Whisper Beach Read Online Free PDF Page B

Suze. “What do you make of that?”
    â€œThose bags were packed for serious traveling if you ask me.”
    â€œOff on one of his escapades?” Van ventured.
    â€œOff on the arm of some clueless arm candy.”
    â€œDo you think Dorie knows?”
    â€œAbout this time? She will soon enough.”
    Van pushed the handle of her suitcase down. “Like I believe I’ve said, some things never change.”
    â€œAnd some things do. There’s air-conditioning. Let’s get these things upstairs and go back for the booze.”
    Van picked up her suitcase just as she heard the Caddy fire up and back out the driveway. “Good riddance,” she said. “I just don’t understand why Dorie has put up with him all these years.”
    Suze turned to look down at her. “You would have dumped his ass after the first indiscretion.”
    It stung, but it was true. “That’s what modern women do.” That’s what she had done.
    â€œUh-huh,” Suze said and preceded her up the stairs. “But what are we going to tell Dorie?”

    D ORIE MASSAGED HER lower back while she oversaw her busboys returning the funeral things to the Blue Crab’s kitchen. Damn, it had been a long morning and afternoon. Dramatic, too.
    Well, heck. It was good to shake things up every now and then. And by the time she took Gigi back into the party room, the story of Van’s return had made the rounds and interest had waned as people crowded around the food and the open bar. Of course, Dorie heard plenty about the reaction, mainly from Kippie Fuller and Sue Ann Blaine while they helped her clean up.
    It was after two when the party broke up, and most people who hadn’t gone home had moved into Mike’s regular bar. A bunch of them would be there for the rest of the day.
    Now it was going on four. Downtime for the restaurant, though several tables were occupied with late lunchers or early diners. Fine by her. For the next few weeks she’d have to close except on the weekends. After that she’d close up for the winter.
    Hopefully Harold would be back by then to help out. Of course he might not be. You never knew with Harold. He might not have even left yet. He hadn’t said anything. He never did, but over fifty years of marriage, she’d learned to recognize the signs.
    Starting with the trips to the attic for the suitcases. The surreptitious packing and shoving them under the bed in the guest room. The haircut, the new shirts and ties.
    She wondered what or who it was this time. But she really didn’t care. Maybe she’d go to Florida for a few months. Her half sister lived down there. They used to have good times together.
    But why the hell go to Florida when you had the beach here right outside the door? The weather down there was boring, and she’d just done summer up here.
    Dorie tossed the keys to Cubby, her assistant manager, waiter, head busboy, and occasional dishwasher when the kitchen got backed up. “Move the van to the parking lot, hon. I’ll walk home.”
    â€œYou comin’ in tonight?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’ve got company.” At least she’d better have company after all the trouble she’d gone to to get it.
    â€œYou mean like a date? What’ll Harold say to that?”
    â€œHarold’s out of town,” Or should be soon. “Doesn’t mean that gives me license to cavort.”
    â€œHuh? What’s cavort mean?”
    Damn, what was wrong with the teachers these days? “It’s what lambs do in the spring.”
    â€œUh, right.” Cubby shook his head and climbed into the white-paneled The Blue Crab Chases the Blues Away van and drove away.
    A young couple jogged past her. In this heat? It couldn’t be healthy. All the old people came early or late in the day, away from the worst of the heat, attempting to walk off bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, and old age. And