Read Hearts On Fire for Free Online Page B

enough to go somewhere. Or,
she would have found someone to take her where she wanted to go. I always
thought she could be rather clever when she put her mind to it. Unfortunately
when she put her mind to being clever it was usually getting her up to no
good.”
         Lizzie couldn’t argue
that one. She’d been on the receiving end of the no good sometimes. “You
haven’t spoken to her recently then? Seen her?”
         “No,” she answered
slowly. “Katy and I don’t exactly run in the same circles. She minds her business
and I mind mine.” She sighed a little. “I don’t even live here anymore. Ken and
I…” Now her voice hitched. “Ken and I lived in Hotchkins so he could be closer
to his work. I only visited mother on weekends and such.”
         Lizzie saw the fresh pain
and kicked herself in the ass for not addressing the reason for it sooner. “Oh,
Julie, I’m so sorry for your loss. I heard about your husband from Brian.”
         She blinked at her and
swiped at tears. “Yes, Brian would have known. His mother is a member of the
church.” Because she wanted a change of subject she asked, “How is Brian?”
         “He’s well. He started
his own practice a few years ago. I recently joined him and a few other doctors
in it.”
         “I always knew he’d do
well for himself. You’re still friends with him, even after the divorce?”
         The divorce was a hard
thing to explain to most people. Because there really had never been a marriage
to begin with. Instead of addressing it she just said, “We started out as
friends and we still are.”
         “And you have a son? What’s
his name again?” She tapped a fingernail to her lower lip. “I met him last time
Brian brought him down to visit his parents.”
         Lizzie startled at that
bit of information. Brian damn well knew the fucking rules. And he’d not only
broken one, he’d neglected to tell her! “Sean,” she nearly whispered. “His name
is Sean.”
         “Right! I only saw him
for a minute. Cute kid.” Completely dropping the subject, she said, “If you
hang around for a little bit you can see Josh and JD. Maybe they know something
about Katy that I don’t.”
         “Maybe later.” The last
thing she needed right now was to face JD.
         “I think Josh plows her
driveway for her and has helped her with some of the repairs around the place.”
         That explained the plowed
drive this morning. It also stopped her in her tracks. Katy had teased her a
couple times about her hot handyman. She’d eluded to some very intimate
moments. At the time Lizzie had just thought her little sister had been baiting
her into blushing. Now she wondered. Josh and Katy? She frowned. No way. “I’ll
have to make it later. I have a whole list of calls to make and some juggling
to do if I’m going to be sticking around for a while longer. Aside from that
when I ran into Matt today he asked me out to dinner tonight.”
         Julie’s brows rose a fraction.
“You’re going out to dinner with Matt?”
         “Well it’s not a date or
anything. He just offered to show me around town and talk to some people who
might know about Katy.”
         “Didn’t you date him in
high school?”
         Now Lizzie did blush.
“For a minute. It didn’t work out.”
         “Maybe he wants it to
now.”
         Shaking her head, Lizzie
started to draw on her gloves. “Nah. I’m not planning on sticking around any
longer than it takes to find Katy. After that I’m going home.” And with that
being said, “It was nice to see you again. I’ll say goodbye now, just in case I
don’t see you again before I leave. And I am terribly sorry for your loss.”
         Julie misted up at the
mention of her dead husband and her gaze shot to the floor. “Yes. Thank you. I appreciate
your condolences.” She saw her to the door. “I’ll let Josh and JD know you
stopped by and that