Tidewater Lover Read Free Page B

enough to explore the outdoors later.
    An investigation of the kitchen with its countered bar to the dining room indicated that there was an ample supply of canned goods on hand and three or four days' worth of food in the refrigerator. She would fix her evening meal later. First on the agenda was to unpack and get settled in.
    The bedrooms branched off the hallway to the left of the living room. Lacey only glanced into the master bedroom. The two guest rooms were smaller but still comfortably large. She chose the one with a view of the ocean. The guest rooms shared a bath that had its entrance from the hall.
    Pastel yellow joined with the predominant theme of blue in the room's decor, giving a cheery impression of sunshine and ocean. Lacey glanced admiringly at the furnishings before catching her reflection in the mirror.
    "I could grow to like this style of living." She winked at the mirror. The dark-eyed girl in the mirror, her seal-brown hair styled in a boyish cut that made her look ultrafeminine, winked back.
    An hour later she had brought in all her luggage from the car, which she had parked inside the garage. A few of Margo's winter clothes were in the closet, but there was still plenty of room for Lacey's belongings. Fixing a plate of cheese, cold meat and fruit, she ate alone at the dining table, facing the ocean. She lingered there, listening to the symphony of the surf, gentle waves breaking on the sandy beach. The music of the ocean was soothing and she hated to leave it, but there were other things to be done.
    The picture-perfect house seemed to demand tidiness. Lacey washed the few dishes and put them away, effectively eradicating any trace of her presence. Then, and only then, did she submit to the call of the sea and the beckoning of the empty stretch of sand she could see from the windows.
    The setting sun was turning the sand into molten gold when she finally retraced her steps to the house, tired yet oddly refreshed by the salt air. After showering and setting the alarm, she crawled into bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow.
    She stirred once in the night, waking long enough to identify her surroundings before slipping immediately back into a sound sleep. The infuriating buzz of the alarm wakened her as the morning sun was crowning the ocean's horizon. Her groping hand found the shut-off knob and quickly silenced it.
    The long drive ahead of her in the morning traffic made her groan, "I'm glad I only have to do this once!"
    Stumbling out of bed, she walked bleary-eyed into the kitchen, wearing only her long silky pajamas. A pitcher of orange juice was in the refrigerator. Filling a glass from the cupboard, she downed the wake-up juice quickly before putting water on to boil for instant coffee.
    She wasted little time in the bathroom with washing and applying the little makeup she used. Back in her bedroom, she donned a plaid skirt and matching satiny textured blouse in mint green. Her return to the kitchen coincided With the first rising bubbles of the water.
    With a cup of instant coffee in her hand, Lacey stifled a yawn and walked to the glass-paned door in the dining room. It led to the balcony overlooking the ocean. The breeze blowing from the sea was brisk and invigorating—exactly what she needed to chase the cobwebs of sleep from her head.
    Leaning against a rail, she watched the incoming tide, mesmerized by the waves rushing one after another in to shore. For a while she lost all track of time, sipping at the steaming coffee until the cup was drained.
    The sound of a car engine broke the spell of the waves, and she turned with a frown. The ocean breeze made it difficult to tell where the sound was coming from, but it seemed very near. Probably an early-morning fisherman, she decided and reentered the house.
    In the kitchen, she started to rinse her cup and spoon under the tap. Her dark eyes rounded in surprise at the orange juice glass sitting on the counter.
    "You're