He nodded. “Did you go by Shelby’s?”
“Yes. It brought back a lot of good memories.”
“Yet you were okay with that developer tearing the place down.”
It wasn’t a question but a statement and she heard the censure in his voice. “Yes, I need closure, Kaegan.”
He looked at her for a long moment before asking, “What are your plans for tomorrow night?”
“As far as I know I don’t have any. Why?”
“Tomorrow will mark the second anniversary of my return to the cove. I’ve invited a few friends over for beer, fried fish, crabs, oysters and shrimp. Sort of an old-fashioned seafood roast. How about dropping by my place around eight? I’m still at my parents’ home but building my own place next door. I’d love to show you what I’ve done so far.”
“And I’d love to see it.”
“So will you come?”
She looked down at the floor and then she looked back at him. “That invitation extends to Bryce, right?”
She watched his chin tighten. “Sure. Why not?”
“You tell me, Kaegan.”
“Why don’t you ask her?” he said gruffly.
“I did, but she won’t tell me anything.”
He chuckled derisively. “Funny. I remember a time when she would tell you everything. I learned that people have a tendency to change on you, in a blink of an eye.”
Vashti bristled at his words. If he was insinuating something against Bryce, then she would take offense to it. “What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. So, will you come?”
“Only if Bryce agrees to come with me.”
He seemed to weigh her ultimatum, then said, “Fair enough. Now let me walk you to your car. I heard you got a ticket the other day.”
She started to say something flippant like was it possible for anyone to have any secrets in this town, but immediately she knew the answer. Yes, it was possible. Hadn’t she been harboring her one and only secret for years?
USING THE SPARE key Bryce had given her, Vashti entered Bryce’s home to find her sitting at the kitchen table drinking a glass of wine. “I can’t believe you left, Bryce.”
Bryce, who’d changed into a comfortable-looking sleeveless flowing caftan, shrugged, causing one to notice how the material rested perfectly against her to-die-for breasts. Vashti remembered how she and Bryce were ecstatic at the prospect of having breasts when they were preteens. They would often stand in front of a mirror to see whose were growing faster than the other. Bryce was always the winner. Even before their thirteenth birthdays it had become obvious that Bryce would have a perfect pair. It had taken Vashti’s pregnancy to show what she called major improvement to her breasts, which ended when her pregnancy did. Her girls were alright, and Scott had never complained, but she always thought compared to Bryce’s she was underdeveloped.
“You had your own transportation and I knew you were okay. Besides, after the meeting a crowd descended on you like the prodigal daughter, thanks to Reid Lacroix. What do you think that was about?”
Now it was Vashti who shrugged. “I don’t know but if you’re wondering about it, others will do the same.”
“They might, but even if they are, they won’t whisper those thoughts out loud for fear it will get back to Mr. Lacroix. For some reason you’re on his good side, even though you were trying to bring a developer into town. That alone should have placed you at the top of his shit list.”
Vashti nibbled on her bottom lip. “Do you think perhaps he found out?”
Bryce took another sip of her wine. “I honestly don’t know, Vash. If he did I would think his attitude toward you would be just the opposite and your name would not only head his shit list but would end it as well. But then I’d be the first to admit his attitude changed in a lot of ways after Julius and Mrs. Lacroix died.”
Vashti nodded. “That’s what Kaegan said.” She noticed Bryce’s reaction when she’d said K-Gee’s name.
“So he did manage to find his way over to you, did he?”
Vashti frowned. “Is there a reason Kaegan should not have?”
“No, I guess not.”
“Bryce, I wish you would tell me what’s really going on with you two.”
Bryce shook her head and Vashti saw a tear fall from Bryce’s eyes. She quickly moved toward Bryce and captured her hand in hers. “What is it?”
Bryce shook her head as more tears flowed. “I’m just not ready. I want to enjoy this time while you’re here. Can we please do that? I promise, someday I’ll share, but not today.” Bryce’s eyes implored her to let it go, and Vashti didn’t want to cause her friend any pain and Bryce was asking her only to respect her wishes, like Vashti had done fourteen years ago when she had left town and mandated that she hadn’t wanted to know anything about the happenings in the cove. She’d preferred not knowing.
Bryce had broken that rule only once. That had been seven years ago when she’d called to tell her about Julius’s death. Vashti had mourned the loss of the guy who’d fathered her child and the first and only man she’d loved. For years she had hated him for not accepting his part in her pregnancy and when he’d died she had let go of her dream that one day he would show up in New York for her. Or to at least explain why he’d done what he had when she had truly believed he’d loved her. That just goes to show that you couldn’t trust your heart.
“Okay,” Vashti said softly. “When you’re ready to tell me, you will.”
Bryce sighed with relief. “Let’s talk about something else. Like how you managed to get on Sheriff Grisham’s good side and he voted in your favor? And don’t think I didn’t notice how he was looking at you.”
So she hadn’t imagined it. “I’m sure the only reason he cast his vote my way was because he has a teenage daughter who could benefit from the perks the resort was offering.”
“Well, I guess we can kiss the ten million goodbye,” Bryce said, taking another sip of her wine. “Even after giving that heartwarming speech welcoming you back to Catalina Cove, Mr. Lacroix still voted against those developers.”
“Did you think he would do otherwise? He might have changed in some ways but when it comes to Catalina Cove, it’s not in his makeup to change. Besides, if he had sided with me on the issue, it would have really given the townspeople something to gossip about.”
“I guess you’re right about that.”
Vashti released Bryce’s hand. “I’m going to change. And then we’re going to open another bottle of wine.” She smiled at her friend, her heart aching for the remnants of pain she saw in Bryce’s eyes from just the mention of Kaegan. She wasn’t sure what was going on between them but believed when Bryce was ready to tell her, she would.
* * *
“I CAN’T BELIEVE you let the old people in this town have their way to do whatever they want to do. It should be against the law.”
“Voting your conscience is not against the law, Jade.”
“It may not be against the law but it isn’t fair to the young people in this town. Don’t we get a voice, Dad?”
Jade had lit into him the moment he walked through the door. A door she’d opened the moment