Read Online Otherwise Engaged by Suzanne Brockmann - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Suzanne Brockmann
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be an opera singer when I grow up.”
“Maybe you can.”
Zander quickly shook his head. “Nah. But you should
definitely
start listening to music. I can tellyou which of the CDs in the library are the best, if you want.”
Pres had to smile. “I didn’t even know the library
had
CDs.”
“The Sunrise Key Library doesn’t have very many,” Zander told him. “So are you going to come up and have breakfast?”
Pres shook his head. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Because of what it says in the newspaper—about you and Mom getting married, only none of that’s true?”
“Yeah.”
Zander sat down next to him, picking up a stick and drawing a line in the dry sand. “Were you really married to that movie star?”
“Yeah.”
Zander thought about that for all of two seconds. “She’s pretty,” he said, “but I bet she can’t play Donkey Kong Two the way Mom can.”
Pres had to laugh. “No, I think you’re right.” He looked at the boy. “You know, your mom is pretty too.”
Zander gave him a long look. “But she’s not a movie star.”
“Thank God.”
Zander stood, brushing the sand off his hands. “I gotta go. My pager’s going off. It’s got a silent setting, and it just shakes. It’s funny—you want to feel it?”
Pres took the pager that Zander offered him. It vibrated in his hand. “That definitely feels funny.”
“You sure you don’t want to have some breakfast? You could hear some good music and Mom wouldn’t mind. …”
Pres wasn’t convinced about that. He shook his head, handing the pager back to the boy. “No thanks, Zander. Just tell Molly …” What? “Tell her I said hi.”
Zander gave him another of those long, appraising looks. “I’ll tell her you smell better today too.”
Pres laughed. “Thanks.”
Molly didn’t like going to Millie’s Market.
It didn’t have anything to do with the owner, Millie Waters, who was as warm and friendly as she was large. It didn’t have anything to do with the vast selection of fruits and vegetables—all ofthem incredibly fresh, some of them from Millie’s own organic garden.
It had to do with that old, faded photograph of Chuck, hanging up near the cash register. He stood next to a younger, only slightly slimmer Millie, gazing unsmilingly and so seriously into the camera, as mysterious and full of secrets as he ever was. He seemed to watch Molly every time she so much as set foot in the store.
Chuck had always had so many secrets. But today Molly had one of her own—one she was trying to hide even from herself. One having to do with
Fantasy Man’s
Most Eligible Bachelor of the Year, no less. The sad truth was, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Pres Seaholm all day.
It was all about sex. Had to be. After all, it had been three years since she’d been with a man. Longer, Molly thought, glancing up at the photo of Chuck.
She grabbed a shopping cart and headed toward the back of the market, where the fresh produce was displayed. She had to stop thinking about Pres Seaholm and remember to get another box of cornflakes. This morning, Zander hadopened the box to discover it had been infested with fire ants and …
A flashbulb went off in her face.
“Molly Cassidy?”
“Excuse me, Miss Cassidy, will you comment on Preston Seaholm’s statement that you are allegedly
not
his fiancée?”
“Miss Cassidy, we’ve had a tip that Mr. Seaholm was seen entering your house by the back door last night at eleven-fifteen P.M. Can you tell us what you and he did until he left at approximately quarter to midnight?”
“Miss Cassidy, what exactly
is
your relationship with Preston Seaholm?”
Another flashbulb went off, and Molly had to laugh. “You’re taking pictures of me
grocery shopping?
Get a life, guys. Come on. …”
“Enough!” Millie was bellowing. “That’s enough! I won’t have this in my store! I demand that you leave—not you, Molly. But everyone else—out. Get
“Maybe you can.”
Zander quickly shook his head. “Nah. But you should
definitely
start listening to music. I can tellyou which of the CDs in the library are the best, if you want.”
Pres had to smile. “I didn’t even know the library
had
CDs.”
“The Sunrise Key Library doesn’t have very many,” Zander told him. “So are you going to come up and have breakfast?”
Pres shook his head. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Because of what it says in the newspaper—about you and Mom getting married, only none of that’s true?”
“Yeah.”
Zander sat down next to him, picking up a stick and drawing a line in the dry sand. “Were you really married to that movie star?”
“Yeah.”
Zander thought about that for all of two seconds. “She’s pretty,” he said, “but I bet she can’t play Donkey Kong Two the way Mom can.”
Pres had to laugh. “No, I think you’re right.” He looked at the boy. “You know, your mom is pretty too.”
Zander gave him a long look. “But she’s not a movie star.”
“Thank God.”
Zander stood, brushing the sand off his hands. “I gotta go. My pager’s going off. It’s got a silent setting, and it just shakes. It’s funny—you want to feel it?”
Pres took the pager that Zander offered him. It vibrated in his hand. “That definitely feels funny.”
“You sure you don’t want to have some breakfast? You could hear some good music and Mom wouldn’t mind. …”
Pres wasn’t convinced about that. He shook his head, handing the pager back to the boy. “No thanks, Zander. Just tell Molly …” What? “Tell her I said hi.”
Zander gave him another of those long, appraising looks. “I’ll tell her you smell better today too.”
Pres laughed. “Thanks.”
Molly didn’t like going to Millie’s Market.
It didn’t have anything to do with the owner, Millie Waters, who was as warm and friendly as she was large. It didn’t have anything to do with the vast selection of fruits and vegetables—all ofthem incredibly fresh, some of them from Millie’s own organic garden.
It had to do with that old, faded photograph of Chuck, hanging up near the cash register. He stood next to a younger, only slightly slimmer Millie, gazing unsmilingly and so seriously into the camera, as mysterious and full of secrets as he ever was. He seemed to watch Molly every time she so much as set foot in the store.
Chuck had always had so many secrets. But today Molly had one of her own—one she was trying to hide even from herself. One having to do with
Fantasy Man’s
Most Eligible Bachelor of the Year, no less. The sad truth was, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Pres Seaholm all day.
It was all about sex. Had to be. After all, it had been three years since she’d been with a man. Longer, Molly thought, glancing up at the photo of Chuck.
She grabbed a shopping cart and headed toward the back of the market, where the fresh produce was displayed. She had to stop thinking about Pres Seaholm and remember to get another box of cornflakes. This morning, Zander hadopened the box to discover it had been infested with fire ants and …
A flashbulb went off in her face.
“Molly Cassidy?”
“Excuse me, Miss Cassidy, will you comment on Preston Seaholm’s statement that you are allegedly
not
his fiancée?”
“Miss Cassidy, we’ve had a tip that Mr. Seaholm was seen entering your house by the back door last night at eleven-fifteen P.M. Can you tell us what you and he did until he left at approximately quarter to midnight?”
“Miss Cassidy, what exactly
is
your relationship with Preston Seaholm?”
Another flashbulb went off, and Molly had to laugh. “You’re taking pictures of me
grocery shopping?
Get a life, guys. Come on. …”
“Enough!” Millie was bellowing. “That’s enough! I won’t have this in my store! I demand that you leave—not you, Molly. But everyone else—out. Get