good for One Free Meal at Alessandros Italian Restaurant” coupon. Because he sensed her pride wouldn’t allow her to take charity, he said, “It’s a promotion. Trying to get new customers in off-season. No obligation. Just say that Nick sent you. I get points for how many new customers I send in. It’s good food. There’s some health rule about pets being off-limits in the restaurant, but if you say I sent you, they’ll ask you to come back to the private family room, next to the kitchen. Just turn up before they get busy at six.”
    Her indecision said she didn’t like relying on anyone else and questioned gifts or kindness. He followed the swallow down her pale throat, the telltale sign of a hungry stomach. When she reached for the coupon, her hand was squarish and strong, a working hand, nails neatly trimmed. “Sure. Thanks.”
    “Staying around awhile?” he asked, reaching to scratch the dog’s ears. The woman didn’t look like a tourist, set to relax and enjoy the beach. She looked restless and edgy. In contrast, Scout pushed her substantial weight against him, and the sturdy thump of her tail said she was happy.
    Her mistress wasn’t. She frowned at him, eyes shadowed warily. “Maybe. Why?”
    “Just wondering. I get a free meal at the restaurant if I can send someone to take the upstairs room. They take pets.” So he hedged the truth a bit—he’d been raised on his parents’ food, and they loved animals.
    “Expensive?”
    The question was too quick for casual interest. Mystery Woman was down on her luck, needing food and money, and she was fighting pride and tears. “It’s cheap enough. Usually the extra summer help stays there. Mom and Pop Alessandro live upstairs. Their family is grown, and she likes someone in that room. They had a dog like this once. His name was Benny.”
    Nick and his brothers had loved Benny, who had lived to a ripe old age. He’d spent many nights at the foot of Nick’s bed.
    The woman’s hand clutched the coupon as if it were a life-line, knuckles showing white. “Thanks.”
    A guarded loner, Nick thought, as she said, “Treat, Scout” again and began running down the beach. With a huff, the big female Lab followed. Woman and dog ran, side by side, almost one with each other. Nick placed his hands on his hips, admiring the picture, taking note of the woman’s easy stride. Not lithe or willowy, she ran more to the healthy five-foot-six “armful,” as Nick’s father was fond of saying. If she had any body fat at all, it was all in the right places beneath that sweatsuit.
    And that brief glance back at him over her shoulder said she didn’t trust him.
    Because he was still nettled that she’d passed him by so coolly earlier and knew he was fighting his life, Nick smiled—just a little payback for the intrusion. He waved as if they were friends—and she clearly didn’t want to be friendly.
    When he started back up the hill toward town and the restaurant, Nick wondered about the shade of her eyes just then. Were the gold sparks stirring, or were they as green as grass?
    And he wondered why, when the wind feathered through those soft reddish-brown tendrils, something stirred in him…
     
    Maggie placed the foil-covered pie plate of Italian food on the neat second-story apartment’s small table. There were too many carbs in the pasta, but then she wasn’t complaining about free food. Beneath her apartment, Alessandros Restaurant was in full swing, soft dining music filtering up through the well-varnished board flooring. The sixtyish Alessandros had been bustling and friendly; both had hugged their new renter soundly, surprising Maggie.
    “You’re