The House on Mermaid Point Read Online Free PDF Page B

any of the wolves came back.
    Chase walked her outside to the stairs that led up to the garage apartment. The night sky was awash with stars. “I’ll miss you,” Chase said. “Given Dad’s condition I’m not sure how soon I’ll be able to get down.”
    “I know.” This was the thing about being involved with a single father and conscientious son who ran his own business. She was filled with admiration for all he juggled, but she suspected that once she moved out of his operational area she could easily become one juggling pin too many.
    “We can Skype,” Chase said. “And, well, you know if you need me to consult I can . . .”
    “I have my Florida contractor’s license now,” she reminded him, attempting to move the conversation from the personal to the professional. “I may want to run a few things by you now and again. But it’s crucial that the network understand who’s running the do-over.” Avery didn’t intend to hide behind baggy clothing this time. But she wasn’t going to give the network an opportunity to treat her like an airhead, either.
    “There’s no weakness in getting another opinion or talking through a building plan. Our fathers did it for years,” Chase replied.
    “That’s because neither of them were barely five feet tall or had blond hair, blue eyes, and a D chest. There are a whole lot of people, including Lisa Hogan, who can’t see past those things.”
    “They’re morons,” Chase said. “But your face and your body are a part of you. A very attractive part.” He reached around and cupped her buttocks, pulling her close. “It’s difficult not to admire them.”
    For a few moments she gave herself up to his admiration. But it was hard to stay in the present when tomorrow would be the beginning of yet another great unknown.
    “What are you thinking about?” he asked.
    “Deirdre,” she said, though this was only partially true.
    “Seriously?” he asked.
    “Mm-hm. I’m thinking about all the things she’ll try to cram in the Mini Cooper tomorrow morning. And the way she complained about her hair blowing all the way down to South Beach just because I had the convertible top down. The drive to that mile marker is a lot longer.”
    “If that’s what you’re thinking about I’m definitely going to have to try harder.” He leaned down and kissed her with exaggerated thoroughness and sound effects. “
Now
what are you thinking about?”
    “I’m thinking that maybe Deirdre will decide she’d rather have the legroom in the minivan. I’m sure there’s room for her to go with Maddie and Kyra and Dustin.”
    He shook his head. “And miss out on all that warmth and charm you shower on her? I don’t think so.”
    “Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?”
    Chase buried his face in the crook of her neck. His breath was warm against her skin. “Of course she can,” he said as his lips moved up her neck. “As long as at least a few of those dreams include me.”
    •   •   •
    Nicole Grant’s dreams that night were more like nightmares. Which was kind of amazing given how pleasant the evening had been. She and Joe had eaten dinner on the pool deck overlooking Biscayne Bay with the lights of South Beach shimmering in the background. They’d made love, and afterward she’d drifted off in his arms, content that after close to a year together Joe Giraldi continued to not only satisfy, but surprise her.
    None of these pleasing realities had obliterated what apparently lurked in the Bates Motel of her subconscious. That night’s dream began, as it often did, with her making an entrance at some A-list party armored in vintage Valentino or classic Chanel. Walking through an expensive restaurant or football-field-sized living room, she nodded regally and smiled warmly at people who lived in the society columns or on the pages of
Variety
. Shoulders thrown back, head high, she strode through the bejeweled women and expensively tailored men, ignoring the