True Colors Read Online Free Page B

time.”
    Charlie held up a shaking hand. “Alex, please.”
    Alex fell silent, worried now. Her sister wasn’t one to tremble. She reached out to grab her hand, to stop it from shaking, and Charlie jerked back so violently she ended up on her butt in the grass.
    Alex stared at her in shock. “What the hell is going on with you?”
    Charlie pulled in an uneven breath as she pushed to her feet and swiped at the loose grass clinging to her shorts. “It’s not me.”
    “Well, it’s not me ,” Alex countered. “Look, I know how you are, how you’re all about protecting me from stuff you think might hurt me, but this is getting ridiculous. We used to be so close.”
    “We’re still close—”
    “You won’t touch me.” Alex took a step toward Charlie, only to watch her back away. Like she had the plague. Hurt burned in her throat, and she put her hands up and did her own backing away. “Fine, whatever. Keep your secrets, as usual. I’ll catch you later.”
    She turned away, ignoring it when she heard Charlie come after her. “Alex, wait.”
    “Forget it, Charlie. I can take a hint.”
    “Alex, damn it!”
    She paused and faced her reluctantly. “What?”
    “Let’s just . . . can we go inside and have a drink and talk?”
    Alex kept her face impassive. “Don’t do it to humor me.”
    “I’m not.”
    “Good. I could use a margarita.”
    In the kitchen, surrounded by sunlight, the lemon-fresh scent of dishwashing liquid and a tense silence, Charlie got out margarita glasses and the necessary ingredients.
    “I was just kidding,” Alex said with a small smile. “It’s kind of early for booze, don’t you think?”
    “We’re both going to need it,” Charlie replied, far too serious as she filled the glasses with ice and then splashed in tequila and margarita mix. After setting one glass in front of Alex, she took a seat across from her sister.
    Alex picked up the glass and drank with a clink of ice cubes. “Mm, good one.”
    Charlie didn’t smile as she toyed with her own glass instead of drinking. “I’m not sure how to do this.”
    Alex sat back. “If you’re breaking up with me, just say it.” Her attempt at humor didn’t even register on her sister’s tense face. “Okay, how about this? Let’s talk about something else for a bit, ease into it.”
    Charlie nodded, looking way too relieved.
    “I talked to Mac this morning,” Alex said. “He sounded . . . good.”
    “Wasn’t it my turn to check on him?”
    Alex shrugged. “We had business to discuss.”
    Charlie’s lips twitched into a smile. “You used the photo of Logan as an excuse to call him.”
    “Busted. But the good news is Mac didn’t sound as stressed. At least, he sounded less stressed. And a bit like he might be tired of us hovering.”
    “I wish he’d just get out of town for a while,” Charlie said. “He went back to work too early, in my opinion.”
    “We could let him use the cabin. It’d get him out of town for a week or two.”
    Charlie thought that over. “That’s not a bad idea.”
    “He probably just needs more time. Head injuries take time to heal.”
    “Working twenty-four hours a day doesn’t help.”
    “He’s better, though. I can tell,” Alex said.
    “Or maybe he’s just getting better at hiding it.” Charlie sighed and shook her head. “And maybe I’m channeling your thing about rescuing the wounded.”
    “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
    Charlie laughed. “Awesome shot of Logan, by the way. Really amazing.”
    Alex smiled despite her anxiety. She never tired of compliments from her big sister. “Helps that I had such a gorgeous subject.”
    “Helps that you know how to take a great photo. What’s up with you and that gorgeous subject anyway? Rumors are flying all over work that you two are an item.”
    A warm wave of anticipation for their date tonight flooded Alex’s stomach. “We’re working on it.”
    As Charlie nodded her approval, her forehead creased. Apparently,