Read Online Marked Down for Murder (Good Buy Girls) by Josie Belle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Josie Belle
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shook the hand that Sam extended.
“Sam. Sam Collins. And you’ve met Maggie,” Sam said as he gestured for Bruce to take a seat.
“Briefly,” Bruce said. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and Maggie noticed that he looked tired. He was clean-shaven, his gray hair was combed and his navy blue suit was impeccable, but his face had the drawn look of a man who had been in an argument and lost.
“It’s good to see you again,” he said.
“You, too,” Maggie said. She glanced around the coffee shop. She didn’t see either Blair or Summer. She couldn’t believe they’d miss an opportunity to mess up her Valentine’s Day; not willingly, at any rate.
“You’re alone?” she asked.
“Yup,” he said. His voice was a resigned drawl. “That’s what happens when the womenfolk gang up on you. You spend the hearts and flowers day locked out of your house.”
“Been there.” Sam cringed and gave Maggie a sidelong glance she chose to ignore.
Bruce grunted. “I imagine you have. Of course, this is after I spent the better part of the evening listening to the events that occurred at a seedy motel on the outskirts of town.”
Sam and Maggie exchanged a look. Maggie wanted to laugh but it seemed bad form in front of Bruce. She saw Sam’s lips twitch, and she figured he was struggling as well.
“Sorry about that,” Sam said. “It was an unfortunate incident.”
“Tactful of you to put it like that,” Bruce said. “The truth is Blair has gotten it into her very stubborn head that you should be dating her daughter, and I have to tell you, I’m afraid she’ll stop at nothing to make it so.”
“What are you saying?” Sam asked.
“Simply put, when Blair gets a bug up her bazoo, it is virtually impossible to distract the woman, even with something sparkly and shiny.”
His obvious exasperation made Maggie smile. “Well, at least now I know where Summer gets it from.”
Bruce frowned. “Yeah, poor kid. Her mother is pretty hard on her. I think it comes out of Blair’s own insecurities. Still, I can’t imagine always having to be the best, the brightest, the most beautiful. That’s a hell of thing to make a kid live up to.”
Maggie nodded. She had a sudden urge to call her mother and thank her for just loving her for who she was even when she hadn’t been very lovable, which during her teen years had been pretty often.
“Hopefully, after today, things will calm down,” Sam said.
“We can always hope,” Bruce said. He sounded doubtful though. “Listen, I don’t want to hold up your romantic evening. I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page. You two enjoy yourselves, and I’ll see what I can do to find my wife a new and different hobby.”
“We’d appreciate it,” Sam said.
The two men shook hands and Bruce ambled out of the coffee shop and into the night. He had the hunched-over walk of a defeated man. But then he paused just outside the door, and Maggie watched as he turned up the collar of his coat against the nighttime chill. He stiffened his spine and tipped his chin up as if daring someone to try and sucker punch him. He strode down the sidewalk with a purposeful step before disappearing around the corner.
“What do you make of that?” Maggie asked Sam.
“The man has his hands full. I wish him all the luck in the world reining Blair in,” Sam said.
The waitress stopped by the table with their drinks, and Sam pulled out his wallet to pay, but she waved him away.
“Mr. Cassidy already paid for it all,” she said. “He said it was the least he could do.”
“Oh, wasn’t that nice?” Maggie asked.
“Poor guy probably spends his whole life paying people to forgive his wife’s bad behavior,” Sam said. Then he looked at Maggie and took her hand in his. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Yes,” she said as she leaned forward and kissed him. “But you can say it as much as you want. I never get tired of hearing it. I love you,
“Sam. Sam Collins. And you’ve met Maggie,” Sam said as he gestured for Bruce to take a seat.
“Briefly,” Bruce said. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and Maggie noticed that he looked tired. He was clean-shaven, his gray hair was combed and his navy blue suit was impeccable, but his face had the drawn look of a man who had been in an argument and lost.
“It’s good to see you again,” he said.
“You, too,” Maggie said. She glanced around the coffee shop. She didn’t see either Blair or Summer. She couldn’t believe they’d miss an opportunity to mess up her Valentine’s Day; not willingly, at any rate.
“You’re alone?” she asked.
“Yup,” he said. His voice was a resigned drawl. “That’s what happens when the womenfolk gang up on you. You spend the hearts and flowers day locked out of your house.”
“Been there.” Sam cringed and gave Maggie a sidelong glance she chose to ignore.
Bruce grunted. “I imagine you have. Of course, this is after I spent the better part of the evening listening to the events that occurred at a seedy motel on the outskirts of town.”
Sam and Maggie exchanged a look. Maggie wanted to laugh but it seemed bad form in front of Bruce. She saw Sam’s lips twitch, and she figured he was struggling as well.
“Sorry about that,” Sam said. “It was an unfortunate incident.”
“Tactful of you to put it like that,” Bruce said. “The truth is Blair has gotten it into her very stubborn head that you should be dating her daughter, and I have to tell you, I’m afraid she’ll stop at nothing to make it so.”
“What are you saying?” Sam asked.
“Simply put, when Blair gets a bug up her bazoo, it is virtually impossible to distract the woman, even with something sparkly and shiny.”
His obvious exasperation made Maggie smile. “Well, at least now I know where Summer gets it from.”
Bruce frowned. “Yeah, poor kid. Her mother is pretty hard on her. I think it comes out of Blair’s own insecurities. Still, I can’t imagine always having to be the best, the brightest, the most beautiful. That’s a hell of thing to make a kid live up to.”
Maggie nodded. She had a sudden urge to call her mother and thank her for just loving her for who she was even when she hadn’t been very lovable, which during her teen years had been pretty often.
“Hopefully, after today, things will calm down,” Sam said.
“We can always hope,” Bruce said. He sounded doubtful though. “Listen, I don’t want to hold up your romantic evening. I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page. You two enjoy yourselves, and I’ll see what I can do to find my wife a new and different hobby.”
“We’d appreciate it,” Sam said.
The two men shook hands and Bruce ambled out of the coffee shop and into the night. He had the hunched-over walk of a defeated man. But then he paused just outside the door, and Maggie watched as he turned up the collar of his coat against the nighttime chill. He stiffened his spine and tipped his chin up as if daring someone to try and sucker punch him. He strode down the sidewalk with a purposeful step before disappearing around the corner.
“What do you make of that?” Maggie asked Sam.
“The man has his hands full. I wish him all the luck in the world reining Blair in,” Sam said.
The waitress stopped by the table with their drinks, and Sam pulled out his wallet to pay, but she waved him away.
“Mr. Cassidy already paid for it all,” she said. “He said it was the least he could do.”
“Oh, wasn’t that nice?” Maggie asked.
“Poor guy probably spends his whole life paying people to forgive his wife’s bad behavior,” Sam said. Then he looked at Maggie and took her hand in his. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Yes,” she said as she leaned forward and kissed him. “But you can say it as much as you want. I never get tired of hearing it. I love you,
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