to collect it, she’d have to come back to Alameda. If she did that, she’d be arrested and there would be no bail. Her one attempt had been an expensive failure.
* * *
Beau had been in a sling for three months, since his first surgery in May, the one that immediately followed the gunshot wound to the shoulder. That bullet, that small bullet, made a mess of things. He had a second surgery to try to improve on his pain and mobility and it seemed to be working. At least that’s what the physical therapist said. And Beau’s pain management was fine; he was comfortable most of the time and gaining strength in his left arm. Enough strength to pick and pluck in the garden and bring it into the kitchen for Lauren.
He was doing just that when his cell phone chimed and he looked at the text. He laughed. Then he laughed again.
* * *
Lauren was in the kitchen and tonight would bring their kids together, something they enjoyed so much. They did a lot of cooking when the kids came. It would be Cassie’s last night with the family before going back to law school, so Beth and her family were coming, too. Beau came into the kitchen through the back door, gave her his basket from the garden but was holding his phone with the hand in the sling. He was grinning like a fool.
“I have good news,” he said. He gave her a kiss before turning the phone toward her. “Look at this.”
The message said, We’re coming back to CA in a month and will be staying awhile. The picture showed Angela leaning back against Tim, his arms around her, his hands cradling a large, pregnant belly. Surprise.
“Only good surprises from now on,” Beau said.
“Oh! Look! I had no idea they hoped to start a family! Aren’t they cute?” Lauren said. She smiled at Beau. “It’s been a wild ride but it appears that everyone came out of it in a better place.”
Beau slid his good arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “I’d go through all of it again if it meant you loved me at the end of the craziness.”
“I’m yours,” she said. “And you’re mine.”
“Good. I’m glad that’s settled.”
“It’s settled. And final,” she said.
* * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr.
“A thought-provoking look at women...and the choices they make when they realize their lives aren’t exactly what they expected—or thought they were.”
—Kirkus Reviews on Four Friends
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What We Find
Any Day Now
The Family Gathering
The Best of Us
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One Wish
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Wildest Dreams
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A Virgin River Christmas
Second Chance Pass
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Wild Man Creek
Harvest Moon
Bring Me Home for Christmas
Hidden Summit
Redwood Bend
Sunrise Point
My Kind of Christmas
And don’t miss these bestselling tales of friendship, family and fresh starts:
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Never Too Late
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The House on Olive Street
by Robyn Carr
ONE
April 16
Fair Oaks, California
Elly sensed something was wrong immediately, but since she was not a woman who lived by her instincts, she did nothing. She pushed the dark, ominous feeling aside and made believe that it was her abhorrence for surprise parties that brought on this edginess. She held the grocery bag that Sable had given her and stood, obediently, on the walk leading to Gabby’s front door.
This was Sable’s idea—the surprise birthday party for Gabby’s fiftieth birthday. It was April sixteenth, the day after taxes were due. Gabby was an Aries, but lacked many of the typical character flaws