Lori has some kind of relationship with Tommy.”
“She denied it.”
“And she’s correct. So why are
you doubting it?” Adam inclined his head towards her house. “Lori doesn’t
lie.”
“I never thought she did,” Matt
replied. “But when a man comes around breathing fire, then something is going
on.”
“Nothing romantic, that’s for
sure. I know her.”
“I know.”
“Do you have any idea of Tommy’s
problem?”
“Not a clue.” Matt looked at
Adam. “You haven’t heard of anything between them? Anything bad?”
Adam gave a bark of laughter.
“Lori do anything bad? Trust me, Matt, that girl hasn’t got a bad bone in her
body. She’s just a sweet girl.”
“Whose waters run deep,” Matt
muttered before he could stop himself.
“Ah, so you figured that out.”
Adam’s eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement.
Matt looked at him.
Adam slanted his beer can in
Matt’s direction. “I’m not stupid. Lori’s sweet but there’s more to her than
meets the eye. She can get fiery when the time calls for it, don’t worry. I
know her.” At Matt’s scowl, he burst out laughing. “And no, there’s been no
romance between me and Lori. We just got on really well from the time we were
kids. She’s like a little sister to me.”
There was no denying the relief
that Matt felt even as he shrugged and leaned laconically back in the chair.
“No worries.”
“Yeah, sure.” Still grinning,
Adam took another drink of beer before placing it on the table. “So, you’re
sweet on Lori and suspicious of Tommy. Good instincts.”
Matt shot him a look.
“Tommy isn’t himself lately.”
Lips pursed, Adam gazed out into the garden. “A few people have commented on
it. Man hasn’t come to me, though, so I guess he’s dealing with whatever it
is.”
“Whatever it is, he seems to think
that Lori knows about it.”
“Has she said anything to you?”
“She denied it, remember?”
“Hmmm. Maybe I should have a word
to her.”
“Yeah, because that will make her
happy with me. I thought you were my friend, arsehole.”
Unperturbed, Adam tracked a
butterfly that meandered past him. “I’ll just do a little quiet digging
around, see if there’s anything going on that I should be aware of.” He slanted
Matt an amused look. “And don’t worry, I won’t drop you in the shit with your
sweetheart.”
“Good.” Deciding it was time to
change the subject, Matt studied him. “So why are women not on your list of
top favourites this morning?”
Almost immediately Adam’s face went
expressionless. “No reason.”
“Yeah, right.” Matt arched one
eyebrow. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain new blonde in town,
would it?”
“What blonde?” Going by the
narrowing of his eyes, it was more than obvious that Adam knew exactly what
blonde to whom Matt was referring.
“The one who tipped water into
your lap? No one missed the way you practically dragged her out of the
restaurant, Adam. Then she disappeared from town for a short time before
turning back up again a couple of days ago, and you look like someone who found
the end of the rainbow and ended up with a pot of crap rather than one of
gold. What’s the problem?”
Scowling, Adam drained the tin and
crushed it in his big hand, dropping it onto the table and leaning his head
back against the chair. “Let’s just say she’s a thorn in my side.”
Intrigued, Matt rolled his beer
can between his palms. “How?”
“She just is.”
“Old school friend?”
“Barbie’s a couple of years
younger than me. I used to go out with her sister.”
“Barbie’s the blonde?”
Adam grunted.
“So how is she a thorn in your
side now?”
“Old story. Nothing I want to
talk about.”
“I thought that’s what you came
here for?”
“No, I came to relax with a
friend, not cry into my hankie about a sheila who drives me
“She denied it.”
“And she’s correct. So why are
you doubting it?” Adam inclined his head towards her house. “Lori doesn’t
lie.”
“I never thought she did,” Matt
replied. “But when a man comes around breathing fire, then something is going
on.”
“Nothing romantic, that’s for
sure. I know her.”
“I know.”
“Do you have any idea of Tommy’s
problem?”
“Not a clue.” Matt looked at
Adam. “You haven’t heard of anything between them? Anything bad?”
Adam gave a bark of laughter.
“Lori do anything bad? Trust me, Matt, that girl hasn’t got a bad bone in her
body. She’s just a sweet girl.”
“Whose waters run deep,” Matt
muttered before he could stop himself.
“Ah, so you figured that out.”
Adam’s eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement.
Matt looked at him.
Adam slanted his beer can in
Matt’s direction. “I’m not stupid. Lori’s sweet but there’s more to her than
meets the eye. She can get fiery when the time calls for it, don’t worry. I
know her.” At Matt’s scowl, he burst out laughing. “And no, there’s been no
romance between me and Lori. We just got on really well from the time we were
kids. She’s like a little sister to me.”
There was no denying the relief
that Matt felt even as he shrugged and leaned laconically back in the chair.
“No worries.”
“Yeah, sure.” Still grinning,
Adam took another drink of beer before placing it on the table. “So, you’re
sweet on Lori and suspicious of Tommy. Good instincts.”
Matt shot him a look.
“Tommy isn’t himself lately.”
Lips pursed, Adam gazed out into the garden. “A few people have commented on
it. Man hasn’t come to me, though, so I guess he’s dealing with whatever it
is.”
“Whatever it is, he seems to think
that Lori knows about it.”
“Has she said anything to you?”
“She denied it, remember?”
“Hmmm. Maybe I should have a word
to her.”
“Yeah, because that will make her
happy with me. I thought you were my friend, arsehole.”
Unperturbed, Adam tracked a
butterfly that meandered past him. “I’ll just do a little quiet digging
around, see if there’s anything going on that I should be aware of.” He slanted
Matt an amused look. “And don’t worry, I won’t drop you in the shit with your
sweetheart.”
“Good.” Deciding it was time to
change the subject, Matt studied him. “So why are women not on your list of
top favourites this morning?”
Almost immediately Adam’s face went
expressionless. “No reason.”
“Yeah, right.” Matt arched one
eyebrow. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain new blonde in town,
would it?”
“What blonde?” Going by the
narrowing of his eyes, it was more than obvious that Adam knew exactly what
blonde to whom Matt was referring.
“The one who tipped water into
your lap? No one missed the way you practically dragged her out of the
restaurant, Adam. Then she disappeared from town for a short time before
turning back up again a couple of days ago, and you look like someone who found
the end of the rainbow and ended up with a pot of crap rather than one of
gold. What’s the problem?”
Scowling, Adam drained the tin and
crushed it in his big hand, dropping it onto the table and leaning his head
back against the chair. “Let’s just say she’s a thorn in my side.”
Intrigued, Matt rolled his beer
can between his palms. “How?”
“She just is.”
“Old school friend?”
“Barbie’s a couple of years
younger than me. I used to go out with her sister.”
“Barbie’s the blonde?”
Adam grunted.
“So how is she a thorn in your
side now?”
“Old story. Nothing I want to
talk about.”
“I thought that’s what you came
here for?”
“No, I came to relax with a
friend, not cry into my hankie about a sheila who drives me
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