The Love Letter Read Online Free PDF Page B

desk. He was just down the hall having a lively discussion with a colleague.
    When their conversation ended, he naturally made his way back to his office. And just at the moment when Sabrina gave way to curiosity and sat down to look at the final exam for an English class she’d already taken, he walked through the door.
    Exactly as he’d walked in on her tonight. And like before, she was forced into a position where she had to hope for his silence. How many more times was this going to happen? Was she always to be at a disadvantage with this man?
    It wasn’t hard to imagine what Meredith thought of her in light of the contents of the letter and her admittedly stupid decision to get it back. Her own actions had earned her the contempt of the man she loved. All she could do now was rely on her own behavior to convince him that if nothing else, she wasn’t that immature girl of a year ago.
    At this point, her gloomy thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of Casey. A quick glance at her sister’s glowing face was enough to bring a reluctant grin to her own. “Had a nice time?”
    Casey nodded slowly as she approached the desk. “I think I’m in love.”
    A chuckle escaped Sabrina. “After two dates? That’s quick even for you.”
    “I know, but I mean it this time. He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met.”
    Sabrina stood and stretched her cramped legs. “That’s what you said last time. Anyway, I’m glad you’re in love, because you’re more fun to be around when you’re in and not out of that blessed state. By the way, our resident writer dropped by to request breakfast in his room at seven.”
    “That sounds like a job for you. He’s even better looking than David.”
    Sabrina grimaced as she made her way around the desk, patting her sister on the shoulder as she moved toward the staircase. “You don’t give up, do you? He came for solitude, remember, and I mean to see that he gets it.”
    Casey stared after her thoughtfully. “I get the feeling you don’t like Meredith Copplin.”
    Not feeling up to the task of explaining that it was the other way around, Sabrina pretended a yawn. “I’m going to bed; it’s been a long day.”

Chapter Three
    Her room was still in darkness when the alarm clock broke rudely into her slumber. Impatiently pushing aside the coverlet, Sabrina slipped out of bed and over to the window. Grey clouds driven by angry winds raced across the horizon. With a slight shrug, she drifted into the bathroom. Bad weather wasn’t going to stop her from taking her morning walk.
    Once she left th e shelter of the porch, the gusty winds pulled at her hair and clothes, making nonsense of the jacket she’d thrown on at the last minute. By the time she reached the shore, the first drops of rain started to fall. Sabrina walked for a mile or more without seeing another soul, reveling in elements that seemed to share her unsettled mood.
    It was strange that Casey should be the one to bring her back to Tybee. Her sister’s boss had inherited Sea Grape Cottage and needed someone to manage it. With several years’ experience in tourism and hospitality services, Casey was the natural person to take on the job. She had easily persuaded Sabrina to join her there for the summer.
    Stranger still was the horrible coincidence of Meredith Copplin being here. Out of all the places he could have gone, he had to pick Tybee Island. Why couldn’t he have written his book somewhere else? And he was staying for a month – how was she going to stand it?
    I t was bad enough that she’d actually penned those lines to a man she barely knew; she’d made it worse by trying to steal back the letter. Why hadn’t she approached him openly and told him the truth? It would have been difficult, but she would have kept her integrity. As it was, in one man’s eyes, not only was she a fool, she was a liar.
    A t long last, she turned back in the direction of the inn, her slower gait a testament to her lack of