career very few people get to have in film. Hotshot fiancé. Fame. Respect. Blah blah blah. But I missed my family. I missed this place.” She gestured to the water. “I missed my mom’s sharp wit. And I missed Bailey and how she could turn the most banal event into a story that had you rolling on the floor.”
We shared an affectionate smile for our friend.
“And Mom talked a lot about you. The sweet, shy bookstore owner. I could tell she felt a motherly protectiveness for you, and I’ll admit, I didn’t like it. Childish, huh?”
Thinking of how I hadn’t wanted to share my friends with Ivy, I shook my head. “I understand.”
“I will say one thing for Mom … she’s always right about people. She’s got that gut instinct, you know. And if Mom thinks you’re good people, then you’re good people.” Ivy stood. “I’d love to come to lunch with you.”
I beamed, glad my decision to put myself out there with Ivy had paid off.
My friends sailed into the bookstore together, chattering madly with a cloud of intensity hovering over their heads. They stopped abruptly at the sight of Ivy standing on the stairs that led to the seating area.
“Ivy.” Bailey walked to her first. “You’re here.”
“Emery invited me. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course I don’t.” She pushed Ivy toward the chairs and turned back to mouth “thank you” to me.
I smiled and shrugged as I grabbed a plate of sandwiches off the counter.
Jess approached and put her arm around me. “That was sweet of you,” she whispered.
“She needs good friends.” I eyed her carefully. Jess looked pale. “How are you?”
“I’ve been dealing with morning sickness, although I curse whoever named it that because it happens at any time of day. I’m feeling okay today, though. Ish.” Jess lifted a rolled-up newspaper. “Have you seen this?”
I shook my head, my heart thumping with trepidation.
I thought I already knew what was in there.
“Drinks?” I asked everyone as they sat in the armchairs and on the sofa, already diving into the sandwiches.
“We’ll get those later.” Bailey gestured to an empty chair. “Sit, sit. There is news afoot.”
“What’s going on?” Ivy took a bite of a canapé and moaned. “Oh my God,” she said around a mouthful.
Dahlia chuckled. “Yeah, Em’s lunches are the best.”
“Yeah, you’re not kidding. Emery, why aren’t you catering? My God. These are better than what I had at glitzy LA parties.”
“If you don’t stop complimenting her, she’ll burst into flames,” Dahlia teased.
I shot her a mock disgruntled look.
“Okay, people, yes, Em can make a mean canapé … can we concentrate?” Bailey gestured to Jessica. “Paper.”
Jess opened and flattened it on the table.
Across the front page of the Hartwell County Chronicle were two photographs: one of Rebecca, the other of Stu. The headline read “MURDER ON HART’S BOARDWALK.”
“Well, that’s dramatic,” I murmured.
“Dramatic.” Bailey shifted forward in her seat. “Rebecca Devlin was raped nearly five years ago and Stu Devlin, trying to protect his sister, murdered the guy. She confessed to helping Stu bury the body and murder weapon. The guy was wanted for rape in multiple counties.”
“It gets even more complicated.” Jess sighed. “This stays between us.”
The girls all nodded eagerly.
“Jack came to see Cooper.”
I held my breath.
“He told Cooper everything. Including the fact that Ian Devlin knew about this.” She gestured to the paper. “But they lied to Jack. They told him that Rebecca had killed Caruthers before he could rape her, that they covered it up and if Jack didn’t fall in line, Ian would tell the police what Rebecca had done. And they’d lie and say it was Jack who’d helped her, not Stu.”
“Holy shit,” Dahlia breathed. “I shouldn’t know this. If Michael knew, he’d have to arrest Jack for failing to notify the police about the crime.”
Jess’s eyes widened. “Oh, Dahlia … I—”
“You can’t tell Michael.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. They flinched at the near hysteria in my tone. “You’d have to tell him I knew too.”
“WHAT?”
I flinched.
Oh hell.
What had I just done?
“You knew?” Bailey said in between gaping at me like an oxygen-deprived fish. “How did you know?”
I couldn’t believe I’d just blurted that out. What on earth was I thinking? I flushed hot and covered my eyes with my hand. “Oh, flea shit on a dog turd.”
“Did she just say what I think she said?” Bailey whispered, shocked laughter in her voice.