Hoping for Love Read Online Free PDF

say thanks again?”
    “Sure, go ahead.”
    When Grace slid open the door, his father’s raised voice greeted them.
    “I don’t want to talk about it!” Big Mac said.
    Uncertain of how to proceed, Grace glanced back at Evan.
    His jaw set with tension, he joined her in the doorway. “Mom, Dad, Grace is leaving, and she wanted to say good-bye.”
    “Thanks again for your hospitality,” Grace said, once again noting the breathtaking view of the Salt Pond from the McCarthy’s deck.
    Linda forced a smile as she said good-bye, and Big Mac gave a short wave.
    “I’ll be back after I walk Grace to the ferry,” Evan said. He ushered her out of the house into bright sunshine a few minutes later. “Sorry about the tension.”
    “Please don’t be. There’s a perfectly good reason for it.”
    “Even though I know that, it’s hard to see him ‘off,’ you know?”
    “I can imagine. He’s still healing, and he’s no doubt frustrated to not be bouncing back as quickly as he’d like. I’m sure it’s very difficult for him, too.”
    “Yeah, I guess. He hates everyone hovering over him, but what’re we supposed to do?”
    “Nothing else you can do but stand by him until he’s back to normal.”
    “It’s weird, because he was doing a lot better, and then suddenly it was two steps backward again. We don’t know what to make of it.”
    “Do you think maybe something happened that jarred his confidence?”
    “Could be,” Evan said pensively as they walked into town. “I hadn’t really thought of that. I just figured he was being stubborn.”
    “I’ll bet something happened that scared him.”
    “Maybe.”
    They approached Gold’s Pharmacy, and Grace took a long, measuring look. “You don’t see that very often anymore,” she said, gesturing to the clapboard house that served as the island’s pharmacy.
    “What’s that?”
    “A pharmacy that’s not part of a chain.”
    “Are you with one of the chains?”
    She shook her head. “I work at a hospital.” Noting that the pharmacy was open early, she said, “Do we have time to go in?”
    He checked his watch. “Thirty minutes until the ferry to New London leaves.”
    “I’ll be quick.”
    Evan followed her into Gold’s. The store was small but well organized with a pharmacy counter located in the back. A gray-haired woman was coming up the center aisle as they made their way to the back of the store.
    “Hi there, Evan,” she said, eyeing Grace with interest.
    “Hi, Mrs. Gold. This is Grace Ryan. She’s a pharmacist on the mainland, and she was interested in your store.”
    Mrs. Gold’s eyes went wide with excitement. “Is she interested in
buying
my store?” she asked in a nasally New York accent.
    Grace wasn’t sure she’d heard her right. “Excuse me?”
    Mrs. Gold let out a long-suffering sigh. “Mr. Gold and I have been trying to sell the store for some time now. Our grandchildren live in New York, and we’d like to be closer to them. If you know of anyone who might be interested, keep us in mind. We do a good business since we’re the island’s only pharmacy.” To Evan, she added, “As you know, island life isn’t for everyone. So the buyers aren’t exactly crawling from the woodwork.”
    Grace’s spine tingled with excitement at the idea of owning her own pharmacy. She’d never once considered such a thing. “What are you looking for in a buyer?” she asked.
    Evan held up his arm and tapped a finger on his watch, reminding Grace that they needed to go. He was probably anxious to be rid of her.
    “Never mind,” Grace said. “I have a ferry to catch.”
    “I’ll give you the flyer,” Mrs. Gold said, leading them to the front of the store where she pressed a piece of paper into Grace’s hands. Their gazes met and held, and once again Grace experienced a tingle along her spine. Those tingles had led her into the pharmacy field in the first place and had helped her decide to have the surgery. She’d learned to pay