Home to Stay by Terri Osburn Read Free Book Online

feeling more relieved than he’d be willing to admit. “We can get started on the rest of the island tomorrow. How does nine o’clock sound?”
    “Perfect,” Rebecca said. “We’ll meet you here in the lobby.”
    “I don’t suppose I can get a good cup of coffee around here?” Jude asked. “I’m not really awake until I’ve had my coffee.”
    “You’re in the suites, which have full kitchens, including coffeemakers,” Sam replied. “But we also have the Hava Java coffee shop not far from here if you’re looking for something only a barista could make.”
    “Mr. Randy, we’ll be starting at Hava Java.” Jude picked up his bags. “That’s fun to say.”
    “Great. I’ll leave you with Sam and see you in the morning then.”
    Randy gave Yvonne a wink, who rolled her eyes and visibly exhaled, then bid a hasty retreat to his truck. He considered mentioning Rebecca’s line of questioning about her to Will, but decided against it. She was already spooked enough.
    It had always been obvious that Will was hiding something, but until now he’d assumed she was intensely private. Based on her reaction to one casual snapshot, there was definitely more to her story.

CHAPTER 5
    B y the time Will arrived at Opal’s for their regular Tuesday girls’ night, Sid and Beth were seated with their desserts, including Will’s rhubarb pie. Beth looked tired, but well enough to be out getting treats.
    “I heard she’s pushy, but I guess you have to be in that line of work,” Beth was saying as Will took her seat. “Word is the photographer’s a real charmer.”
    “He is,” Will said, dropping a napkin across her lap. “British. Long hair. Pretty eyes.”
    “You met him already?” Sid asked around her bite of chocolate cupcake. Sid did love her chocolate. “How did that happen?”
    “They stopped in at Dempsey’s on the way into town. I didn’t know who they were at first.” If only she’d known. “I thought they were tourists.”
    “That explains it.” Beth wiped her mouth. “Yvonne says the first thing the woman asked Sam Edwards was if he knew you.”
    “What?” Will nearly choked on her pie. “Why would she do that? Sam doesn’t even know me.”
    “That’s what he said, according to Yvonne. This King woman commented that you had one of those familiar faces, then dropped the subject.”
    What could a travel reporter possibly gain from asking about Will? It wasn’t as if anyone on Anchor Island knew her secret. No one knew her face had been front page news once upon a time. And she certainly wasn’t an important enough part of the island to garner this kind of attention.
    “I don’t know what she expects people to tell her,” Will said, trying to play the whole thing off. “I’m not that interesting.”
    “Maybe she likes you.” Sid raised a brow.
    Will remembered how Rebecca King had looked at Randy as if he belonged in Opal’s display case. “Trust me. That’s not it.”
    “I’m just saying. You’re kind of hot, in that lesbian sort of way.”
    Will looked at Beth, who had spit a piece of carrot cake into her hand. “Where does she get this shit?”
    Beth shook her head, coughing and waving a hand in front of her face. “I don’t know, but that one nearly killed me.”
    Sid smacked Beth on the back. “Take a breath, Curly. If you die, Joe will kill me.”
    “Why do we hang out with her?” Will asked, trying to keep a straight face.
    “Don’t look at me,” Beth said. “She’s your people.”
    “No way in hell I’m claiming her.” Will noticed a day planner under Beth’s plate. “What are you hiding under there?”
    “Oh.” Beth set down her fork and slid the notebook from under her plate. “This is my life at the moment. Everything for the wedding is in here.”
    “I’m trying to get her to hand it over,” Sid said, slicing what was left of her cupcake into three large pieces. “The doc says no stress, and that means no more handling every single wedding