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Chapter 5
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2022-12-27 18:39:42
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EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 5.1
She looked down, but rather than appear embarrassed, she smoothed her hand down the exceedingly shiny and very purple skirt, which spread outward over an untold number of what appeared to be white lace petticoats, at least from what he could see in the opening that split down the front of the skirt. Then she lifted a hand to carefully straighten her bonnet, and looked him straight in the eye with a small smile that could only be described as saccharine sweet. โActually,โ she said, her voice a syrupy drawl, โwhy, I was just running a few errands in town before dashing off to save Tara.โHe barked out a laugh. Now who was charming whom? โWhy, Miss Scarlett, flash one of those smiles, and I do believe you could save Tara and the entire Confederacy, even this deep into Yankee territory.โHe watched her mouth soften into a more natural smile, and was pleased with himself more than was wise. Even banged up and bruised, she was a very beautiful woman, but the unexpected wry humor was the far
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-12-27EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 5.2
Just get back on the horse and ride it already! She gave a rueful smile, thinking that sentiment applied to so many things in her life at the moment. Not a single one of which she felt remotely ready to climb back up on, much less let loose for a long ride. And that visual made her thoughts swing right back to Calder Blue. Oh, for the love of . . . She groaned, tempted to pull over, lean forward, and just rap her forehead repeatedly on the steering wheel. However, sheโd already been punched in the face with one steering wheel this week, so clearly that wasnโt going to knock any sense into her.She turned into the parking lot of the Rusty Puffin. Sheโd promised Fi sheโd help decorate for the rehearsal party after stashing Alexโs present in Gusโs office, but at the moment her thoughts werenโt on hanging copious quantities of tissue-paper wedding bells and crepe-paper streamers. Her thoughts were still all tangled up with Calder Blue. And climbing up on . . . things. And riding them. Har
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-12-27EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย Chapter 6
โI appreciate the mayoral insight into the new direction the town is taking,โ Calder told Owen Hartley. โAnd the history lesson.โ He leaned his hip on the hardware store counter, thinking he could have saved himself a lot of time and energy if heโd just talked to Hartley first. Brodie had mentioned him as a good source on all the goings-on and heโd been spot-on about that. With a good word from Brodie, Owen had already given Calder a general outline of what was happening in terms of town growth and who the main players were and how they all interconnected. For his part, Owen knew Calder was in town at Winstockโs behest, to take on the construction of the yacht club, and that Calder was hoping to use the deal as a way to open dialogue between the two sides of his feuding family, but was curious as to why Winstock would bring him in, in the first place.โI donโt know if it will help you any,โ Owen said, brushing off the front of his shop apron. He was a slender man in his late forties w
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-12-27EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 6.1
Owen was nodding his head as Calder spoke. โI share that sentiment.โ He took a breath, let out a little sigh. โWell, as the story goes, and this comes not only from journals kept by Blue family members, but from the diaries of other townsfolk, some of which have become part of the public record. At least, if a person were so inclined to want to read them, anyway.โโSomething the local historian might have done.โOwen smiled briefly, still looking somewhat troubled over having gotten himself into this particular conversation. โIndeed,โ he said. He paused and Calder was just about to ask him where he could gain access to those journals directly when he continued. So Calder fell silent, and simply listened.โWhen Jedediah and Jeremiah had their disagreement, initially Jed wanted to keep the family empire united, but he didnโt want to be tied down to the Cove. He thought of it as branching out, expanding on the empire rather than splitting it. Jeremiah wouldnโt hear anything of the sort.
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-12-27EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 6.2
โThey had a younger sister, Josephine. Her husband died young, shortly after theyโd all settled here. She wasnโt even twenty yet, had two babies already, both sons. Story goes that Joโs husband died soon after Jed had taken off, so Jeremiah took her under his roof and helped raise her kids. Not as his own, per se, but they were Blues, nonetheless. AndโCove history is wishy-washy on this, though Iโm sure Jonah has records somewhereโbut whatever his sisterโs married name had been, those kids used the surname Blue. Jonah descends from them.โCalder took a moment, letting all the information settle a bit.โYou have family?โ Owen asked.โNo kids, if thatโs what you mean. I have three brothers. All younger.โ He smiled at Owenโs wide eyes. โTwo are married, two daughters apiece. The baby is still in college. Not a one of them cares a lick about whatโs going on out here.โ Theyโre too busy arguing with me. โSo . . . yeah, we werenโt really raised to even think about this side.โโWell, Brooks w
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-12-27EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย Chapter 7
As the door swung shut behind him, Calder squinted at the bright late-morning sunshine. Interesting day. Idling at the curb was the blue beast . . . and a pensive-looking Scarlett. And itโs not even noon yet. Heโd expected sheโd be testy from being kept waiting. He really needed to stop assuming the worst about her.โYour gravel, maโam,โ he said and motioned toward the trunk.She looked up, clearly startled from her thoughts, making him wonder what had brought that brooding expression to her face. Then her eyebrows climbed even higher. โYou. Again.โโSmall town,โ he replied, motioning again to the trunk.She leaned down and reached around for the lever, then popped the lid for him. โWhy are you here?โโAccording to you? To destroy the Blue family and civilized life in the Cove as you know it.โShe gave him an arched look. โI meant here at Hartleyโs, but never mind, itโs none ofโjust never mind. If you could put that in the trunk, I really need to get back over to the pub. Careful, the
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-12-27EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 7.1
He chuckled at the way sheโd said that, like a closing statement meant to brook no further comment. โYeah. You sound overcome with it.โShe looked at him squarely then, which drew his fingertip along her cheek, down to her chin. โIโm very happy for my brother. I couldnโt be happier for him.โโThen why do you look so miserable? I figured it was from getting smacked in the face with an air bag. You got some other sort of unrest going on back at the plantation, Miz Scarlett?โShe gave him a penetrating, no-bullshit stare, much the same way he imagined sheโd look at someone she was about to cross-examine on the stand. It was impressive. But because he wasnโt on trial, it didnโt faze him in the least. He also noted she didnโt shift away from his touch. Now that fazed him.โNo unrest. Everything will be fine,โ she said. โIs fine.โHe smiled, which spread to a grin when she scowled. โGood thing youโre not on the stand right now. Youโre perjuring yourself.โDespite herself, she smiled a littl
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-12-27EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 7.2
He searched her eyes, but couldnโt read her. Something was going on in there, likely something that had a lot to do with that uncertainty sheโd spoken of when theyโd run into each other earlier that morning. He wasnโt sure that should matter. It was her issue. She was an adult, making her own choices.โGood point. So . . . what do you want to do? For fun.โShe held his gaze, then slowly straightened in her seat, trapping his fingertips under the seat belt as it was pulled taut once more. โI want to hijack you.โHis eyes widened briefly. The exceedingly snug fit of his jeans, however, remained an abruptly increasing concern. โDonโt you have a rehearsal to get to? A sister in dire need of white gravel?โโWe can drop the gravel off at Gusโs. Sheโll understand the rest. It was her idea, after all.โโIโm thinking maybe I was too quick to judge your sister. We are talking about the same one?โโCrazy chick in the wacked-out bridesmaid dress driving the Prius?โ she said, settling in her seat
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-12-27
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EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 11.4
She boggled at him. โTen days to let someone with Brooksโs resources cover his ass? And what if Iโm right and this was just the first volley?โLogan rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and swore under his breath. โThen weโll cross that road when we come to it.โ He kept talking when she would have jumped right back in. โIโm not canceling my honeymoon. It took too long to figure out the logistics in the first place. I wonโt do that to Alex, and if you say anything, sheโd be the first one to do it herself to help me.โโNo, no, I wouldnโt want you to and Iโm not going to say anything, I promise. I justโcanโt someone you trust in a nearby precinct step in to handle things? Machias maybe? Or Lubec? Itโs a hike, but they have more resources than we do.โโIf something happens, then yes, at least temporarily until I can get back.โ He looked at her. โIf something happens, I will come back immediately, Hannah. But without any proof other than a string of hunches on your partโand mine,โ he ad
EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 11.3
โI canโt rule it out, but it doesnโt seem likely. Not based on what I know at the moment, anyway.โโExcept you donโt know anything.โThey both fell silent for a moment and she ran through the previous night again in her mind, then started to list everyone connected with the docks, with Jonah, with the proposed club . . . but nothing stood out, nothing niggled, nothing seemed off. Except Winstock. Who had a lock-tight alibi.Then Logan suddenly swore under his breath.โWhat?โ Hannah demanded. โWhat just occurred to you?โโThere is one other thing after all,โ Logan said quietly.Something in his tone made her feel a thread of alarm. โJust tell me already.โโA possible motive for Calder Blue.โโWhat reason could he possibly haveโโโYou know the family feud story, that the children Jed took might have been his, or might have been Jeremiahโs.โโThat was over a century ago. What on earth could tie that toโโโIf they were Jeremiahโs kids, or even one of them was . . . itโs possible then that
EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 11.2
โTim and I are no longer together,โ she said, just putting it out there, boom, done. Heโd hear about it from Alex or their sisters anyway.He glanced at her, then reached over and put his hand on her arm, squeezed gently, before returning it to the steering wheel. โI should have called, or pushed, or gotten Barb to push. Iโmโyou know Iโm not good at this stuff.โโLogan,โ Hannah said quietly, abashed now, her irritation fleeing as quickly as heโd stirred it up. โIโI guess I owe you an apology. The whole family. Barb, too. I should have said something. Maybe not when it happened, but at some point since then. I just . . . I had to deal with it on my own. I didnโt say anything at the time, because we broke up over Christmas. I knew it was a special holiday for you and Alex, youโd been together a whole year.โ She smiled over at him. โFiona spilled to me in an e-mail that you were going to pop the question over the holidays.โ She punched his shoulder, and he mock winced. โWho knew you were
EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 11.1
โDid someone die?โHannah turned to find her brother in his big, police-issue SUV, idling at the curb. โNo,โ Hannah said, sniffling and smiling as she wiped her eyes. โJust . . . sister stuff.โ She reached down for Alexโs hand, and squeezed it, felt better when Alex held on just as tightly.โIโm getting calls,โ he said, mildly. โIf you guys are going to keep this up, could you at least do it somewhere less . . . public?โHannah looked back at the other three, then glanced past them to the gold letters painted on the shop window. They were all still standing outside Lindaโs Nail Emporium on High Street. โOh,โ she said, looking back at Logan. โRight.โ She gave Alexโs hand a final squeeze, then let go and walked over to the curb.โActually,โ Kerry called out, โwe were just talking about The Lumber Yard. You know, that male strip club in Augusta.โLoganโs eyebrows did a slow climb as he looked from Kerry to his lovely bride-to-be.To Kerryโs delight and Hannahโs surprise, Alex simply smil
EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย Chapter 11
โNo strippers?โ Kerry shook her head at the other three women. โIf Delia were here, sheโd side with me.โโShe finally got the inspector out at her new placeโno way was she missing that for a mani-pedi. And it would still be two against three,โ Fiona said, beaming smugly.โMy disappointment, it is deep,โ Kerry replied gravely. โItโs like you all have lost your will to live.โโMaybe weโve just lost our will to drive several hours to see men disrobe in front of a room full of women,โ Fi shot back, smiling even more sweetly.โYou all can go if you want to,โ Alex said hastily. โI justโโ She shrugged. โIโm good with the hot, naked guy I already have.โโNobody likes a spoiled winner,โ Kerry said, but she was giving Alex a high-five as she did so.Fiona groaned and clapped her hands over her eyes. โBad images, bad images. Iโm happy for you, but seriously, consider the audience.โKerry rolled her eyes and slung an arm around Fiโs shoulders and pulled her in for a side hug. โThat reaction is pr
EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 10.5
โThatโs not what I mean, and you know it.โFor his part, Calder just leaned back and propped his booted foot on his knee again. He didnโt need Hannahโs help, but the entertainment value alone made it well worth any potential future complications. Professional or personal. He liked seeing Hannah in litigator mode. Anyone who thought her cold must not have been paying attention. She was fiery, passionate, anything but icy. He felt other parts respond to that train of thought and deliberately looked back at Logan. Yeah, that took care of that. For now.Calder spoke. โIโve already explained to your brother, the chief here, that I was looking out over the docks and the harbor after my meeting was canceled, trying to figure out what Brooks Winstockโs bigger plan might be, when I ran into you lecturing some poor jerk in D.C. who was trying to hire youโโโThatโs not pertinent to this investigation,โ she inserted calmly enough, but heโd been watching her and hadnโt missed the brief flash of su
EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 10.4
โHannah,โ Calder said, as Logan also stood, but she merely nodded at him before turning back to her brother. It was only then that he noted she was carrying her leather day planner, andโa briefcase? Who brought a briefcase with them while on vacation for a family wedding?Hannah McCrae did. He found himself fighting a smile as he pulled out the chair next to his. โI wonโt need that,โ she said to him, โbut thank you.โ She looked at Logan. โCalder didnโt torch Jonahโs boathouse,โ she told him. โAnd youโre wasting valuable time you could be spending on finding out who actually did.โโExcuse me, Counselor,โ Logan interrupted, appearing surprised, but otherwise not at all perturbed by her sudden intrusion. โIโm not done questioning Mr. Blue. Iโll be happy to talk to you separately. In fact, youโre next on my list.โโThereโs a list?โ she asked. โGood. Thatโs very good. But Iโm not leaving.โ Calder shifted behind the chair, and pushed it in for her as she apparently changed her mind and took
EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 10.3
Logan nodded, but didnโt say anything.โSo, with that theory in mind, I was walking the harbor road, scoping it out from a contractorโs viewpoint, trying to see it as Winstock might envision it. With the shipyard out of his reach, the only real place he could have a presence on the waterfront would be in Blueโs spot. After that, itโs government-owned property with the Coast Guard, and then youโre out of the pocket of the harbor itself into less showy property units.โโWhat makes you think his vision includes more waterfront property?โCalder shrugged. โThatโs all heโs gone after so far. If he wants to make his mark, and especially if he envisions tourists being any part of his scheme, the waterfront is really the only place to do it.โLogan made more notes, but said nothing.โBottom line, I canโt help but think Winstock is using me, somehow, some way, to get to Jonah. I told Jonah as much the day we met, and that was before my talk with Owen. Itโs the only reason I can see for Winstoc
EVERY BRIDE NEEDS SOMETHING "BLUE"ย ย ย 10.2
Calder drew in a slow breath, let it out, and got his thoughts in order. โI was supposed to meet with Brooks Winstock the evening prior. Wednesday. To discuss the details of a job heโs hiring me to do.โโWhich is?โCalder sighed. So, itโs going to be like that, is it? McCrae knew damn well what heโd been hired to do, but was going to put him through his paces. Calder decided that was a good thing. Neat and tidy, all the facts lined up, iโs dotted, tโs crossed. โBuilding the yacht club. He acquired the property last August and originally had wanted the thing done by this July fourth, but the winter came in early, stayed late, and then he apparently had a falling-out with the architect, hired a new one, then the original contractor walked due to the architect switch.โ Calder lifted his shoulders. โWhen heโWinstockโaccepted my bid, he seemed pretty worked up about getting this thing under way as quickly as possible. But he ended up postponing our original Wednesday meeting to yesterday,
