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Overview
The dead guy's the (late) boyfriend of a friend. And when it becomes apparent that the cops are getting nowhere fast, Lexie and Hailey decide to do some sleuthing of their own. After all, they're both smart, imaginative, and fearless—and nobody runs faster in high heels. But diving deep into Miami's underbelly to confront drug lords, ex-cons, and gun-toting divas may be too much to handle for a couple of South Florida girls who just want to have fun . . .
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780060884727 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 07/31/2007 |
| Pages: | 368 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.83(d) |
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Read an Excerpt
How to Kill a Guy in 10 Days
Chapter One
Hailey
Going out of business sale.
All books 50%-75% off.
The sign in the window of Gina's Used Books snagged my attention the minute I pulled my pickup into the strip mall's parking lot. Abandoning my original idea of going to the pet store, I instead headed straight for Gina's. Wind chimes tinkled above the door as I entered, and the smell of cinnamon and coffee wafted across the air-conditioned room. Gina knows how to make her customers feel special, and the thought of her going out of business was enough to put me in a state of panic. I counted on her to provide me with my weekly fix of romance and mystery novels, which I'd purchased by the truckload from her since my high school days. And now that I'd come back to Miami for good, I'd expected to shop at her store once again. Who on earth would support my habit if Gina closed down?
Oh, sure, there was always Barnes & Noble, but there was something about Gina's store with its old-fashioned down-home charm—something that wasn't found on every corner of the busy streets of Miami—that appealed to me. Gina's made me feel like my grandmother had just sat me down in a corner of her country log home with an afghan, a good book, and a cup of café au lait. She couldn't go out of business! Not when I'd just returned to Miami.
My long legs ate up ground as I strode over the mint-colored carpet, straight for the front counter. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and I needed to make Gina see reason. I'd rally the customers around her, float her a loan, do whatever it took to keepher from shutting down my retreat, my solace, this store of my heart. Gina would listen to reason once I pointed out to her the ninety-nine reasons why she must stay open.
But before I could locate her, my gaze fell on a pretty black woman standing near the register as I approached the front counter. She was browsing a shelf of books on the display rack, and something about her profile jiggled my memory. She stood relaxed yet poised, as though she had not a care in the world, and as I drew close, she glanced at me, a polite smile curving her lips. Recognition registered in her expression at the exact moment a grin broke out on my own face.
Alexia Muller, my old high school friend. We'd become best buddies in eleventh grade, after she'd rescued me—the new kid from Sage Bend, Montana—from a group of bullies, and we'd grown closer as the years passed. But I hadn't seen her since I'd left Miami.
"Lexie?"
"Hailey!"
We leapt at each other at the same time, only Lexie's move was more of a glide. Unlike me, she's graceful, which I can only claim to be on the back of a horse. She's so damned pretty it's hard for strangers to see how down to earth she is at first glance. Lexie's one of those women you want to hate, but can't help liking within five minutes of striking up a conversation with her. Me, I always admired her looks in a way that I hoped wasn't green-eyed monsterish. Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it, and Lexie had it going on. I'd always loved hanging with her. She attracted men like ants to a picnic. And me—I had enough "cute" in my mirror to keep at least some of them sitting on my side of the picnic blanket. Or so Lexie had always told me.
"Girlfriend, what are you doing here?" She held me at arm's length, her five-foot-eight-inch frame balanced on a pair of cute melon-colored heels that brought her up to eye level to my five-ten.
"I can't believe it's really you!" I squeezed her in a bear hug, not wanting to let go. God, it had been a long time. Too long. No one should ever give up their girlfriends for a man—another lesson I'd learned the hard way when my ex had dragged me back to battle the wilds of Montana just days after our city hall wedding.
"Are you living here again, or just on vacation?"
"I moved back six days ago," I said. My voice dropped to a serious tone. "Dad died."
Genuine sympathy creased Lexie's brow. "Oh, hon, I'm so sorry." She knew I'd lost Mom years ago when we were seniors. Mom's death was what made me give in to Travis when he'd driven all the way to Miami to be with me for the funeral, then convinced me to marry him and go back to Montana. I hadn't had much in the way of family, and now it was just me and my sister, Bailey, and her three darling children from hell.
"Thanks." I shrugged. "It was unexpected. He found out he had cancer and three weeks later he was gone."
"Oh." Lexie wrapped her arms around me and gave me a good long hug.
"But I'm okay," I insisted, pulling apart from her. "And the last thing I want to do is get all weepy and emotional, so why don't we grab a cup of coffee and catch up?"
Lexie smiled and pointed one neatly manicured fingernail at me. "You're on, girl."
I still wanted to talk to Gina, but that would have to wait. It wasn't every day you ran into your former best friend. And God, was it ever good to see Lexie again after all this time. I felt ashamed to have lost touch with her in the first place. But life has a way of interfering with your intentions, and these things happen.
Linking arms, we strolled to the corner of the shop where Gina had a little coffee stand set up, complete with an old-fashioned counter and six cushioned stools. You could order coffee in every flavor imaginable. . . .
How to Kill a Guy in 10 Days. Copyright © by Kayla Perrin. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.