Get A Clue by Jill Shalvis

Author:Jill Shalvis [Shalvis, Jill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0758211384
Published: 2009-03-09T00:39:41+00:00

Chapter 16

There are only two kinds of men: dead. . . and deadly.

—Breanne Mooreland's Journal Entry

By afternoon, Breanne needed a distraction. She figured food would do it. Moving toward the kitchen, she stopped short in the hallway and stared at a new painting. Or at least she thought it was new because this she would have remembered.It was an antique, two-person saw blade, at least six feet long, maybe more, painted with the most beautiful landscape of a raging river surrounded by a thick forest, with a storm brewing on the left. Gorgeous.

But where had it come from?

She was distracted from that by the sound of Shelly talking in the kitchen. The cook had made herself scarce all day, and Breanne had been worried about her. Relieved now, she knocked on the closed door.

"Just a sec!" Shelly called out. Then, a minute later, she opened the door, looking rosy and rushed, but neat as ever. '.'Hey!"

"Want some company?"

"Uh . . ." Shelly took a quick glance over her shoulder, then flashed Breanne a smile. "Sure. Come on in."

Breanne looked around. "Who were you talking to?"

"What?"

"I thought I heard you talking."

"Oh." Shelly laughed breathlessly as she moved behind the island countertop. "Myself. I talk to myself. A lot. Have a seat. Are you hungry? I have hot water—I boiled it in the fireplace. Start with some tea while I fix something for you."

Breanne sat at a bar stool on the other side of the island counter, feeling the cool wood beneath her thighs thanks to the short, short skirt. She began flipping through a basket of teas to choose from.

Shelly unloaded an armful of things from the refrigerator, then began chopping carrots at the speed of light, defying gravity and all laws of relativity as her knife flew through the stack. When the carrots were gone, she moved on to celery. And then fresh broccoli.

Neither of them spoke. Breanne wanted to ask about Edward, but Shelly seemed like brittle glass, so instead she sat there shoving the chopped veggies into her mouth with the same velocity that Shelly wielded her knife.

When Breanne caught up with her, eating everything in front of her, she took her tea bag out of her mug and sipped Earl Grey.

"You know," Shelly said, breaking their silence, "women are a lot like that tea bag."

"How's that?"

"You don't know how strong they are until you put them in hot water."

Breanne laughed and it felt good. "Ain't that the truth."

"If men had to be half as strong as we are, our race would have died out." A sad smile crossed Shelly's face. "My mom said that a lot."

Jumping at the chance to think of anything other than Edward, she managed a smile also. "I have four brothers, so that statement would have started World War III in my house. Are you close to your family?"

"Oh. Yes." Shelly's smile softened. "It's just me and my sister now. More veggies?" She shoved the rest of the chopped broccoli toward Breanne. "I'd have made dip if the sour cream wasn't questionable.

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