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Back The Newcomer
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

“I’m here,” Letty said finally. “I’m just floored. I knew about the ring, of course, because she showed it to me when Evan gave it to her, after Maya was born, but did Tanya know about the real estate? She never mentioned it to me, and we talked all the time.”

“As far as I know, she wasn’t aware of the real estate,” Sammi said. “I only discovered it myself after I began the process of probate. All of this is complicated, as you might guess, by the nature of Tanya’s death.”

“You mean her murder,” Letty said. “Evan murdered Tanya.”

Letty couldn’t stop thinking about Declan Rooney, the con man whose deep blue eyes were the same distinctive shade as Maya’s. “Did Tanya ever hint to you that Evan wasn’t the father of her child?” she asked.

“No!” Sammi said sharply. “Are you telling me that Evan isn’t Maya’s father?”

“I’m not telling you anything,” Letty said. “As you’ve already noted, Tanya was complicated. She liked secrets and she was really good at keeping them.”

Sammi exhaled loudly. “Let’s set that aside for a moment, please. Evan’s attorney has notified me that he’ll fight any attempt by the estate to claim those real estate assets. What I need from you…”

“No,” Letty said. All this talk about Evan Wingfield was making her feel panicky and cornered. “I can’t talk about this, Sammi. You do what you have to do. But you can’t tell anyone that we talked. Especially Evan. You have no idea what he’s capable of. This isn’t just about me. It’s about Maya. If something happens to me, Evan will get custody of Maya.”

“Wait,” Sammi said.

She heard voices approaching outside, from the breezeway. Maya burst in, holding a foil-lined shoebox in both hands, followed by Isabelle.

“Lookit, Letty,” Maya crowed. “Cookies!”

Letty disconnected the call.

26

“GOOD NEWS,” AVA SAID, AS Letty settled herself behind the registration desk on Wednesday. “I’ve booked your old room.”

“Already? That was fast.” Letty sat Maya down at her table, and unpacked her crayons and markers and the new reading workbook Isabelle had bought for her, and the child went right to work.

“Those photos of yours did the trick,” Ava said. “I’m thinking, when it slows down in the fall, or maybe sooner, right after the spring breakers leave, I’ll get you to style and photograph all the rooms. You could sprinkle some seashells around and freshen things up. I bet I could raise prices by at least ten percent, and nobody would even notice.”

“Merwin would notice,” Letty said. “But Ava, about fall…”