Read Online Summer in Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online Page A

he climbed out from behind the wheel, a snapping breeze tugged at his wind-breaker.
Storm on the way,
he thought. Summer squalls were not unusual for this time of year here on the coast.
    Octavia was already out of the passenger seat. The bouncy wind whipped her hair into a froth and caused her long, full skirts to billow around her legs. She laughed a little as she grabbed a handful of her skirts to keep them from blowing up around her thighs. Her eyes were bright. He got the feeling that she was savoring the raw energy of the approaching storm. Maybe she tapped into it for her fairy magic or something. Seemed logical.
    "We'd better hurry," she said. "The rain will hit any minute."
    "Right."
    With an effort he wrenched his attention away from her flying hair and skirts and opened the rear door of the BMW. He reached inside and hoisted the painting. Octavia had wrapped the picture in old newspapers before leaving Thurgarton's cabin.
    Carrying the painting under one arm, he walked with her to the door of Bright Visions.
    "You really think this thing is worth a quarter million?" he asked.
    "Between you and me? Yes. But we'll all feel more secure once we've had a second opinion."
    She continued to struggle with her skirts with one hand while she withdrew her keys from her shoulder bag. She opened the front door and stepped quickly into the darkened interior of the shop to punch in the code that deactivated the alarm system. Then she flipped some switches to turn on the lights.
    "Who'd have believed that old Thurgarton would have possessed a valuable work of art?" He carried the painting into the shop. "He was no collector. You saw how he lived. How the heck do you suppose he got hold of it?"
    "I haven't got a clue." She led the way across the showroom to the long counter. "As I told you, there isn't a lot of Upsall's work around. It's amazing to think that one of his pictures has been sitting out here on the coast all these years."
    "Who says we're not a bunch of real sophisticated art lovers here in Eclipse Bay?"
    "Certainly not me." She opened the back room and turned on more lights. "You can put it there with that stack of paintings leaning against the far wall."
    He surveyed the crowded back room. Rows of paintings were stacked five and six deep against every wall. Empty frames of all shapes and sizes were propped in the corner. The workbench was littered with tools and matting materials.
    "No offense," he said dryly, setting down the painting, "but this place looks almost as cluttered as Thurgarton's cabin."
    "Gallery back rooms always look like this."
    He straightened. "The finding of a previously unknown Upsall should make for an interesting story in some of the art magazines."
    She smiled. "I can see the headline now.
Conspiracy Buff, New Age Cult Leader and Porn Shop Proprietor Inherit Lost Upsall."
    "Be interesting to see what they do with the money." He walked back to where she stood in the doorway. "Well, so much for tonight's thrilling adventure in the world of art. Are you ready for dinner? I'd take you to Dreamscape, but Carson is there and we wouldn't be able to talk in peace. How about the Crab Trap? It's not as good as Rafe's place, but it's not bad."
    "You do realize that if we dine in any of the local restaurants, there will be a lot of talk tomorrow?"
    "So what? Hartes are used to being talked about in this town."
    "I know."
    Belatedly it occurred to him that she was not accustomed to being the subject of local gossip. "Look, if this is a problem, we can go back to my place. I've got plenty of food in the house. Comes with having a growing boy around. I'm not saying that it will be what anyone would call gourmet, but-"
    She cleared her throat. "I bought fresh asparagus and some salmon fillets this afternoon."
    Fresh asparagus and salmon were not generally purchased on a whim. He considered the possibilities.
    "You planned to invite me back to your place?" he asked finally.
    "To be honest, it struck me that it