Angora Alibi Read Online Free PDF Page A

really.”
    “You’re never sure what’s really there, right?” Cass said.
    “Something like that. Although sometimes she comes out with really personal things.
     Like a couple months ago—it was before she was pregnant—she told a whole group that
     before she got married, she had a checkup to make sure she could have a baby. Franklin
     suggested it, she said.”
    Nell lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “That’s
very
personal.”
    “And weird,” Cass said.
    “Well, maybe not,” Nell said. “If it was important to both of them, maybe it was wise.”
    But it was definitely an odd thing to share with people you didn’t know well. Tamara
     was Franklin’s third wife—and the first two marriages had obviously not produced a
     baby. Perhaps that fact played into the decision. Nell looked back across the room.
    Tamara was laughing at something her husband said, one hand resting on the sleeve
     of his Italian suit.
    He’s mine,
her posture seemed to say.
    When Franklin turned his attention to the businessmen and more serious talk, her eyes
     wandered around the room, to the tables of jewelry, the well-dressed couples, then
     back to the bar, where Tyler Gibson was disengaging himself from a bevy of beauties.
     His eyes caught hers, and he paused briefly, his smiling look traveling over Tamara
     like a beam of light.
    His attention seemed to startle Tamara, as if she’d been caught looking when she shouldn’t
     have been, and she quickly turned away.
    The bartender looked surprised at the rebuff, then shrugged it off and walked the
     length of the bar to where Justin Dorsey stood waiting, a bag of ice in his hands.
    Justin nodded toward Tamara with a grin, apparently noticing the brush-off. Tyler
     laughed and took the ice, shrugging off Justin’s teasing.
    A minute later the mayor approached the Danvers group, and together they moved out
     to the veranda, where more appetizers and music filled the sea air.
    “Have you seen Justin?” Janie asked, coming up to the group. The worry lines across
     her forehead had returned.
    “He’s working.” Izzy pointed toward the bar. Justin held the ice lid open while Tyler
     dumped it in.
    “It looks to me like he’s making himself useful,” Cass added.
    Janie’s smile returned. “Good. Which I guess I should be doing, too. I promised Willow
     and Laura I’d keep an eye on the auction items.” She hurried off, waving to Justin
     as she disappeared into the crowd.
    The evening passed quickly as plates were cleared and more desserts made the rounds.
     Willow, Janie, and Laura wandered through the crowd, encouraging bidding and making
     sure food and drink were plentiful. Justin and the other valets set up extra tables
     in the entry hall for checkout, and boxes and bags were discreetly piled up behind
     them to carry off winning items.
    Finally Laura brought the bidding to a close, and the volunteer staff moved quickly,
     collecting bid sheets, circling the winners.
    Laura motioned for the bevy of volunteers to stand behind the tables where people
     would bring their receipts and claim the portable items.
    “Do you need help?” Nell asked.
    “I think we’re fine,” Willow said. “Laura could organize a roomful of toddlers. She’s
     amazing. And Kevin and Tyler will stick around after the bar closes and help the other
     guys handle any of the heavy stuff. They’ve all been taking turns patrolling the tables,
     too, keeping an eye on things.”
    Laura laughed. “Our very own muscle men.” She turned to Willow. “Time to read off
     the top item winners. Want to do the honors?”
    Squeals and cheers greeted the generous winning bids as people stepped up to claim
     their winning sailing adventures and vacation homes. When Willow read Franklin Danvers’
     name as the highest bidder on the last item—the diamond, sapphire, and ruby heart
     necklace—Tamara leaned over and kissed him fully. The crowd cheered, and the organizers
     declared the evening a wild