West of Paradise

West of Paradise Read Free Page A

Book: West of Paradise Read Free
Author: Marcy Hatch
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outside to the deck. A warm breeze rolled in off the Atlantic, bringing with it the smell of salt and spray. Katherine forced herself to look at him, feeling guilty for no reason except that she knew he hated drama.
    “Katie? Are you all right?” He squinted at her, studying her as if she might be ill.
    “Yes, Grandfather, I’m fine,” she said, trying to sound certain.
    “You don’t look it,” he said.
    “I’m sorry,” Katherine said automatically.
    “It’s not me you need to apologize to, it’s Tony,” he said. “I’ve been on the phone half the day with him. He’s sick with worry. Now, when are you coming home?”
    Katherine took a deep breath. “I’m not,” she said. “At least, not for a while.”
    “What do you mean, you’re not coming home?”
    “I’m going to stay here for a while, and . . . and I won’t be marrying Tony. You can tell him that I meant what I said.”
    “Good God, Katherine, this wedding has been planned for over a year now! The invitations have been sent out, caterers hired . . .”
    “Grandfather,” Katherine reached a hand across the table and put her hand on his. “I’m not going to marry him. I’ll pay the caterers and everything, but I’m not marrying Tony.”
    “Have you met someone else?”
    “No, Grandfather,” Katherine said with a faint laugh. She almost wished she had.
    “Then what in God’s name is going on?”
    “I just need some time. And I need to be alone. Please don’t give Tony my number here, and don’t tell him where I am.”
    “You’re serious, aren’t you?” He peered at her, his blue eyes sharp.
    “Yes, I am.”
    He was silent for a second. “Katie, are you in any trouble?”
    “No.”
    He slumped a little in relief, nodding. “All right then, I won’t tell Tony where you are—if that’s what you want. But you ought to call him and try to explain.”
    She nodded, even though she knew she wouldn’t.
    “And you’ll call me if you need anything?”
    “Yes, Grandfather.”
    “All right, then. I’ll leave you be. But you take care of yourself, Katie. I love you.”
    “I love you too.”
    He drank his coffee and kissed her on the head before he left, no doubt back to New York. Only her grandfather would drive eight hours for a twenty-minute chat with her, just to make certain she was all right. She shook her head and closed her eyes, listening to the tide, the rhythmic hush over rock and sand. For a while it lulled her and her mind drifted.
    Was she afraid? Was that it? She thought she’d been perfectly happy with the way things were. In fact, she was sure of it. But she knew what people would say. They would trace it to her childhood; they would say her parents’ death still haunted her.
    But she was sure it had nothing to do with that time. Yes, she’d been shocked and saddened by their loss, but the truth was she hadn’t really known them. She’d spent her school vacations and holidays with her grandfather while they went off on their little adventures, searching for the past. She’d never felt close to them, not the way she did with her grandfather. He was the one who was always there for her.
    Others would say it was the money. After all, everyone knew the super-rich were never happy. But she was quite certain she had been happy. Right up until a month ago. She distinctly remembered feeling giddy with happiness whenever she thought about getting married and settling down with Tony. They had even discussed children!
    With an angry sigh she rose and went inside, turning her back on the ocean and sand. She found her tablet in the kitchen and pulled up The New York Times —July 31, 2025—perusing the headlines while she debated whether to read or go for a walk. But before she could decide, an ad caught her eye.
    It was unlike anything she had seen. The delicate printing looked like it belonged on an invitation to a fantasy ball, not an ad for a vacation, which was precisely what made her look again.
    Paradise

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