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“A big projecta casserole dish in a low cupboard Her se of the counter for support
“Okay?” Bryce asked To how Mary had swayed on her feet, but Bryce was cool as a cucu with the man?
“It’s gone now Just a head rush” She looked at Torinned “Happened the last time, too All the time”
“The last tiaze dropped to her belly and back up to her wide smile “Alice isn’t even a year old!”
She shrugged “We always said anted theether”
An emptiness opened up inside him and he refused to fill it with jealousy He was happy for theave his sister-in-law a gentle hug “Well, congrats again,” he said, then backed up, giving Bryce a thuoalie, huh?”
He didn’t waste tiood-byes, but alone in his truck on the way back into town, he let the feelings in Maybe they were right Maybe a big project hat he needed, because having too ave hi his brother so happy made him realize how empty his life had become
The washer and dryer at the house hadn’t been used in so long that everything had calcified or rusted, and Abby had the persistent, icky thought that ht have built
nests in the dryer ducts There were no clean linens on any of the beds; the gorgeous four-posters hadelse A search of a linen closet revealed two sets of sheets coated with the ever-present layer of dust, but no blankets or comforters
Realizing there was no way she could stay here in the house’s present condition, she bundled up the sheets, got in her car, and started back into town to check into a ht Torocery store to stock up on cleaning supplies
Abby slowed as she got closer to the town lih dirt at the house to keep her busy for at least the next feeeks For a fewsome of Aunt Marian’s money to hire cleaners to come in and do the work for her And yet, despite her dislike for dusting and scrubbing, she knew she didn’t want anyone else going through the contents of the house If nothing else, she owed it to her grandmother to find out what she could about this side of the farime?
And once that was done she’d decide what needed to be fixed and contact a Realtor She hadn’t planned on staying in Jewell Cove very long but plans changed It wasn’t like there was a pressing need to be on any schedule Or anyone waiting for her to return She could afford a feeeks to take care of personal business That’s all this was Business
She didn’t want the intimacy of a bed-and-breakfast—too many curious questions—so she turned into a small roadside motel just past the waterfront and the co it The roo view of theSince she had no desire to sit in the camp chair and watch traffic, she checked out the view from the backThe harbor spread out below her, boats tied to the docks and bobbing on the sht She watched as a fishing vessel chugged its way into the far end of the dock, its grayish-white prow breaking the gentle waves
A long, lol sounded in the silence and Abby pressed a hand to her stomach When had she last eaten? Not for hours There was no on-site restaurant at themachines in the office, so she had a quick shower to wash off the dust before looking for some dinner Revived, dressed in clean navy trousers and a soft pink top with ruffles along the heht te the border, she didn’t expect it would prove too difficult to find so
She passed Meazebo, and upon close exaht next to the dock there was a fish-and-chips place—more like a canteen, really—with the s to the air Farther along she saw Breezes Café, a proht next door to an Italian place called Gino’s that filled the air with the pungent s to keep looking, Abby walked down the sidewalk next to the water ad to dock, when a door opened farther down the street and country h the breach like a siren’s call