Raspberry Crush Read Free Page B

putting up a sandwich suggestion box. Customers can drop in requests for items they'd like to see on our menu, and then Donna and I will go through them and choose which ones sound good." Billy reserved comment; surely Melissa hadn't intended it as a power play, but that didn't mean Georgette wouldn't blow up.
    After a few final points, the meeting faded to a close. Mrs. Tailor left, because she'd come in only for the meeting, and Melissa headed to the back to return Donna's notebook. As she went, Georgette muttered something under her breath—something along the lines of "Eat shit." Very luckily, Melissa didn't hear.
    Billy started straightening the tables and chairs, getting ready to open the store, and Katie said, "I'll put on some music."
    "Oh, damn," Des said, hitting his hand on his thigh, "I forgot to bring in my band's new demo CD."
    "Yeah, darn," Georgette said sarcastically as she swiped up one last Danish and stuck it in her front apron pocket.
    Billy suppressed a grin, and Katie asked, "Musical requests, anyone?"
    Georgette grumbled, "How about 'Back on the Chain Gang,' " and stomped into the back.

 
     
     
    Chapter 2
     
    Seth turned the lock to his mother's house and shoved the heavy front door open with his shoulder. Once he hauled his bags inside, he dropped them on the floor, and immediately felt overwhelmed by the familiar feeling of home.
    It was the spacious beach house he'd grown up in, right on the Massachusetts coast. How long had it been since he'd been home? He'd flown back for Christmas two years ago, but he'd been able to stay only the day, and then had to fly right back.
    Now he was back to fix up the house and put it up for sale. It was a favor to his mom, who was staying in Dublin longer than she'd planned, taking care of her older sister, Melanie. Seth's dad had died ten years earlier, and his older brother, Ian, lived in Alaska with his wife, so Seth was the only one who could come, but honestly, he was grateful for the excuse to take a few weeks off. Owning a consulting firm took up most of his time and attention and, in fact, most of his life.
    Seth walked through the foyer, feeling the emptiness of the house, but it had a different kind of quality than the emptiness of his studio apartment in Seattle. It was peaceful and calm. He could feel the golden insulation of autumn and faintly hear the shifting waves of the ocean that stretched behind the house.
    He followed the hallway to the airy, Spanish-style kitchen, which was flooded with light from the bay window and the sliding glass doors that led to the back deck. Sighing, he walked closer to the window and looked past the backyard and out to the water. It didn't take long for the tranquility to get to him, making him feel almost antsy—like he needed to do something productive. Maybe he could call Lucas, his VP, to see how things were going at the office. But he really didn't feel like doing it. He knew Lucas could handle whatever came up; he seemed to love the company almost as much as Seth did. Besides, Seth hadn't taken a real vacation in two years, and if he called the office now, it would be like admitting defeat.
    His mother had mentioned some repairs on the house that she wanted done; he supposed he could start on those, but he wasn't that motivated. Yet he couldn't just relax and do nothing... could he?
    The doorbell rang.
    Seth crossed back through the hall, swung the door open, and found his mom's best friend, Sally Sugarton, standing on the other side. A smile broke across his face. "Hi! How are you?" he asked, reaching out to hug her. Sally was a petite woman around sixty, with silvery blond hair, elegant gold-rimmed glasses, and a penchant for pantsuits. There was something about her that always reminded him of his mom, and right now he supposed that made her feel closer than Dublin. Because Seth was six-two, he had to bend a little as he embraced Sally's delicate frame tightly but tenderly.
    "Oh, your mom told me you'd be