The Ivy House - By Drea Stein Page 0,28

think you can drive me out of town, make me miserable, just like you did to Savannah, you have another thing coming.”

“What…Make you miserable…Your grandmother was the home wrecker.”

“Home wrecker?” Phoebe fought for control. “She was an amazing actress, an American legend.”

“God,” Chase rolled his eyes. His nonchalant grin had been replaced by something more like annoyance. “You’re starting to sound like those crappy Hollywood tribute programs, ‘Savannah Ryan, the golden child, blah, blah…’”

“Well, at least she wasn’t some dried-up prune of a woman who hounded her ex-husband when he wouldn’t take her back.”

“Oh, please, like you would know. What is that, the Savannah Ryan Hollywood version of the story?”

They were yelling at each other full on. Phoebe realized that more than a few people had popped their heads out of boats and were looking at them with open interest.

Chase was also very close to her, so close that she could see the way the blue of his eyes was pierced by lighter flecks. They were like pools of water, great, deep, inviting pools of water, and she felt hot all of a sudden, even though the day wasn’t that warm, and she was in the shade of the boat.

Now it was Chase’s turn to point his finger and, though he kept it from touching her, it wagged annoyingly in her face.

“You might think you can come here, all high and mighty, Ms. Hollywood, but not everyone in this town wants to see that house torn down.”

“Torn down?” she said, puzzled, not quite sure where this conversation was going.

“It’s practically a piece of history, and maybe all you people from California want new and shiny and modern, but here in Queensbay, in my town…”

“Your town?”

“My town, that’s right, we believe in preserving history, not destroying it.”

“I don’t want to destroy it…” Before Phoebe was able to go any further, there was the sound of pounding feet and an anxious voice.

“Chase.” Phoebe looked over Chase’s shoulder. It was that girl again, Tory, with the caramel-colored hair.

“Not now, Tory,” Chase said without turning.

“Ahh, I think you’re going to want to come. There’s an issue down in Florida.”

“Take care of it,” Chase said, but he turned to look.

Phoebe saw that Tory was wringing her hands and looked genuinely distressed.

He turned back to Phoebe. “This,” he said, “isn’t over.” He spun around and walked up the dock, Tory talking to him urgently. The surface under Phoebe swayed a little and she leaned back into the piling. What had just happened?

<<>>

“Do people think I want to tear down Ivy House?” Phoebe asked Lynn. They were sharing a bottle of wine Lynn had brought over, along with cheese and crackers, sitting on the low stone wall that marked the border of the terrace.

“Well,” Lynn said.

“Come on, tell me.”

“I guess the thought was that you were some big Hollywood hotshot. What would you want with some big old pile like this?” Lynn trailed off.

“You look guilty,” Phoebe said. Lynn had brought along some chair cushions, but still the ledge was not the most comfortable thing in the world. There was an old garden bench tucked under a tree. It was rickety, but with a little work, it would be serviceable. Maybe that should be one of her first projects.

“Who me?” Lynn popped a cracker with a wedge of cheese on it into her mouth.

“Is that why you were so friendly to me? What, did the Historical Commission send you up to make sure I wasn’t going to tear the place down and put up some ultra-modern white box?”

Lynn shook her head. “No, of course not. Well, not exactly. But they did ask me what I thought. And I told them you didn’t plan on it. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a gossip, but seriously, you do not want these old biddies on your case. Look, it’s your house and if that’s what you want to do…”

Phoebe shifted as a pointy bit of stone was jabbing her in the thing. “So why does Chase Sanders think that’s what I’m going to do?”

Lynn considered for a moment and then a smile spread across her face.

“What is it?” Phoebe knew Lynn was onto something.

“Didn’t you say that Chase offered an obscene amount of money for the house?”

“Yeah, I thought he wanted the view,” Phoebe said.

“No way. He loves the house. Totally thinks the family connection is cool. I mean, at least that’s how I heard him talk about it at one of the Yacht Club things.”

“So he’s serious about