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

“How did you find them?” Regan asked, dying for information on Jillian.

“Talking about me?” a woman called.

They all turned. A thin, dark-haired woman, probably in her late thirties, was walking into the living room. “I’m Jody,” she said with an air of efficiency. “We put flyers all over. Edna saw me putting one up in the coffee shop in town, and asked what I was doing. Right, Edna?”

Edna nodded. “Monday morning. It was fate.”

“Sure was,” Jody said. “Edna put us right to work. She wanted to have this sale as fast as possible. We’ve been working round the clock this week …”

Not Jillian, Regan thought. She had time to go to a Chinese restaurant last night.

“And Jody is so good on pricing things. I wouldn’t know what to charge. She kept saying get as much as you can …”

“Edna!” Jody protested.

“Well, that’s your job. I don’t want to give all this away. Jody, we’re going in the kitchen for a drink. I know you don’t have time to join us.”

“Hardly,” Jody said, looking at her watch. “I’d better see what’s going on outside. It was nice to meet you …”

Edna slapped her forehead. “Forgive me for being rude. Let me introduce you to the author Nora Regan Reilly, who stayed in this house many, many, many times as a teenager….”

I don’t think it was that many, Regan mused.

“… they had such a wonderful time. My daughter Karen and Nora went to high school together in Bernardsville. This was our summer place back then. Karen will be here tonight. And this is Nora’s daughter, Regan …”

19

Edna’s friend Arnetta, a tiny woman with snow white hair and a heart-shaped face, was shooting pool in the recreation room at Golden Peaks. “Green ball in the side pocket,” she announced with confidence as she leaned over the table and lined up a shiny wooden pool stick between her manicured fingers. She aimed, fired, and the sharp crackling sound of one ball hitting another filled the air. The players watched as the green ball rolled toward that side pocket, then began to run out of steam.

“Come on!” Arnetta cried, jumping up and down. The ball rolled more and more slowly, reached the edge of the pocket, then disappeared under the table with a decisive thump. “Yes!”

“You’re a hustler, Arnie,” one of the men said with a chuckle.

Eighty-six-year-old Arnetta was the best female pool player in the village. She’d taken up the game when she moved there ten years before. None of the women wanted to play with her anymore. She was out of their league and had gotten so competitive. Arnetta didn’t care. She preferred playing with the guys who were the best. It was more fun and she loved to flirt.