BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (88)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Front Flap
  3. Title Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. Back Flap
  88. Back Cover

“We should head to New Jersey.”

“What?”

“We’ve never been there.”

“No, we haven’t.”

“We’ve been all over the world but never to New Jersey. Cleo is still there, isn’t she?”

“Yes. The woman whose house she’s renting said she could extend her stay if she’d like. I think that’s what Cleo was planning to do. She was waiting for Daisy to finish her movie in the Everglades.”

“We’ve never been there, either.”

“No, we haven’t. Cleo said the Jersey Shore is beautiful.”

“Jersey Shore? I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s the term for the beach towns along the coastline in New Jersey. It extends for more than one hundred miles. I’ll have you know that people in New Jersey refer to it simply as ‘the Shore.’”

“It sounds lovely. Let’s head back to the States, visit our daughter at ‘the Shore,’ plan our birthday party, and start scouting locations for our museum. Perhaps New Jersey would be a good setting. By now our trunk of treasures should have arrived at the house where Cleo is staying, shouldn’t it?”

“Oh yes. I received a delivery confirmation when I checked our e-mail last week.”

“Marvelous. Tomorrow we’ll head down into the valley where we can log onto the Internet and e-mail Cleo. We’ll tell her we’re on our way. I can’t wait to go through that big trunk and show Cleo each and every artifact we’ve lovingly collected on this trip. Treasures we want to share with the world.”

“Cliff,” Yaya said breathlessly. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

He patted her arm and raised an eyebrow. “I know.”

They burst into laughter and together continued up the mountain.

“Cleo will be so excited,” Yaya said. “I just know she will.”

“Absolutely. She didn’t expect to see us again for months.”

6

I am not going to let Cleo Paradise get away with it.

She can run, but she can’t hide. I can’t wait to make her regret what she’s done.

Never again will she worry about bad scripts.

Or dead flowers.

7

Regan had been staring out the window when the conductor’s voice came over the announcement system. “Next stop, Spring Lake. Please look around your seat and make sure you have all your belongings …”

Regan put her laptop computer back in its case. As the train slowly rolled into the station, she got up and walked toward the exit. When she stepped outside, the air felt even hotter than before.

“Regan! I’m over here!” Nora called.

Regan turned her head. Nora, wearing oversized sunglasses, chic summer pants, blouse, and sandals, was standing by her Mercedes, waving her arms.

Smiling, Regan hurried over.

“Hi, darling, how was your trip?” Nora asked as she and Regan hugged.