“That can be really scary,” Regan said. “So she wouldn’t necessarily head for a beach area again. I’m just wondering where she’d go if she wanted to spend a few days by herself while she was waiting for her friend to join her. Someplace where she could relax.”

Judson shook his head. “I don’t know. I can’t think of anything she said that might help.”

“Thanks, Judson,” Regan said, then gave him her number. “If you do think of something, would you give me a call?”

“Sure.” An hour later, Judson was pushing his lawn mower across a large stretch of property. He was going over in his mind the moments he spent with Cleo Paradise. The last time he saw her she’d been reading a book by the pool when he arrived. I asked Cleo if she liked the book and she said she loved it. It was about a pioneer family living in a log cabin. She said she envied their simple life, he remembered. Should I call Regan Reilly and tell her that? Or would I seem really stupid?

Judson noticed a small rock in his path. He stopped, went around the lawn mower, and tossed the rock aside. He could tell Old Man Appleton was staring out the window, watching his every move. If I make a call right now, he’ll start yelling.

Maybe when I finish this job I’ll call Regan Reilly.

But he still wasn’t sure.

54

Frankie went through the motions of his usual banter with the audience during cocktail hour but his heart wasn’t in it. All he could think about was how he had completely blown the opportunity to buy the house from his mother. Couldn’t she have at least called and given me one last shot when she got the offer? It would have been nice. But no, she goes right ahead and sells the family home without discussing it with me or Karen and is already selling everything out from under us. The worst part, Frankie thought, as his fingers glided effortlessly across the keyboard, will be telling Rhonda.

He hated to think that it was partially his fault. He never imagined he would want to go back to that house. But meeting Rhonda had changed everything. She was so right for him in every way. The fact that she lived at the Jersey Shore and had a restaurant where he could perform were added bonuses. Everything would have fallen perfectly into place if not for his mother. Now he would have to scramble to find a decent place for his new family to live.

When the cocktail hour was over, Frankie went back to his room and put a call through to Rhonda at the restaurant. One of her employees answered the phone.

“Is Rhonda there?” Frankie asked.

“Who’s calling?”

“Frankie.”

“Hold, please.”

As Frankie waited, his body tensed.