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Back Strangers She Knows Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. BPA
  61. Author Bio

In this distance, Jamie Conkle’s greenhouse glinted in the sun, and as Rae got closer, she could see swathes of plants inside. The Di Lucas had installed a greenhouse at Yearning Sands Resort, but the gardener was strict about humidity and grow lights, and she wasn’t allowed inside. This place was unguarded, and the Di Lucas owned the island. They owned everything on the island, so surely she could go into the greenhouse. She parked her bike, set the kickstand. It fell over. She left it and opened the glass door, and tip-toed inside.

It was warm, sunny, really warm, really sunny. Long rows of raised beds boasted feathery carrot fronds and tall tomato plants loaded with red and yellow fruit. The greenhouse smelled of rose and thyme, basil and parsley. Rae loved plants. She loved vegetables. She loved this place. She crept along the rows, brushing her hands over the—the cucumber plants had prickly leaves. “Ow!”

“What are you doing in here?”

Rae jumped and spun.

Jamie Conkle advanced down the aisle toward Rae. She was tall and full-bosomed, with dark eyes and dark hair, and she glared like a witch on Halloween. She seemed not to care that Rae was a Di Luca and the Di Lucas owned the island. Jamie was mad, and she acted like she owned everything. “You can’t be in here.”

“I wanted to see… I like the plants and…”

“I don’t care. I don’t care! This is my place. My island. I keep it. I protect it. I made my man come here. I made him live here. He complains. He wants to go back to the life on the mainland, with those Californians and the bacon-eaters and the, the people who eat apples that have been sprayed with—” Jamie acted as if Rae’s life in Washington made her a pariah, some creature who carried disease to infect the greenhouse and the island.

Rae turned and ran. Up one aisle, down another aisle. She found a door, opened it and ran out into the fresh air. She was crying. She didn’t want to be crying. Everyone liked her. Why didn’t this lady?

She glanced back. Jamie was still after her, moving swiftly.

With seconds to spare, Rae grabbed her bike, mounted and rode as fast as she could down the road. Toward the beach. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Jamie come out of the greenhouse and stare balefully after her.