BooksBarbecue
Back The Brighter the Light Save as PDF
Chapters (40)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. CONTENTS
  4. PROLOGUE RUTH
  5. CHAPTER ONE IVY
  6. CHAPTER TWO IVY
  7. CHAPTER THREE IVY
  8. CHAPTER FOUR RUTH
  9. CHAPTER FIVE IVY
  10. CHAPTER SIX IVY
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN RUTH
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT IVY
  13. CHAPTER NINE RUTH
  14. CHAPTER TEN IVY
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN IVY
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE ANN
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN RUTH
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN IVY
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN IVY
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN DANI
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CARLOTTA
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN RUTH
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN RUTH
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY IVY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE IVY
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO IVY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE IVY
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR RUTH
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE RUTH
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX CARLOTTA
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN IVY
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT IVY
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE IVY
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY EDNA
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE IVY
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO IVY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE RUTH
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR IVY
  39. EPILOGUE IVY
  40. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He regarded her with a pointed gaze. “Tell me about it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO IVY

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

IVY

Monday, January 24, 2022, 3:00 p.m.

Mrs. Molly Gardner called shortly after Dalton left, and they agreed she’d pop by in an hour. By the time she pulled up forty-five minutes later, Ivy had cleaned up the kitchen and taken Libby outside for a bathroom break.

Ivy stepped out onto the front deck and watched the midsize woman rise out of a gray SUV. She was late fifties, with gray-streaked brown hair, and wore faded jeans, a tan cable sweater under her peacoat, and rubber boots.

“Mrs. Gardner?” Ivy asked.

“Call me Molly. Ivy Neale?”

“Yes.” Ivy stepped aside as Molly moved into the house. Libby barked as she peered out from behind her wall of boxes. “That’s Libby. She’s a new mom and nervous. I’ve wanted to remove the boxes for days, but she’s calmer with them up.”

“Can I see the puppies?” Molly asked, green eyes brightening.

“Sure. We have three, and the little female has been taken, but the boy and the other girl are looking for homes, in case you’re interested.”

Molly held her hand out to Libby and waited patiently as she sniffed and then licked her hand. “Oh my. They’re so cute.”

“Let me know if you want one. They’re free to a good home.” She let the words trail as if dangling a juicy carrot and not a wiggling puppy that required a fifteen-year commitment.

Molly nibbled her bottom lip. “My old dog just passed last month, and I promised myself I wouldn’t get a dog for another year.”

Ivy smiled, knowing that the softest sell could be the most effective. Plus, she didn’t want anyone who wasn’t really sure of the commitment taking a puppy. That thought led her to Dani, who might well lose her vision. “You can visit anytime, if you want to see them again.”

Molly rose, holding up her hands as she drew in a breath. “You’re tempting me, Ivy Neale.”

“Yes, I am.” When she’d waited tables at the Seaside Resort and even in her first days at Vincenzo’s, even the staunchest dieters could be convinced to order the apple pie or the tiramisu when she was on the floor.

Molly stepped away from the puppies. “I came earlier today and explored the wreck. It’s definitely the Liberty T. Mitchell.”

“What do you know about the ship?” Ivy asked.

“There’s quite a legend around it. My dad was a fisherman, and he was good friends with Henry Anderson. I grew up hearing Henry’s stories. He told me his grandmother had been on board the vessel.”

“Uncle Henry? He worked in Ruth’s kitchen when I was little. She adored him.”

“Henry was always close to the Wheelers.”

“I’m surprised we never crossed paths.”

“I was living in Raleigh from the late nineties to 2015.”