Read Online Hoping for Love by Marie Force - Free Book Online

Grace yearned for friends like these women. They were gutsy and brave. They were survivors. She wanted to be like them. She was so tired of getting in her own way and letting self-doubt derail her dreams. Those days were over, she decided as the bluffs on the island’s northern coast appeared in the distance.
    Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to get to Gansett and set the next phase of her life into motion. 

Chapter 6
    Grace drove her car off the ferry and eyed the Beachcomber as she drove past. This time she’d left nothing to chance and had weekend reservations at the iconic South Harbor hotel. She also had a reservation for her car on the last boat back to the mainland Monday night. Hopefully, that trip would be a quick stay at home to pack up her old life before her new life on Gansett began.
    The pharmacy was located on the main road, halfway between South and North Harbors. Grace had done her homework and found Gold’s to be a solid business with an outstanding reputation. The island’s only pharmacy had a built-in clientele that all but guaranteed a safe investment. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so excited about anything, but she remained cautiously optimistic. A lot could change in a week. Maybe the Golds had already found a buyer. Maybe they wouldn’t go for her proposal. Maybe—
    “Okay, cut it out,” New Grace said to Old Grace. “Stop with the self-defeatist thing. We don’t do that anymore, remember?”
    She pulled into the parking lot and stared at the two-story weathered shingle building for a long time before she was able to force herself out of the car. Whatever happened, she’d be fine. Because she was so determined to shake things up, she’d already given notice at her job in Mystic. No matter what happened this weekend, it was time to snap out of the rut she’d been in for years.
    As she pushed open the door and heard the delicate tingle of the bell that announced her presence, Grace smiled as the sweetly scented air filled her senses. The place smelled the way a pharmacy should. She wandered toward the back of the store, hoping to run into Mrs. Gold. At the counter, Grace asked for her.
    “She just left to do some errands,” the pharmacist said. The older man was balding, with a warm smile and wire-framed glasses. “Is there something I might help you with?”
    “Oh, um, well, do you happen to know if she’s found a buyer for the pharmacy yet?” Grace held her breath as she awaited his reply.
    His smile faded a bit. “Not yet. We keep hoping. One of these days, maybe.” He took off his glasses and wiped them on the white coat he wore over a shirt and tie.
    “Are you Mr. Gold?”
    “Yes indeed.”
    Grace extended a hand over the counter. “I’m Grace Ryan—”
    “You’re the pharmacist who was here last weekend. My missus told me about you!” He took a long, measuring look at her. “Are you going to make my day, my month and my year, young lady?”
    “Quite possibly.”
    “Oh, happy day! Pamela, take over here for a bit,” he said to the woman who was working with him behind the counter. “I’ll be right back.”
    “Okay, Mr. Gold,” Pamela said, casting a wary glance at Grace.
    “Right this way, Miss Ryan.” He ushered Grace through double doors into a cramped office. When they were settled, he folded his hands on the desktop. “Now, let’s talk turkey.”
    Grace appreciated his direct approach. “The truth of it is, I can’t afford to buy your pharmacy.”
    His face fell with disappointment. “But I thought…”
    Grace held up a hand to stop him. “This is what I propose. I’ve been out of college and working for close to seven years while living at home, but I don’t have the credit history or collateral to get a loan. However, I could make a sizeable down payment. If you and Mrs. Gold hold the mortgage on the remaining portion, you’d have a guaranteed monthly income.” By the time she finished speaking, Grace had begun to sweat. All