On Pins and Needles Read Free Page A

for pushing aside the idea and sticking to matters at hand.
    â€œIn other words, I’m the last resort,” Megan concluded.
    â€œThat’s about it.”
    â€œAnd you think you’re wasting your time,” she finished what he seemed to have left unsaid. “That’s okay. You aren’t the first person I’ve had to prove myself to and I’m sure you won’t be the last.”
    His very attractive mouth eased into another smile, as if he thought he’d gotten her goat and it pleased him.
    Well, he hadn’t gotten her goat. And to show him, she put some effort into sounding more professional.
    â€œHave you had allergy tests to isolate what you are and what you aren’t allergic to?” she asked.
    â€œNo, but I can pretty much tell. Horses and hay seem to trigger it. And since, besides being sheriff and being around them pretty much every where I go, I need to work the family ranch, I have to do some thing about it.”
    â€œWhich is why you’re here.”
    He merely inclined his head to concede the point.
    â€œI’ll need to do some testing of my own—” Megan held up her hand when he opened his mouth to protest. “Unlike what an allergy doctor would do, my way of testing is much easier and absolutely non-invasive. It’s simple muscle testing through applied kinesiology.”
    â€œWhatever that is.”
    â€œYou’ll see as soon as we get started. But I need to isolate everything you’re allergic to. For instance, if you were allergic to bacon you might have a sensitivity to pork, or it might be the nitrates the meat is cured with that bother you. I’d have to know which it is before you could actually be cleared.”
    â€œFor takeoff?”
    Okay, so he could make her smile and she liked that in a man, too. She still tried to maintain her perspective, though, by reminding herself that he thought she was a quack. “No, not cleared for takeoff. Cleared of the allergy. That’s what it’s called when I cure you,” she said with exaggerated bravado.
    He caught it. “When you cure me. Do you do laying on of hands and faith healing, too?”
    â€œNo, just acupuncture.” And she was enjoying their back-and-forth teasing too much, so she amended her tone to a more authoritative one and said, “Shall we get started?”
    But before he could answer, the front door opened suddenly to admit the contractor Megan had hired to replace her septic tank.
    It surprised both Megan and Josh. Their focus on each other had been so intense that neither of them hadseen him coming despite the fact that anything was hard to miss through the huge windows.
    â€œNever thought I’d find you both in one place,” Burt Connors said by way of greeting. “Glad to see it, though. Saves me a trip.”
    â€œHi, Burt,” the sheriff answered as if they were old friends.
    â€œJosh,” the excavator countered the same way.
    â€œWhat’s up?”
    Apparently Josh Brimley thought he should take over. But since Megan was still trying to figure out why her contractor had been looking for her and the sheriff, she guessed it was just as well.
    â€œGot that old septic tank out and put in the new one,” Burt Connors informed them both. “But when we were coverin’ it up again we dug a little in another spot for fill dirt and found somethin’ else. Somethin’ that looks like sheriff business.”
    â€œYou found sheriff business in my backyard?” Megan said.
    â€œYes, ma’am. Looks like a skeleton. A human skeleton.”
    â€œAre you sure it isn’t just an old family grave?” Josh asked reasonably.
    â€œSure enough. He’s not too deep, there’s no coffin and it looks like the guy was planted belongings and all. I think you better come take yourself a gander, Josh. And you, too, Ms. Bailey. This ain’t no kind of formal buryin’. I’m