Speed Demons Read Free Page B

deceptively fragile woman had somehow found an angle, a loophole, into her inner circle. A very narrow circle at that. Watching Blythe drive away, Evie approved the fact that not only did Blythe drive an Audi A8, but she clearly wasn’t above pushing the accelerator where it belonged.
    To the floor.

Chapter Two
     
    Blythe looked up at the foreboding sky where dark clouds gathered. Plymouth was crowded in the summer, but during early fall the tourists abandoned it for attractions farther south. Glancing at the sea, Blythe shuddered as the dark gray waves created foam where they crashed against the shore. On the horizon she could detect large ships, but nobody in their right mind would go out in a small boat on a day like today.
    Hoisting her overnight bag over her shoulder, she took the camera bag in her free hand, the weight of it, the sense of normalcy it created settling her onset of nerves. She turned her attention to the house that her GPS had guided her to. With its light blue exterior, white trim, and black roof, it looked like many other houses around Cape Cod Bay. Blythe snorted. At least if you compared it to other wealthy estates.
    A flagstone garden path led to the front door, and she took a firmer grasp of her camera bag as she approached it. She raised an eyebrow at the oversized door knocker in the shape of a growling lion before she used it. Immediately the sound of quick steps filtered through the door before her hostess flung it open.
    Evie wore light gray sweats, the expensive type, and a white T-shirt. For the first time, Blythe noticed the scar along the left side of her neck, slightly discolored and wrinkled. Her dark brown hair hung loose around her face and covered some of it. She looked much more relaxed than at the restaurant the other day. Perhaps being on her home turf put Evie at ease?
    “Hello. You made it.” Evie motioned toward Blythe’s bags. “Can I take one of those?”
    “Sure.” Blythe handed her the overnight bag. Nobody carried her cameras but her. “I’m the first one to arrive?”
    “Yeah. My friends Colleen and Don won’t be here until dinnertime. I figured we’d get a chance to talk before they do. You know, about the details of your proposal.” Evie tilted her head, smiling. “Want to come in?”
    “Oh.” Blythe realized that she was still standing on the doormat, fidgeting with the shoulder strap of her camera bag. She had to literally force herself to continue talking. “Sure. Sounds good. Us talking, I mean.” Hating how staccato her speech pattern became when her nerves got the better of her, she kicked off her shoes and stepped into a bright hallway that was part of a living room. Large windows gave a spectacular view of the rough sea. “What a lovely house.”
    “Thank you. My mother tried to influence my dad’s more bohemian and wild taste while they were married, so anything stylish and elegant you see is her doing.”
    Blythe managed a shy smile. “So I take it your father chose the lion?”
    “The li—? Oh, the door knocker. Yes. Yes, he did.” Evie laughed. “He used to bring stuff like that home when he returned from whatever country his latest race took place. Mom was less than thrilled.” Evie’s eyes darkened as she briskly pushed her hair behind her ears. “Let me show you to the guest rooms. Since you’re first to arrive, you get to choose.” She walked over to a dark wood staircase, Blythe’s bag dangling over her shoulder as if it weighed nothing. “We have one overlooking the ocean or one overlooking the garden.”
    “I’d love to have an ocean view.”
    “Ah, a woman after my own heart.” Evie grinned, and if she noticed Blythe’s warming cheeks, she didn’t let on.
    The room was typical New England. Dark wood, nautical theme, white and blue, with a splash of red. The only thing that stood out was a large abstract painting that hung above the headboard of the queen-size bed.
    “Don’t tell me. Your dad?” Blythe