The Perfect Hope Part 66

Hope nodded at Clare. "That happened before. It must have something to do with energy. Who the h.e.l.l knows? I could start researching paranormal activities, hauntings, and so on, but that would take time away from trying to find Billy. That's the priority."

"I'll let Owen know, and he'll dive in, too. But she talked to us." Avery took Clare's hand as she straightened, reached for Hope's. "She talked to all of us. She hasn't had anyone she could tell her story to, all this time. All she wanted was Billy, a home, a family, a d.a.m.n dog. I wish her father would make an appearance. I don't know if you can punch a ghost, but I'd like to try."

"For now, this is her home." Hope sighed. "And we're her family."

"Beckett brought her out. I really believe that," Avery said to Clare. "Something about him let her reach out. Maybe he reminded her of Billy. Maybe they all do-Owen and Ryder, too. She trusts them, cares about them. There's a connection there, and maybe it's more than how they rebuilt this place."

"Yeah." Hope frowned. "You're right. There's something-" She broke off when she heard the door open downstairs, and voices carry up. "Cleaning crew."

"I need to get back to the store." Clare levered herself up. "We should write all this down. I can do that. Maybe if it's all written down, we'll see something we missed in the telling."

"I'll start the search for Joseph William-or Williams-as soon as I can." Hope led the way down.

"We should have a meeting. The six of us-and Justine if she wants."

"I'm open tomorrow night. Can you get a sitter?"

"I'll take care of it," she told Hope. "Can we get together here? It may jump-start something."

They stopped in The Lobby, chatted with the cleaning crew. When the phone rang, Hope waved her friends off.

With plans for the meeting working through her head, she braved the heat to go outside and weed. She thought better if her hands stayed busy.

They'd had a breakthrough, she was certain of it. Momentum would carry them the rest of the way.

And what then? she wondered. When they found Billy-discovered where he'd lived and died, how he'd died and when-what would that mean to Lizzy?

She'd never had a chance, Hope thought, not really. And just as she'd believed her life would begin, it had ended. Yet her spirit remained faithful, compa.s.sionate, had humor and affection.

And love, she thought. The love just shone in her.

They'd have had a good life together, she mused. That stone house, that family, those dogs. However young she'd been, however tragic, she'd known what she wanted, and she'd grabbed for it.

And what do you want? Hope asked herself.

Her hands stilled as her own question surprised her. She had what she wanted. Didn't she?

A job she loved, friends she treasured, family she could count on whenever she needed it. A lover she cared for and enjoyed.

It was enough, just as she'd told Ryder. It was more than enough.

Yet something niggled at her, something inside her that wanted to stretch for more.

Don't spoil it, she warned herself. Don't start piling on expectations. Take it all as it comes, and be happy now.

She stepped back as Carolee pulled in, and went through the arch to meet her at her car.

"I'm loaded!" Carolee announced.

"And I'm here to help."

"So's she." Carolee gestured as Justine pulled in. "She's been behind me the last mile and a half. Good timing," Carolee called out. "Grab a bag and haul it in."

Justine, wearing sandals with rainbows for straps and sugary pink sungla.s.ses, flexed her biceps. "I've got the power. Jesus please us, it's freaking hot."

"I'd hoped that storm last night would cool things off." Carolee reached in, pulled out a skid of toilet paper. "No such luck."

"Took down a branch as big and wide as w.i.l.l.y B and dropped it across my lane. I had to get the d.a.m.n chain saw."

"You ran a chain saw." Hope gaped at her.

"Honey, I can run a chain saw, a wood splitter, and whatever else you toss at me. If I have to. One of the boys would've done it, but I wasn't calling them away from work when I could do it myself."

"I can run a Weedwacker." Carolee laughed as they hauled supplies inside. "But I've lived in town for decades and Justine in the woods. Remember how Mama thought Tommy was all but taking you to a foreign country when he bought up that land?"

"Mama figured I'd become a hillbilly. Tommy used to tease her that he was putting in a still."

"She didn't approve of him?" Hope wondered.

"Oh, she loved him. Crazy about him. She just didn't love the idea of him plopping me down in the middle of the wilderness, which was how she saw anything more than three miles outside of town. My father grew up on a farm not far from here, and he couldn't wait to get some town on him. They were made for each other."

"Everyone's got their place," Carolee said.

"And mine's in the wilderness. I'm lucky my boys feel the same so I can have them close."

"No, sit," Hope said when Justine turned to go out again. "I can get the rest. You have something cold, and I'll give you the latest Lizzy update when we've got everything in."

"I'll do just that, and watch my sister put all this away."

"You always did boss me."

"You always needed it."

Amused, Hope left them to it, went out to get the last of the supplies from Carolee's car.

As she did, a red BMW Roadster pulled into the lot. She didn't recognize the car-that was new-but she recognized the woman behind the wheel.

Her jaw tightened; her shoulders tensed. She didn't bother to fake a smile as Sheridan Ma.s.sey Wickham slid out of the car and onto gorgeous-d.a.m.n it-Louboutin stiletto sandals.

Her hair fell in such perfect, s.h.i.+ny waves Hope was certain Sheridan had stopped five minutes down the road to freshen it and her makeup. She wore a watercolor-print sheath-Akris, Hope guessed-drop earrings of platinum, and a sparkling wedding set that could have put someone's eye out.

Just my luck, Hope thought, when I'm sweaty, wearing weed-the-garden clothes and haven't freshened my lip gloss since I put it on this morning.

Just perfect.

"Sheridan." She left the greeting at that.

Sheridan whipped off sungla.s.ses, tossed them into her candy pink leather purse. "I'm going to give you one warning, and that's all you'll get. Stay away from Jonathan."