Read Online Moonlight on Monterey Bay by Sally Goldenbaum - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sally Goldenbaum
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her head slightly, and smiled brightly at him. “I do what works,” she said pleasantly,
In spite of herself, Maddie enjoyed the rest of the evening. Eleanor was a treat, a handsome energetic woman who had raised two children, buried one husband, and obviously kept Sam Eastland in line. She never hesitated to speak her mind to him, but it was always tempered with affection, and Sam obviously adored her. So that gave her and Sam one thing in common, Maddie thought: they both liked Eleanor.
“Well, my dears,” Eleanor said finally, “I hate to end this evening, but I need to be on my way.” She looked at Maddie and explained. “My sister lives in Watsonville. I’m going to spend the rest of the weekend with her.”
“I’ll drive you over,” Joseph volunteered immediately. “That way Maddie can show Sam what’s going on with the house before it gets too late.”
“Wait—” Maddie began, but it was a waste of breath. Joseph was already standing, his arm extended to Eleanor, and she was responding with equal enthusiasm. There was no way Maddie could thwart Cupid without it coming back to haunt her. She glanced atSam. The pensive look had come back to his face. He knew he was being manipulated, and he didn’t like it any more than she did. But when Eleanor bent low and kissed him on his cheek, she saw the sternness melt.
“Well, let’s get this over with then,” Sam said, pushing out his chair. “I need to get back to San Jose.” The thought of being alone with Maddie was having a distinct effect on him, and he seemed powerless to do anything about it. What was it about her? What he needed to do was get out of this place, get back to the city where his world was intact and logical.
Maddie agreed with Sam and quickly followed him out of the restaurant and to his car. As they turned in the drive to the beach house a short while later, Sam noticed that the spotlights in the front of the house had been replaced with new ones, and all along the winding drive, small ornamental lights caught the glare of his headlights and winked at them. “Nice,” he said.
“It was dark,” Maddie replied. “You needed them.”
“Good idea.” The lights gave the house a warm, welcoming feel, distinctly different from the way it had been. And he liked it.
Once inside, Maddie flipped a switch and the still-empty house was bathed in a soft golden glow. “We don’t want exotic paint colors,” Maddie explained, “sothis won’t take us long. The house is so beautiful all by itself that we’re using natural tones. The view and some artwork will fill in color.”
“Fine.”
“But in a couple of the bedrooms we could do something—”
“Okay.” Sam’s gaze traveled beyond the wall of windows to the sea. His limbs relaxed, his jaw loosened. It was a dark night, but a light fog rolled up off the ocean, casting an eerie spell.
Why hadn’t he come here more these past few years? Elizabeth had never liked it here, had preferred to spend her weekends at home with friends, entertaining; vacations usually meant going back to England. They had decorated the place to the hilt, then left it alone to gather dust, coming down once in a while with carloads of people for a catered meal. Suddenly that all seemed far away and unfamiliar, and in the clean unadorned beauty of the empty house, it seemed improper.
From the foot of the open stairway, Maddie watched him curiously. He was lost again, retreating somewhere inside his head. “We probably ought to get on with this,” she said finally. “It looks like fog is rolling in—”
“What?” Sam turned around, saw her on the steps with the light behind her haloing her thick black hair. For a brief second he thought it was a hallucination. And then his mind cleared and he focused onher words. “Sure,” he said briskly. “Good idea,” and followed her quickly up the wide, winding steps.
In the master bedroom, Maddie had suggested one deep green wall, with the others in
In spite of herself, Maddie enjoyed the rest of the evening. Eleanor was a treat, a handsome energetic woman who had raised two children, buried one husband, and obviously kept Sam Eastland in line. She never hesitated to speak her mind to him, but it was always tempered with affection, and Sam obviously adored her. So that gave her and Sam one thing in common, Maddie thought: they both liked Eleanor.
“Well, my dears,” Eleanor said finally, “I hate to end this evening, but I need to be on my way.” She looked at Maddie and explained. “My sister lives in Watsonville. I’m going to spend the rest of the weekend with her.”
“I’ll drive you over,” Joseph volunteered immediately. “That way Maddie can show Sam what’s going on with the house before it gets too late.”
“Wait—” Maddie began, but it was a waste of breath. Joseph was already standing, his arm extended to Eleanor, and she was responding with equal enthusiasm. There was no way Maddie could thwart Cupid without it coming back to haunt her. She glanced atSam. The pensive look had come back to his face. He knew he was being manipulated, and he didn’t like it any more than she did. But when Eleanor bent low and kissed him on his cheek, she saw the sternness melt.
“Well, let’s get this over with then,” Sam said, pushing out his chair. “I need to get back to San Jose.” The thought of being alone with Maddie was having a distinct effect on him, and he seemed powerless to do anything about it. What was it about her? What he needed to do was get out of this place, get back to the city where his world was intact and logical.
Maddie agreed with Sam and quickly followed him out of the restaurant and to his car. As they turned in the drive to the beach house a short while later, Sam noticed that the spotlights in the front of the house had been replaced with new ones, and all along the winding drive, small ornamental lights caught the glare of his headlights and winked at them. “Nice,” he said.
“It was dark,” Maddie replied. “You needed them.”
“Good idea.” The lights gave the house a warm, welcoming feel, distinctly different from the way it had been. And he liked it.
Once inside, Maddie flipped a switch and the still-empty house was bathed in a soft golden glow. “We don’t want exotic paint colors,” Maddie explained, “sothis won’t take us long. The house is so beautiful all by itself that we’re using natural tones. The view and some artwork will fill in color.”
“Fine.”
“But in a couple of the bedrooms we could do something—”
“Okay.” Sam’s gaze traveled beyond the wall of windows to the sea. His limbs relaxed, his jaw loosened. It was a dark night, but a light fog rolled up off the ocean, casting an eerie spell.
Why hadn’t he come here more these past few years? Elizabeth had never liked it here, had preferred to spend her weekends at home with friends, entertaining; vacations usually meant going back to England. They had decorated the place to the hilt, then left it alone to gather dust, coming down once in a while with carloads of people for a catered meal. Suddenly that all seemed far away and unfamiliar, and in the clean unadorned beauty of the empty house, it seemed improper.
From the foot of the open stairway, Maddie watched him curiously. He was lost again, retreating somewhere inside his head. “We probably ought to get on with this,” she said finally. “It looks like fog is rolling in—”
“What?” Sam turned around, saw her on the steps with the light behind her haloing her thick black hair. For a brief second he thought it was a hallucination. And then his mind cleared and he focused onher words. “Sure,” he said briskly. “Good idea,” and followed her quickly up the wide, winding steps.
In the master bedroom, Maddie had suggested one deep green wall, with the others in
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