Breeze off the Ocean Read Free Page A

the reason for their astonishment. It was a well-known fact that living accommodations in Atlantic City were almost as hard to find as brontosaurus teeth since the influx of the big hotels with their gambling casinos. The added fact that the shop Micki would be working in was located in one of those hotels lent a sprinkling of spice to her excitement. Now she hastened to correct their impression.
    “No, not in Atlantic City, here in Ocean City. Atlantic City’s such a short run up the coast I doubt it will take me any longer to get to work from here than it did in the early morning crush in Wilmington.”
    “The way I understand it,” Bruce said quietly, “there are already quite a few people that are employed by the hotels making their home here.” He hesitated, his eyes mirroring his sadness. “But why do you want to look for an apartment? Why can’t you stay here at home?”
    “Oh, Dad.” Micki smiled weakly. “I’ve been on my own for almost six years now. I’m used to having my own place. I’ve got an apartment full of furniture and things I’ve acquired over those six years.” Her smile deepened, became impish. “But I have made arrangements to have my stuff packed and sent here in the interim—if you don’t mind?”
    “Mind?” Bruce echoed. “Of course we don’t mind.”
    “Not at all.” Regina seconded her husband’s words.
    “Oh, sure.” Micki’s laughter rippled through the comfortable room. “But wait until you have all my stuff dumped onto your doorstep. You may wish you’d given a very firm no.”
    Regina made fresh coffee and the three of them settled around the kitchen table to make plans and discuss the pros and cons of various areas in which Micki might be interested in apartment hunting. During the course of the discussion the section of the city in which Cindy and Benny lived came up and at the mention of the young couple’s name the topic of the conversation veered to them.
    “I haven’t seen either of them since they made final settlement on the house,” Bruce told Micki. “But Cindy did call me at the office after they’d moved in, to again thank me for finding the property for them and inform me that they were absolutely thrilled with it.” He grinned broadly. “Those last words are an exact quote from Cindy.”
    “Sounds so much like her I can almost hear her voice,” Micki grinned back. Her father owned a flourishing real estate business and it pleased her to know Cindy had gone to him when she was ready to buy a home. “It will be wonderful to see Cindy and Benny again.”
    “Did they know you were coming home?” Regina asked. “And that you’ll be staying?”
    Micki was shaking her head before Regina had finished speaking. “No, I wanted to surprise them,” Micki answered. Then her eyes shifted to rest lovingly on her father. “Besides which, I wanted my first evening at home to be free of interruptions.”
    The answering look of love in her father’s eyes and the understanding smile on Regina’s lips deepened the feeling of well-being inside Micki. Stifling a yawn behind her hand, she pushed her chair away from the table and stood up.
    “I’m going to have a shower then go to bed.” Another yawn was unsuccessfully hidden. When Regina moved to get up, Micki shook her head at her. “You don’t have to come up, Regina. I can finish my unpacking in the morning.” After kissing her father lightly on the cheek, she wished them both a good night and swung out of the room.
    Alone in her bedroom Micki stood still just inside the door and let her eyes roam slowly over familiar things. Everything was the same as she’d left it. Even the paint on the walls, though fresh, was the same bright daffodil yellow as it had always been. When her eyes touched the double, leather-bound picture frame sitting on the night-stand by the bed, they stopped. Her gaze unwavering, Micki walked across the room and picked up the frame.
    The picture on one side was an