Falling for a Stranger Read Online Free PDF Page A

did see her on the wharf."
    "You saw what you wanted to see. You're obsessed with her. I'm sorry now I ever took you to the island. I wanted you to relax and have some fun with no strings attached. That's what most people do when they go down there."
    "That was my plan, too," he said. "And if she hadn't died so suddenly, maybe I wouldn't still be thinking bout her. But ever since I saw her a few months ago, I've been wondering if she somehow escaped the fire."
    "Seriously?"
    He ran a hand through his hair. "Yes. I called her former employers at the bar and the charter boat service."
    "And?"
    "They confirmed that she was dead, no miraculous rescue."
    "How much more evidence do you need?"
    "None," he said shortly. "Look, you don't need to worry about it."
    "I'm worried about you."
    "I will be fine."
    "Maybe I should talk to my friends down there, see if I can get any information on her."
    "Like what?"
    "I don't know," Tim said. "Maybe she has a twin sister living in San Francisco. What was her name?"
    "Ria Hastings."
    "Do you know anything else about her?"
    "We didn't do a lot of talking that night."
    Tim gave him a knowing smile. "She was one beautiful woman. She didn't give me the time of day."
    "Why would she? You were wasted and surrounded by women."
    Tim laughed. "True. I had a great time down there, as I always do. I love that island. Every visit is better than the last. The women are beautiful and free-spirited, and the rum flows like water."
    "I don’t think I'll be making any return trips."
    "I'll ask around," Tim said. "It can't hurt."
    "Whatever."
    "What are you doing the rest of the day?" Tim asked as they started walking toward the building.
    "Family birthday party this afternoon. My nephew, Brandon, is turning six."
    "Is that the kid with autism?"
    "Yeah. The party is really for my sister, Nicole, who tries to make Brandon's life as normal as possible, whether he likes it or not."
    "Rough gig."
    "I'll say. What about you?"
    "I'm going to take a run this afternoon, then hit the clubs in North Beach with Paul tonight. Why don't you come with us?"
    "I'll think about it," he said, not particularly excited by the idea. He was over the club scene. Same people, same drunken conversations.
    "Another woman might take your mind off Ria," Tim suggested.
    "So far that hasn't worked," he muttered.
    "You haven't met the right woman."
    As Tim walked away, his words ran around in Drew's head.
    He had met the right woman. She just wasn't alive anymore.

    * * *

    "Tory? Tory!"
    Ria turned abruptly at the sound of sixteen-year-old Megan's impatient voice. "Sorry, what did you say?"
    "I said—what do you think of the dress, Aunt—I mean, Tory," she stumbled. "Sorry."
    "It's okay," she said quickly, not wanting to dwell on Megan's small slip. It hadn't done any damage. There was no one else outside the dressing room in the small boutique. She focused her attention on the very tight, bright red mini dress that barely covered Megan's ass. She realized she'd been lost in dreamland a little too long. Their shopping expedition to pick out Megan's prom dress had gone way off track. She shook her head. "No, absolutely not."
    "I think I look pretty," Megan said defensively.
    "You look like a stripper."
    Megan made a face at her. "You're starting to sound like my mother." As the words left her mouth, a guilty expression filled Megan's dark eyes, along with angry tears. She turned and ran back to the dressing room.
    Ria let out a breath at Megan's abrupt exit. Her niece's meltdown was partly her fault. She'd been distracted all morning. Actually, she'd been distracted for the past five months, ever since she'd seen Drew Callaway at Fisherman's Wharf.
    After leaving the island, she'd put the tall, handsome pilot out of her mind. At least, she'd tried to do that, but their night together had been so passionate and amazing. The chemistry between them had shocked her, and in a way it had freed her, too. For a few hours, she'd just been a