River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz Read Free Book Online

had not been expecting the kick-in-the-gut shock of excitement that had hit him when he got his first look at her.
    He had been surprised by her air of cool self-confidence and professional sophistication. So much for assuming she would follow in the footsteps of her aunt and become an adult flower child who ate organic, meditated and practiced yoga.
    Instead, everything about Lucy told him that she’d learned a few hard lessons since leaving Summer River. She was no longer the sweet, lonely, too-trusting girl who could be easily deceived by a budding young sociopath like Brinker. The all-grown-up Lucy had claws.
    Claws and some money to spend on clothes and a few discreet but expensive-looking accessories. The gray pullover, black trousers and sleek little flat-heeled shoes looked pricey. So did the big leather bag and the small gold studs in her ears. Her dark brown hair was precision-cut in a stylish, angled curve that ended at her jawline, framing her expressive face and knowing green eyes.
    He watched her open the door of the compact and slip behind the wheel. There was something sleek and sexy about the way she moved. Maybe she had kept up with the yoga.
    He realized he was not the only one watching Lucy. Some of the customers sitting at the sidewalk tables in front of the Sunrise Café were also paying attention. He recognized two of them from the old days—Nolan Kelly, the proprietor of Kelly Real Estate, and Jillian Benson, now Mrs. Jillian Colfax.
    Jillian hadn’t changed a lot since the summer that Tristan Brinker had mesmerized the local teens. She looked like what she was—a former cheerleader who had discovered the hard way that when you married for money, you earned every penny. Life in the Colfax clan had probably proved a lot more difficult than she had anticipated.
    But at least she and Quinn Colfax were still together, he reminded himself. He was the one whose marriage had gone down in flames.
    Jillian raised a hand to get Lucy’s attention, smiled vivaciously and called out a greeting. The words were muffled because the door of the shop was closed, but Mason thought it sounded like
“Lucy. Lucy Sheridan. It’s me, Jillian. I heard you were in town. Why don’t you join us for a latte?”
    Lucy gave no indication that she saw or heard Jillian even though the café was just across the street. She closed the car door and pulled away from the curb.
    “Nicely played, Lucy,” Mason said aloud. “You really have learned a few things.”
    Anticipation about the coming evening crackled through him. He watched the snappy little car until it turned the corner and disappeared.
    He stood there for a while, contemplating his prospects for the night. Then he remembered the closed-up fireplace and started making a mental list of the tools he might need.
    Nolan Kelly finished his latte and got to his feet. He strolled across the street and opened the door of Fletcher Hardware.
    “Hey there, Mason.” He flashed his warm, easy smile. “How’s it going?”
    Thirteen years ago Nolan had exhibited all of the attributes that had destined him for a career in sales. Red-haired, blue-eyed and infused with a friendly, high-energy personality, he still radiated the earnest, honest air that had made parents trust him while their kids were buying pot and booze from him on the side. The only thing that had changed, Mason decided, was that these days Nolan sold real estate.
    Joe got to his feet and wandered out from behind the counter to take a look at Nolan. Joe did not appear to be impressed. Bored, he went back behind the counter.
    “Things are going fine,” Mason said. “What can I do for you?”
    “That was Lucy Sheridan I just saw coming out of here, wasn’t it? Heard she was in town.”
    “So?”
    “I thought I recognized her. She sure has changed. Who would have thought that she would turn out looking that good? She was here the summer that Brinker disappeared. Remember?”
    Mason said nothing. He had