Sweet Tea at Sunrise Read Online Free PDF Page B

envisioned putting on the air during a morning show he’d decided to call Carolina Daybreak. It would be a mix of music and local news and talk, the first place people would turn to—aside from Wharton’s—to find out what was going on in Serenity.
    Now all he needed, aside from a significant amount of elbow grease, was the right person to sit in here andchat with residents and business folks or with anyone important who might be passing through town. He glanced across the square and spotted the person he had in mind standing in the doorway at Wharton’s, staring right back at him. He waved, and the woman he’d now identified as Mrs. Sarah Price, single mother of two, ducked out of his line of sight like a scared little rabbit.
    Yep, the minute he’d verbally closed the deal for the radio station, he’d decided to woo her away from waiting tables and turn her into a small-town celebrity. For days he’d watched her talking to the regulars in Wharton’s in a natural way that kept them laughing and made them open up. He had a hunch she could get people to spill secrets faster than a skilled detective…and make ’em enjoy doing it. She’d bring the friendly atmosphere of Wharton’s right into the studio.
    Of course, the fact that she couldn’t seem to string two sentences together around him half the time gave him pause, but he was convinced that was an aberration. An intriguing one, in fact. For now, though, any thoughts of pursuing her for anything beyond her ability to charm potential listeners had to be put on hold. He had enough to do just getting this station on the air.
    As soon as the paperwork was done and he’d finalized his plans and won the necessary approvals from the Federal Communications Commission for going on the air, he intended to sit Sarah down and have a serious conversation with her about how he could change her life.
    Hopefully she wouldn’t get so nervous she’d dump a pot of scalding hot coffee all over him.
    For now, though, he had a lot of work to do. Hewalked over to Main Street to the hardware store and filled a cart with cleaning supplies. He figured he’d come back again for paint, lumber, wallboard and flooring once the whole place had been emptied out and scrubbed down and he knew what he had to work with. Maybe Jeanette would want to help him pick the colors. He liked the way her home felt—cozy and inviting—and he wanted his radio station to feel the same way. Maybe with a little less of that flowery fabric, though. He had no idea how Tom lived with that. He’d probably been blinded to it by love.
    When Travis set all his supplies on the counter, the man behind it looked over the purchases. “You must be the guy who bought the old newsstand,” he concluded.
    Travis grinned at his assumption. “I did. Isn’t anyplace else in town that filthy?”
    “Not much that I know of,” the man said. “I’m Ronnie Sullivan, by the way. My wife, Dana Sue, owns Sullivan’s, the best restaurant in the entire state.”
    Amused by the heartfelt recommendation, Travis asked, “You wouldn’t be just a little biased, would you?”
    Ronnie pointed to a framed review on the wall that said the same thing. “General consensus,” he said proudly. “You haven’t been there?”
    “I’ve pretty much been eating at my cousin’s and at Wharton’s,” Travis admitted.
    “So, you have family in town?” Ronnie said, as he rang up Travis’s purchases.
    “My cousin’s the town manager, Tom McDonald. I’m Travis McDonald.”
    “Of course,” Ronnie said at once. “Tom mentionedhe had company. Glad to meet you, and welcome to downtown.” He put the heavier items into a carton and bagged the rest. “So, what is it you plan to sell?”
    The question was asked in such a cautious tone, Travis had to fight a grin. He’d heard all the speculation at Wharton’s. The best, by far, had been Grace’s opinion that it was going to be something lurid and inappropriate. He hated