To the Grave Read Free Page A

her brilliantly blue eyes cast down, her voice beyond sad, she’d ended, “And he never, ever got married and had kids, the poor, lonely guy.”
    â€œRemember when you used to make Mom, Dad, and me listen to your account of Sebastian Larke finding the falls?” Catherine asked suddenly. “You got so carried away one time, you announced that you were meant to be Sebastian’s wife—God just got mixed-up and you were born too late.”
    Marissa laughed. “I was a weird kid.”
    â€œYou were a smart, imaginative kid. I always felt like you could really see Sebastian Larke work during the day building the town, and then go back to his lonely cabin at night. You were wrong about one thing, though. God didn’t mean for you to be with Sebastian. He meant for you to be with Eric Montgomery.”
    â€œOh, really? Did God tell you that in person?”
    â€œHe told me in a dream,” Catherine returned in a soft, undulating voice, her eyes closed. “He said, ‘Eric will become master of Sebastian’s creation, the city of Aurora Falls, and rule it with Marissa by his side. It is meant to be.’”
    â€œHave you been calling those psychic hotlines? Or do you believe you can see the future?” Marissa returned with mock solemnity. “You’ll have to tell Eric about your dream. He’s afraid he’ll lose the election for sheriff and then he won’t become the master of Aurora Falls. Oh, you can leave out the part about me being by his side.”
    Catherine’s eyes snapped open. “What? Are you and Eric breaking up?”
    â€œNo, but I don’t want him getting too confident.” Marissa grinned. “Got to keep him on his toes, make him think he must still woo me with flowers and candy and give me an impressive engagement ring for Christmas.”
    â€œI think you’re awful for plotting to get a specific gift.”
    â€œI know. I feel extremely guilty about it. I guess I’m just like my sister.”
    â€œI wanted a camera, not an engagement ring.”
    Marissa grinned. “Sure, Catherine. I guess if James Eastman had proposed on your birthday and given you a ring instead of a camera you’d have told him to jump over the falls.”
    Catherine ignored her sister and closed her eyes again, thinking that just last year at this time she couldn’t have imagined herself riding in Marissa’s car as they went to look at land owned by the Eastmans. When she’d left Aurora Falls at seventeen to attend the University of California at Berkeley, she’d known she wanted to be a clinical psychologist, which would require a Ph.D. Somewhere in a hazy future, Catherine had thought, she’d be married to a man she had yet to meet and have a child. She’d never dreamed she’d end up right where she started and dating a guy she’d loved for years.
    â€œYou’re smiling,” Marissa said. “Thinking of James?”
    â€œWhy don’t you watch the road instead of staring at me?”
    â€œOh, I can do both,” Marissa returned airily. “Were you thinking of James?”
    â€œYou’ll never leave me alone until I give in and tell you.” Catherine opened her eyes. “Ten years ago I would never have pictured myself coming back to Aurora Falls to live with my sister.”
    â€œI know the thought of living with me would bring a smile to anyone’s face,” Marissa said dryly, “but I believe you were also thinking about James.”
    â€œOkay, I was thinking of him. I remember hoping he’d notice me someday.”
    â€œAnd he did. Therefore, the smile.”
    â€œYeah.” Catherine’s thoughts spun over all the years she’d loved James Eastman; then slowly her smile faded. “Do you ever feel like things are too good to be true?”
    â€œDo you mean like things that happen to me are too good to be true?”
    â€œWell, maybe