Death Rides Again (A Jocelyn Shore Mystery) Read Free Page A

Wait.”
    Kyla, who’d been unusually quiet, spoke at last. “So are you ever going to tell me what’s up with You-Know-Who?”
    “Lord Voldemort?” I asked, knowing full well whom she meant.
    The breadth and depth of her profanity was truly impressive and had, if anything, improved since our trip to Egypt. I waited until my ears stopped ringing and vision returned, then said, “If you mean Colin, then yes, thanks to you, he’s going to join us later.”
    She sniffed. “Well, someone had to invite him. The boy was going to spend Thanksgiving alone.”
    “You don’t know that. He could have gone to see his family, and I’m sure he had invitations from friends as well.”
    Kyla half turned in her seat to stare at me.
    “What is going on with you? You’re dating him, right?”
    “We’ve been out a few times,” I admitted.
    “And?”
    “And nothing. We’re dating. But it’s only been a few weeks. Too soon to expose him to the Shores, that’s for sure.”
    “He didn’t seem to think so. He accepted pretty promptly as I recall.”
    I thought about that awkward little scene. We’d gone on a double date with Kyla and her current boyfriend, and the dinner conversation had turned to the upcoming holidays. Upon learning that Colin had not yet made plans for Thanksgiving, Kyla had issued an overexuberant invitation to the ranch, complete with gushing descriptions of the first-class quail and deer hunting, the party atmosphere, and the joy of family. Considering that she loathed every single thing she’d described and usually had to be dragged kicking and screaming the entire way, she’d done a good job of making it sound fun. It had been the look in Colin’s eyes, the half-wary, half-hopeful expression that had forced me to smile and second her invitation. Even then, I hadn’t actually expected him to accept, but he’d done so with pleasure. Too much pleasure. I had my doubts whether he understood the concept of taking things slowly, which was my condition for dating at all. And I was positive that Kyla did not.
    She now proved it by saying, “I don’t get it. You’re not really still considering that idiot Alan, are you?”
    My boyfriend Alan Stratton—the man I’d thought I might love. I’d met him while taking a tour of Egypt about six months earlier, which despite being interrupted by two murders, one robbery, and the machinations of a ruthless smuggling ring had turned out to be one of the best vacations of my life. Although I’d suspected Alan of being a criminal for a while and of being interested in Kyla for even longer, eventually he convinced me that I was wrong on both counts. We’d been dating since we returned, but things had not been going smoothly recently. And then, of course, I’d met Colin.
    “Alan is not an idiot,” I said automatically. “He’s a good guy. I know it’s hard for you to believe, but I actually care about him. A lot. But that’s not the point here.”
    “There’s a point?”
    “Yes! The point is that Colin and I have only been dating—in a very casual way, I might add—for a few weeks. Sort of quick to take him home for Thanksgiving, don’t you think?”
    “No, I don’t. I invited Sherman, but he already had plane tickets to go see his folks. Anyway, what’s the big deal? Seems like it would be nice for the two of you to have some extra time together.”
    “Maybe,” I said, “but it gives the wrong impression.”
    Her blue eyes widened in mock horror. “Oh, no! Not the wrong impression. The family honor will be compromised. Whatever shall we do?”
    I gritted my teeth and fleetingly wished that the truck had a passenger eject button.
    “Anyway,” I said coldly, “Colin’s going to join us late this afternoon or early this evening. He had a few things to wrap up.”
    “What kind of things? What could possibly be more important than the Shore family reunion?”
    I hesitated, then finally decided on the truth. “He’s applying to the Texas