Kitabı oku: «Sweet Tea At Sunrise»

Praise for the novels of New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author

SHERRYL WOODS

“Woods…is noted for appealing character-driven stories

that are often infused with the flavor

and fragrance of the South.”

—Library Journal

“Warm, complex, and satisfying.”

—Library Journal on Harbor Lights

“Sparks fly in a lively tale that is overflowing with family conflict and warmth and the possibility of rekindled love.”

—Library Journal on Flowers on Main

“A well-told story of lost love recaptured.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Inn at Eagle Point

“Woods is a master heartstring puller.”

—Publishers Weekly on Seaview Inn

“A lively, upbeat story that sparkles with holiday fun and tugs at the heartstrings. Enjoyable and well written.”

—Library Journal on Welcome to Serenity

“Redolent with Southern small-town atmosphere, this emotionally rich story deals with some serious issues and delivers on a number of levels.”

—Library Journal on A Slice of Heaven

“Sweetly satisfying, clever characters and snappy, realistic dialogue…a delightful read.”

—Publishers Weekly on About That Man

Sweet Tea at Sunrise
Sherryl Woods

www.mirabooks.co.uk

Also by New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Sherryl Woods

SWEET TEA AT SUNRISE* HOME IN CAROLINA*

HARBOR LIGHTS***

FLOWERS ON MAIN***

THE INN AT EAGLE POINT***

WELCOME TO SERENITY*

SEAVIEW INN

MENDING FENCES

FEELS LIKE FAMILY*

A SLICE OF HEAVEN*

STEALING HOME*

WAKING UP IN CHARLESTON

FLIRTING WITH DISASTER

THE BACKUP PLAN

DESTINY UNLEASHED

FLAMINGO DINER

ALONG CAME TROUBLE**

ASK ANYONE**

ABOUT THAT MAN**

ANGEL MINE

AFTER TEX

*The Sweet Magnolias

**Trinity Harbor

***Chesapeake Shores

Look for Sherryl Woods’s next novel HONEYSUCKLE SUMMER available June 2010

Dear Readers,

Welcome back to Serenity for Sarah’s story! The Sweet Magnolias series is all about long-standing friendships, and the one between Annie, Sarah and Raylene, despite an interruption by time and distance, is now stronger than ever.

Many of you may identify with Sarah’s self-esteem issues. I know there have been times in my life when I certainly would have. And for a woman like Sarah, whose husband planted seeds of doubt in her head for many years, finding her way back to being self-confident can’t happen overnight.

It seems at first glance that a sweet-talking man like Travis McDonald is exactly what Sarah needs, but will she find the courage to trust his pretty words? Recovering from years of self-doubt isn’t easy, but Travis is a determined, patient man, one definitely worthy of loving.

I hope you’ll enjoy their story, along with catching up with a very unexpected turn of events for Mary Vaughn and Sonny. For me one of the greatest joys of writing these books is the chance to catch up with old friends. I hope you’ll feel the same way, and that you’ll be anxiously awaiting the conclusion of this latest Sweet Magnolias trilogy, Honeysuckle Summer, in stores next month.

All best,

Chapter One

For a few days now the same man, clad in snug denim and a T-shirt that caressed impressive biceps, had spent precisely thirty minutes in the back booth at Wharton’s, lounging against the red vinyl as if he owned the place, and studying Sarah as if he found her to be the most fascinating creature on the planet. No man had looked at her like that since she’d first crossed paths with her ex-husband back in college. And even before the divorce, it had been a couple of years since Walter had regarded her with that degree of interest. It was unnerving.

Of course, a lot about her life these days was unnerving. With a whole lot of support from her two best friends, Annie Sullivan Townsend and Raylene Hammond, Sarah had finally gotten up the gumption to divorce Walter and—equally important—his entire controlling, uptight family. She’d fought to win custody of her two kids, Tommy and Libby.

And, mostly in the interest of getting out of the house and doing something, she’d taken a part-time job waiting on tables at Wharton’s, where just about everyone in Serenity congregated at one time or another during the week. It might not be making use of her degree in elementary education, but it was surprisingly satisfying. She’d discovered she had a knack for getting people to open up, a necessity in a restaurant that prided itself on being the hotbed of local gossip.

No one, however, seemed to have any idea of who the mysterious man in that back booth might be. Sarah had asked.

Just now, she’d even asked the man himself point-blank if he was new in town, here to stay or just passing through. He responded with a slow, sexy, dimpled grin that had unexpectedly sent her recently comatose libido into overdrive.

“I suppose I could be persuaded to stay if the right offer came along,” he said in a low voice that hummed across her senses. “You offerin’, sugar?”

Sarah was so taken aback by the flirtatious question, she scurried straight off to the kitchen to place his order. It was one thing to chat up old man Watson from the feed and grain, or the town mayor, whom she’d known since she was in diapers. It was quite another to have a man with dreamy eyes and a voice that could lure a woman straight to bed act almost as if he wanted to take her…well, straight to bed.

Which, of course, he didn’t. She knew that. Hadn’t she heard often enough about all her flaws—her weight, her disorganization, her lack of mothering skills—from her ex-husband? In retaliation for her decision to file for divorce before he had a chance to, Walter had made it his personal mission in life to see that she had not one shred of self-esteem left by the time they ended their marriage. Worse, even knowing that he was just being his ornery old self, she’d been so low that she’d taken every mean-spirited word to heart.

In the past few months, she’d worked hard to get herself back into shape. Annie had been her personal trainer at The Corner Spa, and Sarah had finally knocked off most of the weight she’d gained during two pregnancies. She had another ten pounds she’d like to sweat off, but if it didn’t happen, well, she could live with that, too. Despite her success, though, she sometimes still saw herself through Walter’s eyes, which annoyed the daylights out of her friends. It irked her, too, but the stream of a few years of nonstop criticism was embedded so deep, it was almost impossible to shake.

“Grace, you need to take that burger and fries to table nine,” she told the owner of the old-fashioned soda fountain. The down-home cooking continued to bring in business even now that the pharmacy side of the operation was taking a hit from some of the bigger discount pharmacies in the region. In Sarah’s opinion it was friendly service and gossip that had kept it afloat.

Grace Wharton eyed her curiously. “Why would you suddenly want to turn a man who looks like that and tips like a city slicker over to me?”

“Just do it, please,” Sarah pleaded, not wanting to admit he made her nervous.

Grace’s eyes narrowed. “Did he say something to offend you? If he did, I’ll throw him out of here on his backside, attractive though that backside might be.”

Sarah turned pink with embarrassment. “No, he was just joking around, that’s all. You know, flirting the way some guys do. I should be used to it.”

Grace observed her thoughtfully. “Seems to me you could use a sweet-talkin’ stranger to put a little color back into your cheeks.”

“I most definitely do not need a man,” Sarah declared emphatically. “I just got rid of the one I had.”

“Good riddance is what I say,” Grace declared. “The way I hear it, all he ever did was tear you down. Now you need a fella to perk you back up. I’d think a little sweet talk would be music to your ears.”

It was an oft-repeated refrain. In the month she’d been working at Wharton’s, Grace had not only offered that opinion on an almost daily basis, she’d suited action to words and trotted out half the single men in town for Sarah’s inspection. For all Sarah knew, this man could be the latest.

“Do you know him?” she inquired suspiciously. “The man in booth nine? Did you drive over to Columbia or Sumter or someplace and recruit him to sit in here and stroke my ego?”

Grace looked genuinely appalled by the suggestion. “Absolutely not! As if I would do such a thing. I never saw him before he turned up in here a couple of days ago,” she said with obvious frustration. “He’s not registered over at the Serenity Inn, either. I checked.”

“Could be he’s staying with friends or family,” Sarah speculated.

“Might be, but it’s no one who comes in here regular-like,” Grace insisted. “Besides, if he were someone’s guest, wouldn’t they be sittin’ right there with him? He’s obviously on his own.”

“What about Mary Vaughn?” Sarah asked. “Not only does she usually lock on to any new single man in the entire region, but she’d know if he looked at real estate.”

“Sadly, since she got back together with Sonny, they take their lunch hours together…at home, if you know what I mean,” Grace said with a grin. “Those two act like they’re honeymooning all over again. Can’t say I see much of either one of them. When she does come in for coffee, she’s always in a rush. She gets out of here before I can get a word out of her.”

“Well, someone must know who he is,” Sarah said with frustration. “I asked him directly if he was new in town, and he didn’t give me a straight answer.” Her cheeks burned at the memory of his teasing.

Grace regarded her with amusement. “For someone who claims not to be interested in the man, you sure are determined to figure this out,” she said as she picked up the plate with the burger and fries, then added another couple of meals to a tray. “You sure you don’t want to take this out there yourself?”

Sarah shook her head. “You do it. I’ll take more coffee to the mayor and his buddies, maybe see if I can tempt them into putting a little ice cream on that peach pie you baked this morning.”

“I declare those men are going to gain ten pounds by the end of the month, the way you talk them into having dessert every day.” She shook a finger under Sarah’s nose. “I don’t want their wives in here grumbling at me, you hear. And George Ulster has diabetes, so don’t be trying to talk him into pie and such.”

Sarah grinned. “George always gets sugar-free ice cream. Howard Lewis is a widower, so nobody’s going to come in here complaining about his weight, and Fred Watson’s skinny as a scarecrow. It’s all good, Grace.”

Grace gave her a sorrowful look. “Why you’d want to hang around those old geezers when there’s a certifiable hunk in here is beyond me, but there’s no accounting for taste,” she said, nudging the door with her ample hip and heading out of the kitchen with the three meals balanced on a tray as if it weighed next to nothing. With her round face, pink cheeks, greying hair, granny glasses perched on the end of her nose and the red uniform she’d unwisely chosen to match the decor, she looked a bit like Mrs. Claus.

Sarah picked up pots of decaf and regular coffee and followed in her wake, careful not to glance toward booth nine. Something told her that a pair of sea-green eyes would be watching her, and that they’d fill with knowing amusement when Grace arrived with his lunch.

Fortunately, Wharton’s was too busy for her to spend much time worrying about what he thought. She didn’t even glance in his direction.

But when he rose and started toward the door, she knew it with every fiber of her being. And when he stopped just behind her and drawled, “See you tomorrow, sugar,” she juggled the tray she was carrying and nearly upended two tuna-melt specials onto the black-and-white tiled floor. Bright color once again flooded her cheeks.

Before she could flee to the kitchen, he was gone, leaving her flustered and irritated in just about equal proportions.

“I don’t know why he rattles me so badly,” Sarah said that evening as she, Raylene and Annie sipped margaritas on the back patio at her small bungalow. She’d settled there with Tommy and Libby when it had become obvious that her marriage was all but over. It was the perfect May evening in South Carolina, warm but without the oppressive humidity that would soon set in.

She’d fled to Serenity from Alabama for a break, originally intending to go back all fixed up to suit Walter’s idea of the perfect wife. It hadn’t taken long to realize that she’d be wasting her time trying to meet his high standards. Thank heaven her parents had had the foresight to keep this house even after they’d moved to a new retirement home on the gulf coast of Texas, apparently guessing long before she did that her marriage was doomed.

“Have either of you seen him or heard anything about him?” she asked her friends.

“Well, you know I haven’t,” Raylene said wryly.

Ever since she’d moved back to Serenity to escape her abusive husband in Charleston, Raylene had rarely left the house. Sarah had given her a safe haven, and in return Raylene looked after the house and babysat Tommy and Libby on occasion when the regular sitter had time off. It had been the perfect solution for both of them, though Sarah was starting to wonder just how healthy it was for Raylene to continue hiding out and pretending her problems didn’t exist.

“About that,” Annie began, only to draw a quelling look from Raylene that stopped whatever she’d been about to say.

Trying to broker peace, to say nothing of getting back to her own concern, Sarah said, “Focus, ladies. Who is this man? What’s he doing in Serenity?”

Annie gave her an amused look. “I’m with Grace. You’re showing a lot of curiosity for someone who’s supposedly not interested.”

Sarah scowled at her. “Well, what if he’s a stalker or, even more likely, what if he’s spying for Walter? I wouldn’t put it past my ex to send some guy over here to try to get me all tied up in knots so I’ll do something stupid that’ll make it easy for him to snatch Tommy away from me.”

It still stuck in everyone’s craw, especially hers, that Walter had expressed interest in gaining custody only of his son—the heir to the Price family legacy, an Alabama cotton mill—but not his daughter. In fact, her lawyer, Helen Decatur, had used that very fact to show the judge why he was an insensitive, unfit parent.

Raylene looked thoughtful. “It would be just like that jerk,” she said, despite the fact that she’d never personally laid eyes on the offensive Walter. She hid out in her room on the days he came to see the kids, claiming she didn’t want to intrude or to say something to make the situation between him and Sarah any worse.

“Agreed,” Annie said. Since she had first-hand knowledge of some of Walter’s shenanigans after Sarah’s return to Serenity, she spoke with even more authority. “I’ll have Helen check him out. Or maybe my dad. With his store right there on Main Street, he sees pretty much everything that’s going on in town. And I’ll ask Jeanette to talk to Tom. She’s been off for a couple of days, but she’ll be in tomorrow. As town manager, Tom can check with the sheriff and see if they’ve been keeping an eye on anyone suspicious.”

“Great idea,” Raylene said, shuddering a bit. She was still spooked by the idea of strangers in town, even though she knew perfectly well that her ex was in jail.

Sarah flinched at the all-out investigation she seemed to have sparked. Maybe she’d overreacted just a little. “Are you sure we’re not going overboard? Could be he’s just new in town and a big flirt.”

“Then we need to know that,” Annie said. “It’ll put your mind at ease.”

“Or it’ll rattle you even more,” Raylene said with a grin, which was a rare enough sight to be worth noting.

“I am not interested in this man,” Sarah declared forcefully.

Her friends, darn ’em both, simply laughed.

Travis McDonald sat in his cousin’s kitchen nursing a cup of coffee and thinking about the pretty little waitress at Wharton’s who’d been providing him with so much entertainment for the past few days. Yesterday he’d scared her so bad, she’d sent Grace over with his meal. Today she’d avoided him altogether, except for casting a few nervous glances his way. He hadn’t enjoyed flustering a woman like that in a long time. Most of the women he ran across threw themselves at him, so she had been a refreshing change.

Like his cousin Tom, the town manager here in Serenity, Travis had been a college baseball standout. Then he’d gone pro and spent a few years being traded around to various farm teams before finally making it to the majors with the Boston Red Sox. It had nearly killed his Southern, blueblood family to have him playing for a team up North. The only thing worse, in their opinion, would have been if he’d signed with the Yankees.

After his career had come to a screeching halt a couple of weeks back, when the Red Sox had released him right after spring training and no other team had come calling, the first person he’d phoned had been Tom. His cousin had invited Travis to stay until he figured out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. They both knew that would be easier to accomplish without Travis’s parents chiming in with their very vocal and usually differing opinions. There would also be relative anonymity here, since the locals were mostly fans of the Atlanta Braves and paid little attention to teams in the American League until the World Series rolled around. Travis relished the idea of a little privacy.

So far, he’d been pretty much flying under the radar here in Serenity, just the way he wanted to, while he gave his future some serious thought. He’d seen the occasional flicker of puzzlement, maybe a fleeting, vague hint of recognition, but not one single person had approached and asked for an autograph. That, too, was a refreshing change from the very public life he’d been leading.

At 29, he’d come out of baseball with a decent amount of money in the bank, no permanent ties beyond his divorced parents and a couple of well-meaning, but annoying sisters, and absolutely no sense of direction. The only thing he’d known for sure was that he couldn’t get back to the South fast enough. The northern weather was too cold and unpredictable and Boston too crowded. Then, too, he hadn’t especially wanted to hang around a town where he’d been dumped by its beloved sports team.

For the past several days he’d spent countless hours right here at this kitchen table talking over his options with the older cousin who’d always been a mentor to him, and with Tom’s wife, Jeanette, who treated him like a younger brother, but without the nagging of an older sister.

This morning, as he’d listened to Grace Wharton try to tune in the nearest radio station from over in Columbia only to wind up with mostly static, an idea had bubbled to the surface. He could hardly wait for Tom and Jeanette to get home so he could try it out on them. It was a plan that would make good use of his education and just might satisfy his folks, plus it offered the challenge he craved.

He’d already done some digging around on the Internet and discovered that a small radio station that had virtually no signal and little programming beyond the weather and a stockpile of oldies was for sale. He’d even made a phone call to the owner and determined he could not only afford to buy it, he could buy the current owner’s expertise for a few months until he got the hang of running it himself. Now all that remained was getting Tom’s stamp of approval…or, more likely, a stern lecture detailing why he’d be out of his ever-lovin’ mind to even consider such a thing.

To grease the wheels for the conversation, Travis had spent the past hour on the back patio tossing a salad and heating up the grill for the thick steaks he’d picked up at the market. He’d even set the table and uncorked a bottle of halfway decent wine in honor of the occasion. He had his favorite beer on ice for himself. The serene garden setting—which Jeanette claimed was the sole reason she’d bought the house right out from under Tom before they’d even started dating—was ideal for a good meal and some serious conversation.

An hour later, with Tom and Jeanette sighing with appreciation over his pretty basic culinary efforts, Travis launched into a description of his brainstorm. The incredulous expression on Tom’s face was a little daunting, but Travis forged ahead anyway. When he’d finished, he waited expectantly.

“Are you nuts?” his cousin demanded.

Tom’s reaction was pretty much what Travis would have expected from his father, so it was a little discouraging to have it coming from his cousin, whom he’d expected to be more supportive.

Jeanette, however, regarded him with obvious delight. “I think it’s a fabulous idea. It’s just what this town needs.”

“Since when does Serenity need its own radio station?” Tom asked, his expression dubious.

“You said so yourself after that last hurricane looked as if it was aiming straight for us,” Jeanette responded. “You said we needed a way for everyone in town to get up-to-the-minute information relevant to Serenity, instead of just what was going on over in Charleston or Columbia.”

Tom scowled at her. “That was different.”

“How so?” Jeanette inquired.

“I was just saying someone should do it,” Tom grumbled. “I didn’t mean my own cousin should come into town and throw his money away.”

“Are you so sure a radio station wouldn’t make money here?” Travis asked. “There’s no competition, at least not close enough to matter. I’d get all the local advertising dollars.”

“Haven’t you heard?” Tom said. “We’re in the midst of an economic crisis. None of the businesses around here have money to throw away on advertising. They’re all just trying to stay afloat.”

“Which is precisely why they need to advertise,” Jeanette chimed in, backing up Travis. “When did you start to sound so negative about this town, anyway?”

“I’m not down on Serenity. I’m just being realistic.” He faced Travis. “Why would you want to stay here, when you could locate anywhere in the country?”

“Why not?” Travis responded. “You did. In fact, if I’m recalling correctly, you had a chance to move back to Charleston and you decided to stay right here.”

Tom glanced at his wife, undisguised adoration in his eyes. “I was persuaded that someone here might make it worth my while.”

“Don’t blame it all on me,” Jeanette said, obviously not taking his gallant words as much of a compliment. “When the town heard you might leave, they put on a full-court press to keep you here. All that flattery is what changed your mind. It certainly wasn’t the salary or even my wiles.”

Tom shrugged. “Okay, I succumbed to the challenge of solidifying the town’s economic base,” he admitted. “I decided I couldn’t walk away when I hadn’t finished the job I came here to do.”

“That’s exactly what I’m looking for,” Travis told him. “A challenge, and a place where I can make a real contribution to the community.”

“Then I think a radio station in Serenity is perfect for you, Travis,” Jeanette said. “Goodness knows, you love to talk. And with that low, sexy drawl of yours, you’d be great on the air. Every woman in town will tune in, especially if you go on the air at night.”

She made an exaggerated show of fanning herself with her napkin, which drew a disgruntled look from her husband. She merely grinned and added, “And I already know for a fact that you’re the hot topic of conversation in Wharton’s. When I got back to work today, Annie asked me if I had any idea who the new stranger in town might be. She thought maybe Tom should have the sheriff run a check on you.”

Travis chuckled, but Tom looked shaken.

“What the devil have you been doing to stir things up?” he asked Travis.

“He’s been flirting with Sarah, apparently,” Jeanette said, her amusement plain. “Now Annie’s on the case. I tried to dodge her questions, because I know you wanted to hang on to your privacy as long as possible, but you should know Annie’s not going to let this rest.”

“Who’s Annie?” Travis inquired.

“One of Sarah’s best friends. She’s also married to Ty Townsend.”

“Pitcher for the Braves?” Travis asked, impressed when she nodded. “He has one heckuva fastball.”

“How about we discuss your flirtatious ways and Ty’s fastball a little later,” Tom suggested. “Right now maybe we should put this radio idea to rest.”

“I still like it,” Jeanette said, giving Tom a stubborn look. “I think he’ll be a huge hit.”

“And who’s he supposed to put on the air the rest of the time?” Tom inquired testily.

“He’ll hire people,” she replied.

“Are there a lot of frustrated radio deejays in Serenity?” Tom scoffed, apparently content to have this conversation with his wife without any input from Travis himself.

“He won’t know until he puts out word he’s hiring,” she told him. “I vote yes, but since it’s clear I’m butting up against my husband’s superior wisdom, I’ll leave you two to thrash it out. I have an early meeting at the spa in the morning.”

She leaned down to give her husband a blistering kiss that made Travis’s stomach knot with envy. Oddly, it also brought the image of the waitress from Wharton’s to mind. That probably wasn’t a good thing.

Then, again, it might not be one bit riskier than this radio venture that had captured his imagination.

Chapter Two

Sarah was jittery as a june bug all day Saturday. Walter was on his way over from Alabama to see the kids—well, to see Tommy, anyway—and it was the first time he’d been here since she’d started working at Wharton’s. She imagined he’d have plenty to say about that. Waiting tables in a local diner didn’t fit the Price definition of a suitable career. They hadn’t even wanted her to make use of her degree in education, as if teaching at the local elementary school would be beneath a member of such a lofty family.

Worse, Grace had been in a bind this morning, and Sarah had agreed to cover an extra shift, so she wouldn’t be at the house to break the news herself. She’d left it to the sitter and Raylene. She figured that could go one of two ways. Walter would shrug it off as one more irrational decision she’d made, or he’d come flying over here to try to drag her back home where he thought she belonged.

She was clearing tables after the breakfast crowd, getting ready for the bigger than usual Saturday lunch rush in less than an hour, when she saw Walter’s gasguzzling luxury SUV pull up to the curb. Even without seeing the driver through the tinted windshield, she knew it was Walter because most people in Serenity had adapted to the economic times with more practical cars. She sighed and prepared herself for battle.

She wasn’t surprised when he pulled Tommy out of a car seat in back, but when he also emerged a minute later with Libby, she thought maybe her imagination was playing tricks on her. Walter never willingly took Libby anywhere, claiming he didn’t know how to handle babies. That might have worked when she was six months old, but it had stopped being an effective excuse now that she was nearly two. She saw Raylene’s hand in this. For a woman who was jumpy around strangers, she was a fighter for those she cared about. She must have come out of hiding to shame Walter into taking both kids.

“Mommy, Daddy said we could have pancakes for breakfast,” Tommy announced excitedly, pushing his way inside and heading right for her. “Is it okay, even if we already ate?”

“It’s fine with me,” she assured him, casting a wary glance toward Walter, who was trying to slow his pace to Libby’s. Once she’d learned to walk, Libby’s independent streak had kicked in, and she never wanted to be carried anymore except when she was exhausted. Walter’s expression radiated frustration, but to his credit he hadn’t just picked her up or tried to rush her. Maybe he’d already discovered that was a sure way to get her to throw a tantrum.

Sarah met his gaze. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” she said, trying to gauge his mood.

“I wasn’t expecting to find you working in a place like this, either,” he said as he settled Libby in the booth next to Tommy. “I think we should talk about that.”

“Not while I’m working,” she said firmly, keeping her expression cheerful but unyielding. “What can I get you to drink?”

“Coffee for me,” he said. “Milk for the kids, I guess. Tommy, you said you want pancakes, right?”

“This many,” Tommy confirmed, holding up two fingers.

“How about one, and then we’ll see,” Sarah said. “Libby, you want a pancake, too?”

“She’ll make a mess of it,” Walter immediately protested.

“Not if you give it to her in little pieces,” Sarah said. “I’ll be back in a minute with your drinks.” She escaped to the kitchen before she asked him why he’d brought them here if he was so worried about any messes they might make. She already knew the answer, anyway. Lecturing her was evidently his top priority.

When she returned with her ex’s coffee and milk for the kids, he frowned at her. “Sit down so we can talk, okay? There’s nobody in here.”

“There will be soon, and I need to have the tables set up,” she said. “Once I’m finished with that, if there’s time, we can talk.”

Just then Grace emerged from the kitchen, recognized Tommy and Libby and apparently guessed the identity of the man with them. “Honey, you go ahead and take a break,” she told Sarah. “I can finish up with the booths, and I’ll bring those pancakes out when they’re ready.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Sarah protested. “You’ve been on your feet all morning. You’re the one who should be taking a break.”

“It’s okay. I’ve had a lifetime to get used to that. I’ll bring you a glass of sweet tea, too,” Grace insisted.

Sarah sighed and sat down, crowding into the booth next to her ex-husband. There wasn’t nearly enough room to keep as much space between them as she’d like to. Reluctantly, she met his stormy gaze. She could barely recall what it had been like to have those bright blue eyes light with pleasure at the sight of her.

“You wanted to talk,” she said mildly. “Now’s your chance.”

“Okay, then, what I want to know is if you’re working here just to embarrass me?” Walter inquired in a strident tone that carried all the way to Grace, who was placing setups on the counter. She whirled around and gave him a hard look.

Aghast by Walter’s rudeness, Sarah regarded him incredulously. “You’re the only one embarrassing you,” she said in a low voice. “What I do in Serenity is no reflection on you or your family. We’re not married anymore.”

“But it suggests I’m not paying you enough in alimony and child support,” he said.

She had to try hard not to laugh at his twisted but all-too-typical logic. “No, it suggests that I want to work and contribute to my own family’s well-being.”

Walter was clearly exasperated by her reply. “Then why not teach? Isn’t that what you were always claiming you wanted while we were married? Day in and day out, I heard about how you were wasting your college degree.”

“In case you haven’t checked a calendar, it’s almost the end of the school year,” she said, clinging to her patience by a thread. “I’ve put in an application for next year, but it’s too soon to know if there will be a position open.”

“Well, you could wait until you hear before taking a job like this.”

Sarah shook her head at his demeaning tone. “Do you happen to remember what I was doing when you and I met at college?”

“Waiting tables,” he admitted grudgingly. “But we were kids then.”

“And it’s still a perfectly respectable job,” she said. “You weren’t such a snob back then, Walter. In fact, you seemed happy enough when I could give you a free burger and fries. Has living in the shadow of your family turned you into the kind of man who can’t appreciate hard work, no matter what it is?”

She already knew the answer. Working for his father and living close to his family had changed him from the independent, fun-loving man she’d fallen for into someone she no longer even recognized. Every time he opened his mouth to criticize her, the words she heard were an echo of something either his mother or father had said about her. And nothing they’d ever said had been good.

He winced at her accusation, but for once he didn’t bother trying to defend himself. “Okay, okay, I just hate to see you wearing yourself out when you don’t need to. You couldn’t keep up with the kids when you were home all the time. Now they’re probably running wild because you’re too exhausted to chase after them.”

She doubted this had anything to do with consideration for her, but she pretended he was sincere. “Thanks for worrying, but I’m managing just fine.”

“Well, you look like hell.”

“Thanks so much,” she said wryly, then forced a smile. She refused to rise to the bait of one dig after another. She’d finally learned it wasn’t worth arguing with Walter, especially in front of the kids. She turned her attention to Tommy. “So, what do you have planned with your dad for today?”

“Daddy and me are gonna play catch,” Tommy said eagerly. “Right, Daddy?”

“Right,” Walter said, his eyes lighting up as he looked at his son. There was no mistaking his love for the little boy who looked just like him, with the same blue eyes and sun-streaked brown hair.

Their crooked smiles were exactly alike, too. Every time Sarah saw that smile on her Tommy’s face, she thought about the man she’d fallen in love with, the one it seemed no longer existed.

“And Libby?” Sarah prodded.

“Play, too,” Libby insisted, her adoring gaze on her daddy, who plainly was less than thrilled with the idea.

“That’ll be fun,” Sarah enthused.

“Yeah, it’ll be a barrel of laughs,” Walter said.

Sarah regarded him with dismay, and he had the grace to look sheepish. He ruffled Libby’s golden curls. “Who knows, you could turn out to be the first girl to play in the majors.”

Over my dead body, Sarah thought, but kept the thought to herself. If the outrageous idea gave Walter a rare moment of rapport with his daughter, who was she to ruin it?

Just as Grace brought the pancakes for the kids, a few of the Saturday regulars started straggling in.

“I have to get back to work,” Sarah said, leaving Walter looking flustered as he tried to deal with Libby’s pancake and her demands for more syrup.

“Sure, abandon me in my time of need,” he grumbled as she rose, but for once there was a spark of his old sense of humor in his eyes.

That glint made Sarah’s heart catch. Walter Price had been handsome, no question about it. He still was, for that matter. But it was his sense of humor that had captivated her. When that had died, driven out by his demanding father and exasperating mother, she’d lost all hope for their marriage. That didn’t mean she couldn’t hope that one of these days he’d find himself again.

When Travis walked into Wharton’s for lunch on Saturday, he noticed that Sarah seemed to be operating on autopilot. She never once met his gaze while taking his order. Nor did she respond when he told her she was looking mighty fine today.

He watched her as she went through the motions of handing out meals, writing tickets and making change, barely exchanging a word with any of the customers. She looked as if she were a million miles away. Wherever she was, it seemed to be an unhappy place.

Travis liked a puzzle as well as the next person, but he’d always figured the quickest way to figure one out was to ask what you wanted to know. When Sarah brought him a tuna sandwich instead of the chicken salad special he’d ordered, he snagged her hand.

“Hold on, sugar. I ordered the special.”

Jerking her hand away, she looked down at the plate on the table as if seeing it for the first time, then blushed furiously. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know where my head is.”

“You’ve been looking distracted ever since I came in,” he said, choosing his words carefully. Something told him she was one harsh word away from coming unglued. “Is there a problem?”

“Not really. I just made a mistake, that’s all.”

“Never seen you make one before.”

“If you only knew,” she said with an edge in her voice. “I’ll get your chicken salad and be right back.”

Travis decided to let her go. When she returned with his meal, he tried again.

“You know what I’ve been thinking?” he said, then went right on before she could walk away. “I’ve been sitting here thinking about how much I miss that smile of yours.”

She regarded him skeptically.

Travis nodded. “That’s the gospel truth,” he assured her. “I count on that sunny smile. It makes people feel real welcome.”

She frowned at his comment. “Sorry. It’s not on the menu today.”

“Any particular reason?”

Her frown deepened. “Why are you making such a big deal about this? Everyone has a bad day from time to time.”

“Because it always bothers me when I see a woman looking so unhappy.”

“So, what? You think you have to rush in and play Sir Galahad?”

He grinned. “Something like that. It’s a curse, but that’s just the way I am.”

Her lips twitched slightly, as if she were fighting a smile. “Eat your lunch, Sir Galahad. I’m busy.”

“Really?” he said with an exaggerated look around. He was the only customer left.

She blinked as she realized the same thing. “Oh.”

“I hope everyone didn’t slip out without paying,” he said with feigned worry.

She did smile then, albeit with obvious reluctance. “You going to pick up their tabs, if they did? In the interest of putting a smile on my face?”

“Absolutely,” he said. “Or you could just sit down here and talk about your troubles.”

“With you? A total stranger?”

“Now, that’s not quite right. I thought you and I had been getting to know each other for days now.”

“I don’t even know your name.”

“Well, I know yours, Sarah. Mine’s Travis. Travis McDonald.” He held out his hand. Schooled with good manners, she took it, but released it almost immediately.

“McDonald?” she repeated, recognition obviously dawning as the name registered. “Any relation to Tom, our town manager?”

“He’s my cousin,” he admitted, then smiled. “Now, see, we’re practically old friends. You can tell me anything.”

“I thought men hated listening to women pour out their problems,” she said, studying him curiously.

“Really? I’ve found it’s the best way to get to know a woman. If you don’t listen to what’s going on in her life, how are you supposed to know how to make her happy?”

“And making women happy is what you do?”

He laughed at the innuendo in her tone. “Not in that way, sugar, though we could probably work something out.”

She stared at him for a beat, clearly uncertain whether he was joking or not. Finally, she chuckled. “You’re outrageous.”

“Just one of the words I’ve heard used,” he admitted. “Sit, and I’ll tell you some of the others.”

“But I thought you wanted to talk about me,” she said, feigning disappointment.

Travis laughed. “That’ll work, too.”

“Sorry. I really do have to get back to work. As soon as I get this place back in order, I need to get home to my kids. They’re always upset when their daddy goes back to Alabama.”

“You’re divorced,” he concluded.

“Yes, and a single mom of a girl who’s not quite two and a boy who just turned four.”

“No wonder you look a little shell-shocked. That’s a heavy load to be carrying.”

Her gaze narrowed. “You don’t like kids?”

“I love kids, as a matter of fact. I’m just saying I know how demanding it is to raise a couple of them on your own.”

“Now how would you know a thing like that?” she asked with blatant skepticism.

“Because my mama did it with me and my two sisters. My daddy, bless his heart, was worthless when it came to parenting. He was good for three things, as near as I could tell, writing checks, chasing women and telling the rest of us how badly we were screwing up.”

“He sounds like a wonderful role model,” she said wryly. “Are you thinking of following in his footsteps? You certainly have the sweet talk down pat.”

The suggestion that he might be anything like his daddy offended Travis deeply, but she had no way of knowing that. “I certainly do hold him up as an example,” he said slowly, holding her gaze. “Of what not to be.”

She blinked at the heat behind his words. “Okay, then. Good for you.” She stood up hurriedly. “Nice talking to you, Travis McDonald.”

“You, too, Sarah,” he said with more sincerity than she’d managed.

He watched her walk away, wondering at the fact that he was still fascinated despite all the complications screaming at him to stay far, far away.

Mary Vaughn Lewis couldn’t recall a time in her life when she’d been happier. When she’d married Sonny Lewis the first time, she’d been after respectability and security. He was the son of the town mayor and owner of a successful car dealership. Married to Sonny, she’d believed no one would ever look down on her again or bring up her less-than-respectable family.

They’d divorced because he’d tired of her taking him for granted. Or maybe because he’d tired of being second best to Ronnie Sullivan, who’d never even given her a second glance despite her very best efforts to catch his attention. It was hard to say just why Sonny had lost patience, but the divorce had been a shock just the same. She’d never envisioned Sonny leaving her. The one constant in her life had been his adoration from the time they’d been teenagers.

Only after they’d been apart for a while had Mary Vaughn realized what a treasure Sonny was. She’d found herself drawn to him in a whole new way. The passion that had been methodical the first time around had been rekindled into something that stunned her with its intensity. In their forties, they were like two kids who couldn’t get enough of each other.

As much as this new side of their relationship thrilled her, it was seriously cutting into her career as a real estate agent. She’d realized she was well and truly hooked on her new husband when she chose running home for a mid-afternoon quickie over showing houses or closing a deal. Her schedule, once packed with appointments she refused to change, was now subject to her husband’s timetable and the sudden impulses that might strike either one of them.

Which is why she was at home and breathless when she had a call from Travis McDonald inquiring about real estate downtown. Though she had no intention of stopping what she was doing, she couldn’t keep herself from listening to his message. Since moving a property on Main Street or anywhere in the vicinity was rare, she yanked the sheet up to her chin, pushed away Sonny’s roving hand and took notice, grabbing the phone out of its cradle before he could hang up.

“I have a few properties that might suit your needs,” she immediately told the man on the other end of the line. “When would you like to look?”

“How’s this afternoon?” he said, sounding eager. “I could meet you in a half hour.”

“A half hour will be perfect,” she said at once, ignoring Sonny’s resigned expression. She settled the details, hung up the phone and turned to her husband. “Five minutes to dress, another five to get there. That leaves us twenty minutes. You up to the challenge?”

Sonny grinned. “You ever know me not to be?” he said, already reaching for her.

A half hour later, Mary Vaughn’s hair was a bit more tousled than usual, her cheeks a little pinker, as she pulled her Mercedes to the curb. Even so, a glance at her watch told her she was right on time. Just one more incidence in her life when Sonny hadn’t let her down.

At the end of May there was a frenzy of speculation in Wharton’s when a SOLD sign appeared on the window of an empty space on Azalea Drive, just across the street from Town Hall and on the other side of the square from Wharton’s.

Once occupied by a small newsstand that had sold magazines, cigarettes and Coca-Cola in bottles out of an old-fashioned red cooler, it had been empty for several years. The dingy front window had been covered over with curling brown paper, the once-green door was now faded and the rolled up awning was so dry-rotted it would probably crumble if anyone dared to open it.

For once, no one seemed to be able to pry even a tidbit of information from Mary Vaughn, who was usually only too eager to tell the world about the local real estate sales, especially those she’d made herself.

“Sorry, I’ve been sworn to secrecy,” she told Sarah and Grace when they ganged up on her one morning when she stopped in to pick up a cup of coffee to go.

“Since when has that ever stopped you?” Grace grumbled with a huff.

Mary Vaughn didn’t take offense. “The buyer paid full price to keep my mouth shut. What can I say? Money talks.”

“Well, you’d think whoever it is would want to set off some free word-of-mouth,” Grace said. “Must not have much business sense.”

Mary Vaughn grinned at Sarah. “Maybe we should talk about something else. I’m hoping Rory Sue’s going to move back home. Maybe she could get together with you, Annie and Raylene sometime. I think once she sees there are some young people still around, she’ll feel more positive about settling in Serenity, instead of heading over to Charleston. Sonny and I are just sick, thinking about her so far away. And you should hear her granddaddy going on and on about it. Howard’s beside himself.”

As if Charleston were at the other end of the earth, Sarah thought. In her opinion, it wasn’t quite far enough. Still, she fibbed, “We’d love to see her.”

The truth was, Rory Sue had always thought she was better than any of them, Raylene included. It didn’t seem to impress Rory Sue in the least that Raylene was the only girl in town who’d had a full-blown debutante season over in Charleston, thanks to her well-connected maternal grandparents.

Like her mama, Rory Sue thought she was hot stuff because of her family, the most powerful one in Serenity. That Howard and Sonny Lewis were big fish in a very tiny pond didn’t seem to faze her. It had also apparently escaped her notice that her maternal grandparents—Mary Vaughn’s mama and daddy—were less than noteworthy. More like notorious for their frequent drunken brawls, if the truth be told.

“Then I’ll be sure she gets in touch,” Mary Vaughn told Sarah, picking up her coffee and heading for the door.

“Don’t be coming back in here till you have some news you can share,” Grace called after her, not entirely in jest.

“We’ll find out what’s going on soon enough,” Sarah consoled Grace when Mary Vaughn just waved.

“Not good enough. I pride myself on knowing things first,” Grace replied. “I don’t understand all this secrecy unless it’s going to be one of those shops that sells sex toys or something like that.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Maybe porno movies, though we have an ordinance against that, I think.” She shook her head sorrowfully. “If it’s not something that’s going to cause an uproar, why would the owner want to keep it a secret?”

Sarah bit back a laugh because she knew Grace was serious. “I’m not sure there’s a huge market for selling sex toys in Serenity,” she said. “And if I were ever to consider such a thing, I certainly wouldn’t put the business right here in plain view in the middle of downtown, where it’d be bound to stir up trouble. There are plenty of back alleys where a place like that might be able to operate in peace.”

“Well, some people don’t have your good sense,” Grace grumbled. She stirred a straw around in her sweet tea, her expression despondent. Eventually she turned back to Sarah. “Maybe you could talk to Jeanette, see what she knows.”

“Why Jeanette?”

“She’s married to the town manager, isn’t she?” Grace said, clearly warming to the idea. “If anybody knows what’s going on, Tom does. He’s the one on this big campaign to bring new business into downtown Serenity.”

“Good point,” Sarah conceded. “I’ll ask her when I go over to The Corner Spa later.” Of course, Jeanette hadn’t been all that forthcoming about her husband’s cousin, even when directly questioned by Annie, so apparently she knew how to be more discreet than the typical Sweet Magnolia. They were all pretty quick to share everything.

“If you find out anything, you call me, you hear,” Grace commanded. “Don’t be waiting till morning to let me know.”

“I’ll call,” Sarah promised, then noticed Grace looking out the window again. Her expression had brightened considerably.

“Now that’s real interesting,” Grace said. “Just look across the street, why don’t you?”

Sarah followed the direction of her gaze. There, wearing yet another pair of snug, faded jeans and a tight black T-shirt, was her mystery man, Travis McDonald himself…and he was walking right into that empty storefront as if he owned the place.