Hooked on Ewe Read Online Free Page B

committee. With a small amount of effortless reorganization, I’d just made all three of us very happy.
    “The two of us need tae have a chin wag,” the inspector said next, placing a hand lightly on my elbow. “A private one, if ye don’t mind.”
    Isla, as if sensing she was about to lose one of her minions, called over, “We could use a helping hand over here with the tent, Eden. We don’t have much time left. Ye cannae expect the others tae do all the work!”
    “I’m afraid Ms. Elliott is occupied in a matter o’ important police business,” the inspector informed Isla with the proper authority in his tone. Then, lower to me as we moved farther away, “Let her stew over that fer a while. Besides, it won’t hurt the nag tae work with her own hands for a change instead o’ exercising her mouth muscles.”

C HAPTER 3

    We handed an amiable Sean over to the welcoming committee, where Isla promptly put him to work moving Oliver Wallace’s van into the shade of a silver maple at the far end of the parking lot.
    “Over there,” she ordered, pointing to the general area of Sean’s own Renault. “On the far side o’ that beat-up old clunker.”
    Sean grimaced at the insult, but Isla didn’t notice. “Oliver always leaves the keys in the ignition, so no need tae track down the slacker,” she complained. “I don’t know how he manages tae disappear every time I turn my back.”
    “And yerself,” she turned to Lily Young, who’d appeared on the shop porch with Vicki, whose arms were filled with paper satchel kits containing this month’s skeins of yarn. “Pull yer finger out.”
    Pull your finger out?
I shot a questioning glance at the inspector, who clarified. “It means tae hurry up.”
    Instead of obeying, Lily ignored Isla. As we watched, Vicki shook her head firmly and tucked the kits protectively against her body. Lily was obviously disappointed as she walked slowly over to help erect the tent.
    “What’s the story there?” the inspector asked me.
    I explained about Vicki’s new project with the yarn club and how overly successful the venture had been (if such a thing even exists in the business world—I suppose it does; too much demand, not enough supply). “I suspect Lily didn’t get in on the initial wave of members,” I said as Vicki joined us, “but was still hoping to claim a kit.”
    “That’s it exactly,” Vicki agreed. “She’s on the waiting list, but that one has a bit of push and shove in her makeup, I’d say. I’m going to enlist Sean to help me hand these out to the
actual
members and to guard them from the likes of Lily.” And off she went, still defensively clutching her treasures.
    After that, the inspector and I walked up the lane. Despite what he’d told Isla about having important business to discuss with me, whatever was on his mind didn’t seem to be too pressing. Why, I wondered, was he still here?
    Perhaps the inspector’s official business announcement had been for Isla’s benefit. Or rather mine, to get me out of there. Whichever, I appreciated the excuse to escape. If he had anything to discuss, he’d get around to it. Our conversation centered on topics such as the current sunny skies, and which of the sheep dog competitors stood the best chance of winning the trials. The inspector favored Bryan Lindsey.
    “Herself has hen-pecked that man practically into an early grave,” the inspector said, referring to Isla. “But he’s still thebest sheep dog trainer in Glenkillen. Nothing like a wife such as that tae keep a man’s nose tae the grindstone.”
    I laughed. The inspector had found some positive in with the negative, but he was more generous than I was. In my opinion, Isla and her ilk were best appreciated from afar. Life is too short to let others drag you down.
    I heard the tractor start up inside the barn, which was a honey-colored structure that fit the Highland landscape to a tee. We stood aside as Kirstine’s husband, John Derry, drove