the hallway to the Sunday school wing. As she approached the meeting room, the hum of voices grew louder.
She hesitated in the doorway, looking for a bright Hawaiian shirt, but the crowd was awash in neutral colors.
The room was crowded with people she didn’t recognize. Only a handful of year-round Magnolia Harbor residents: Bernice Cobb, the nurse practitioner at the local clinic; Wally Faulkner, one of the town’s many charter boat captains; Lewis Harland, who worked for Colton St. Pierre; and Bobby Don Ayers, the real estate broker, sat near the front of the room.
Who were the rest of these people? Vacation homeowners? Activists from the mainland?
She glanced toward the front of the room, where Peggy Fiedler was having a conversation with Representative Tate. Peggy couldn’t have been more than five feet tall and had to crane her neck to look up at the big man who’d once played football for the Rutledge Raiders and the University of South Carolina.
Tate was smiling down at the activist like a cobra, hypnotizing his prey. Didn’t Peggy realize that Caleb was a pro-development legislator? He didn’t exactly have a sterling record on topics like climate change.
Had Peggy been bribed? It was a troubling thought.
She checked her phone again. Nothing from Topher, and maybe that was a good thing. There were a lot of strangers in this room who would probably stare at him.
“Hey,” a deep voice said from behind.
She turned to find Colton St. Pierre, dressed as always in his khakis and maroon St. Pierre Construction golf shirt.
She’d spoken with him a week ago Friday, when she’d returned his phone calls. He’d been frantic to reach her when she’d been in Miami to let her know about the toxic flyers the Conservation Society had been putting up all over town. By the time they’d spoken, she’d already seen them. But since that conversation, she hadn’t seen or spoken to Colton at all.
“Hi,” she said. “How’s it going with Kerri?”
He frowned. “Not good. She’s mad at me.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because everyone says you’re cheating on me and she thinks we’re a thing.”
“What?”
His gaze bored into her. “I know you’ve heard the gossip around town.”
She sighed heavily. It might be nice to live in a big city where a person could find anonymity. “I have. And I’m sorry.”
“About what? Sleeping with Topher?”
She blinked. “Are you jealous?” The words popped out of her mouth without thought. No, it wasn’t possible for Colton to be jealous. He and Kerri were sleeping together. Right?
“So you’re here to defend Topher Martin?” Colton asked, ignoring her comment, thank goodness.
“I’m here to defend my design.” What she’d said was the truth, but not the whole truth. Defending Topher was on her list, especially since it looked as if he might be a no-show. Someone had to defend him.
“I figured you’d say something like that.” Colton seemed angry or depressed or something as he turned his back on her and took a few steps down the hallway.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, following him. “Did Kerri really dump you?”
“Yeah. But I probably deserved it. I’m a screwup. You should—”
“Stop. You’re not. You—”
“No. I am. And it’s worse than that, really.”
“What? Tell me.”
He turned around and stared at her. The look on his face spelled disaster, and she suddenly wished she hadn’t invited him to speak his mind. Even before he opened his mouth, some sixth sense told her he was about to say something awful.
“I really need to know the truth. Are you and Topher Martin a thing?”
“No. We—” She bit off the words of explanation and said, “No,” a little more firmly the second time.
“But you could be?”
Boy, Colton could read her like an open book. “I don’t think he’s my kind of guy, and—”
“Stop.”
“What?”
“He’s a good guy. He was always pretty straight up with me, you know? He once told me that I needed to be careful with you.”
“What? When?”
“Years ago. Before I was arrested. Before I even knew what that meant. And I—”
“When exactly did this conversation happen?”
“That summer you were a lifeguard at the yacht club. I was waiting for you to get off work one day, and he just got into my car and told me that I needed to be careful with you. He told me you were an amazing person. I gather you’d just saved some kid’s life. And you know what? He was right. You are an amazing person, and I…” He blew out a breath.