Forever Beach Read Online Free PDF Page B

wouldn’t lose sleep over the verdict.
    She ran into Josie Green, the caseworker for the Sanchez family who had just been given their children back.
    â€œI don’t know how to thank you,” Josie said.
    â€œThey clearly had the right to reunite their family. Let’s just hope they don’t let us down.”
    Josie nodded seriously. She was young, white, fired up with good intentions. Ilona gave her eight months. People like Josie with their zealous enthusiasm burned out faster than the ones who didn’t really give a shit. Too bad really, but it was the nature of the job.
    The elevator came, and the two of them crowded in with the other attorneys, clerks, and caseworkers who were finished for the day or just going out for a smoke.
    The smokers got off on the first floor to huddle around the ash cans outside the entry door; the others rode all the way to the parking garage.
    â€œWell, thanks again,” Josie said.
    â€œMy pleasure.”
    Josie climbed into an ancient blue Hyundai. Pitiful, Ilona thought as she walked to the end of the ramp and beeped open her silver Mercedes. She placed her briefcase on the passenger seat, slipped out of her linen jacket, laid it neatly on top of the briefcase, and slid into the driver’s seat.
    Two blocks later, she hit the afternoon sun and rush-hour traffic. She didn’t have time for traffic. It always put her in a bad mood. On a whim she made the next left turn and drove east. She’d take the ocean road to her condo even though the route took her closer than she liked to her old home. If you could call it that.
    All the wealth that money could buy and not one damn drop of love or compassion or kindness anywhere. That was okay. Ilona had made them pay for the privilege of adopting her. She’d worked them for clothes, toys, cars, four years of college, and a law degree from Yale.
    Once they started paying, they couldn’t very well stop. And they were proud of it. She had the pictures to prove it, and so did every newspaper and magazine on the East Coast.
    â€œHere’s to you . . . Mom and Dad.” She lifted her hand in an imaginary toast. She’d have a full-bodied cabernet with her filet tonight in their honor.
    S ARAH FELT PRETTY depleted when she drove away from the beach. The prospect of going to court again was daunting enough and the fact that she’d blown off Wyatt made her feelguilty. And sad. They’d known each other for years. Were good friends. Lovers. She was pretty sure she loved him, but did she love him enough to jeopardize her life with Leila?
    Especially if she had to go to court. They’d be looking at everything about her, question everything she’d ever done.
    She knew their first commandment was to reunite the child with the birth family.
    She could just hear them accusing her.
    â€œDo you have men friends stay over?”
    It wouldn’t matter that it was one friend, who was a good guy, who saved lives when he wasn’t running his dive business. And who would love both her and Leila if she gave him half a chance.
    â€œDo you drink?”
    Not how much. Just yes or no. Just the occasional glass of wine or beer. I never get drunk and never enough for me to neglect my duties.
    â€œHave you ever taken drugs?”
    Not since I got out of child services, Your Honor.
    Too bad women didn’t have to answer those questions before they had babies.
    She took a deep breath. She could see Sam’s face like he was sitting next to her. Don’t let your anger trip you up or bite you in the ass. Don’t worry about the then or the what-ifs. Fix the now.
    Maybe she was overreacting.
    Karen had left a note on the door: Sarah, we’re in the backyard, come on in.
    Sarah opened the door and walked down the hall to the playroom now empty of girls but occupied by fourteen-year-old Rory, who was intent over the controls of a NASCAR video game.
    She didn’t interrupt his concentration to