us, Jennifer.”
She smiled at her brother. “Same time next week?”
He smiled. “Deal. I’ll get Tom to help me make some homemade ice cream.”
Jennifer groaned. “I am so full that doesn’t even sound good.”
Peter looked at the bowl of caramel popcorn. “We did a pretty good job on that,” he agreed. He smiled. “Let me know when you hear from Scott again.”
She pushed him toward the door. “Go home, Peter.”
The phone rang as she was getting ready for bed.
“What’s this I hear about you having a date?”
Jennifer sat down on the bed. “And hello to you too, Rachel.”
Rachel laughed. “Sorry. Who is he, Jennifer?”
Jennifer settled back against the headrest, using the pillows to get comfortable. It did feel nice to be able to talk to someone who she knew would adore the entire the story. “Do you want the short story or full tale?”
“Peter is putting the boys to bed. Give me the entire story.”
“I was walking on the beach. He said hello. Scared the daylights out of me because I didn’t realize he was there. You know how jumpy I am when I’m tired. This was the morning after I’d given myself that great shiner. He jumped to the conclusion that I was a battered wife or something, because he apparently tried to track me down afterward.”
“Jennifer, you didn’t explain?”
“I didn’t think it was any of his business. I had just met the guy.” She smiled. “The story gets better.”
“He found out I was an author and somehow got in touch with Ann because I got this message from her saying that some guy was trying to get in touch with me. She relayed the message he had left and I about died. His message said ‘Come stay with me.’”
“Oh, my.”
Jennifer laughed. “I went back to the beach, figuring he probably walked there every morning about the same time. Sure enough, I met him again. After I explained the real circumstances, we ended up having breakfast together, and he invited me out to dinner and a play. I had a good time.”
Rachel cut her off. “Hold it, Jennifer, I’m still trying to get beyond you had breakfast with him.”
Jennifer chuckled. “I like this guy.”
“I can tell. What’s he look like?”
“Six foot two. Brown hair. Blue eyes. He’s thirty-eight. Athletic. He has very expressive eyes.”
“Are you going to see him again?”
“Dinner a week from Thursday,” Jennifer replied.
“Well I’m glad you’re dating again.”
“We are becoming good friends, but that is as far as this will ever go, Rachel. Jerry and Colleen are still too big a part of my life to seriously make room for someone else right now. In a couple of years it will be different. Right now is just bad timing.”
“Are you sure Jennifer? He sounds perfect.”
Jennifer chuckled. “Nobody is perfect. Not even Jerry,” she admitted.
“Peter is telling me to get off the phone.”
Jennifer laughed. “I told him not to tell you.”
“As if your brother could ever keep a secret,” Rachel replied. “Besides, I twisted his arm. He had orders to find out where you were Saturday night. I tried to call and you weren’t home.”
Jennifer laughed. “Thanks, friend. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Sweet dreams, Jennifer.”
Jennifer leaned over to hang up the phone, still smiling.
Ann really was going to kill her. Jennifer dropped the three-ring binder onto the bed beside her and rolled onto her back, groaning as she rubbed bleary eyes. It was after 2:00 a.m. She had taken the printout of the story to bed with her so she could read the entire story and see what sections still needed work. The story was great, and Thomas Bradford was unmistakably dead. She had to warn Ann what was coming. Her publisher was already projecting that two more books would put the series on the bestseller list, and when that happened, demand for all of the books in the serieswould shoot through the roof. They were not going to be pleased when they got a book that ended the
She smiled at her brother. “Same time next week?”
He smiled. “Deal. I’ll get Tom to help me make some homemade ice cream.”
Jennifer groaned. “I am so full that doesn’t even sound good.”
Peter looked at the bowl of caramel popcorn. “We did a pretty good job on that,” he agreed. He smiled. “Let me know when you hear from Scott again.”
She pushed him toward the door. “Go home, Peter.”
The phone rang as she was getting ready for bed.
“What’s this I hear about you having a date?”
Jennifer sat down on the bed. “And hello to you too, Rachel.”
Rachel laughed. “Sorry. Who is he, Jennifer?”
Jennifer settled back against the headrest, using the pillows to get comfortable. It did feel nice to be able to talk to someone who she knew would adore the entire the story. “Do you want the short story or full tale?”
“Peter is putting the boys to bed. Give me the entire story.”
“I was walking on the beach. He said hello. Scared the daylights out of me because I didn’t realize he was there. You know how jumpy I am when I’m tired. This was the morning after I’d given myself that great shiner. He jumped to the conclusion that I was a battered wife or something, because he apparently tried to track me down afterward.”
“Jennifer, you didn’t explain?”
“I didn’t think it was any of his business. I had just met the guy.” She smiled. “The story gets better.”
“He found out I was an author and somehow got in touch with Ann because I got this message from her saying that some guy was trying to get in touch with me. She relayed the message he had left and I about died. His message said ‘Come stay with me.’”
“Oh, my.”
Jennifer laughed. “I went back to the beach, figuring he probably walked there every morning about the same time. Sure enough, I met him again. After I explained the real circumstances, we ended up having breakfast together, and he invited me out to dinner and a play. I had a good time.”
Rachel cut her off. “Hold it, Jennifer, I’m still trying to get beyond you had breakfast with him.”
Jennifer chuckled. “I like this guy.”
“I can tell. What’s he look like?”
“Six foot two. Brown hair. Blue eyes. He’s thirty-eight. Athletic. He has very expressive eyes.”
“Are you going to see him again?”
“Dinner a week from Thursday,” Jennifer replied.
“Well I’m glad you’re dating again.”
“We are becoming good friends, but that is as far as this will ever go, Rachel. Jerry and Colleen are still too big a part of my life to seriously make room for someone else right now. In a couple of years it will be different. Right now is just bad timing.”
“Are you sure Jennifer? He sounds perfect.”
Jennifer chuckled. “Nobody is perfect. Not even Jerry,” she admitted.
“Peter is telling me to get off the phone.”
Jennifer laughed. “I told him not to tell you.”
“As if your brother could ever keep a secret,” Rachel replied. “Besides, I twisted his arm. He had orders to find out where you were Saturday night. I tried to call and you weren’t home.”
Jennifer laughed. “Thanks, friend. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Sweet dreams, Jennifer.”
Jennifer leaned over to hang up the phone, still smiling.
Ann really was going to kill her. Jennifer dropped the three-ring binder onto the bed beside her and rolled onto her back, groaning as she rubbed bleary eyes. It was after 2:00 a.m. She had taken the printout of the story to bed with her so she could read the entire story and see what sections still needed work. The story was great, and Thomas Bradford was unmistakably dead. She had to warn Ann what was coming. Her publisher was already projecting that two more books would put the series on the bestseller list, and when that happened, demand for all of the books in the serieswould shoot through the roof. They were not going to be pleased when they got a book that ended the
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