Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Yep, I’ve got it right here.” Reaching into my purse, I pulled out a list I’d made around two in the morning when I couldn’t sleep. I probably should have looked at it once more before I gave it to him. Lord knows who I’d written down. I’d been so exhausted at the time. Still was.
“May I?” he asked, pointing to it.
I pushed it across the table. “Have at it. May I look at yours?”
He nodded as he took my paper and opened it. The last thing I wanted to do was look at his list, but I went through the motions of taking it and slowly unfolding the paper. He stayed quiet, focused on my list, and I peeked over to see his reaction to the names.
“Mrs. Pritcher, our librarian?” he asked with a choked laugh.
I nodded.
His eyes jerked up to meet mine, but before he said anything, he quickly glanced around the restaurant. “And Ruby? You honestly think Ruby could be the one writing the articles?”
I gave him a one-shoulder shrug. “Why couldn’t it be her?”
“When would she have the time?”
Leaning in closer, I lowered my voice. “Think about it, Brax. She’s here every day and hears everything. All the gossip. And she probably has people planted all over the place, listening.”
His brows pulled in tight. “I don’t think it’s Ruby.”
“Just keep reading, will you?” I said as I glanced down at his list and held my breath, waiting to see my name on it. I took one quick look and was relieved when it wasn’t there.
“You have Kimberley on the list,” he said. “Palmer said she isn’t smart enough to put together something like the column.”
I laughed. “Please. She plays stupid simply to get attention.”
He stared at me for a moment as if he was letting that bit of information soak in before he went back to my list. “I’ve got Mr. Hall on my list too.”
I internally fist pumped. That would buy me some time, for sure. If he suspected Mr. Hall, I could send him on all kinds of goose chases.
“Kim Werther?” I nearly shouted when I saw the name of one of the most active moms in Seaside on Brax’s list. She was into everything, but for all the right reasons.
Brax looked up at me. “What?”
“You honestly think Kim Werther is Ms. Seaside?”
He nodded. “Why not?”
I opened my mouth to say she was too busy being a stay-at-home mother and PTA mom to even bother with silly gossip, but I stopped myself. Now that I let myself think about it, she was actually a great person of interest. She was everywhere, volunteering for everything, and most likely heard a lot of gossip from the other moms.
I shrugged. “I don’t see it being someone like her.”
“And again, why not?”
“She’s a mom.”
Brax laughed. “What does that have to do with anything? All her ‘seagulls’ are probably the gossiping moms she hangs out with.”
“She wouldn’t have time to write a column like that. Think about it.”
Looking up in thought, he finally nodded. “Okay, scratch that one off my list.”
I dug around in my purse for a pen and found a red one. I drew a line across her name and then read on.
Mrs. Pritcher. Why had he made a big deal about her being on my list when she was on his? “You have Mrs. Pritcher on yours too!”
He smiled. “I was mad that you thought of her as well. She’s the one person no one would suspect.”
“Totally,” I said as I went back to the list—and nearly choked on my own tongue when I saw the next name.
Melinda Tilson.
My head shot up. “My mother, Brax? Are you serious?”
He glanced up at me. “What? It’s possible.”
I dropped back in my seat. “My mom? You honestly think she’s Ms. Seaside?”
“Anyone could be at this point, Harlee.” He gave me a pointed look. “Even you.”
That made me sit up straighter. “Oh yeah, like I could get away with it.”
He tilted his head and studied me before nodding. “You’re right. I don’t think you could do it.”
My mouth fell open. “I beg your pardon. And why couldn’t I?”
Brax sighed. “Do we have to get into this now, Harlee?”
“Yes. Yes, we do, Braxton. Why couldn’t I be Ms. Seaside?”
He smiled. “For starters, you’re too nice. You’re not called the Princess of Seaside for no reason, princess.”
I nearly flinched at the endearment. Brax had called me that the night we’d slept together. Although, sleeping was the one thing we hadn’t done.
He went on, watching me closely. “And I don’t think you have it in you to write about people the way Ms. Seaside does.”
I instantly felt a mix of hurt pride and overwhelming guilt. Hurt that he didn’t think I had it in me to write the column, and guilt because I was gossiping about the people I loved. In my mind I had always separated Harlee from Ms. Seaside. We were two different people, but it was clear that was no longer the case.