Share the Moon. Sharon Struth

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СКАЧАТЬ Duncan never dreamed it was Sophie. He swallowed the candy remains. “When you told me about the land, I wish you had mentioned I’d outbid her.”

      “Why?” The cracked age lines in Buzz’s skin furrowed with a frown. “Would you have changed your mind?”

      Would he? “I’m a businessman. I like all the facts.”

      “Okay, okay. Not a biggie. Besides, you oughta be able to handle Sophie. With your charm, I’m sure she’ll find her way to your side. Remember, if we can get the local paper to push the favorable points of this project, it’ll make things easier for zoning to vote for the changes.”

      Over the years, Duncan had acquired a carefully balanced appreciation for politicians like Buzz. He didn’t care for them. Still, they were a necessary part of dealing with the types of projects his firm handled.

      “Buzz, I want the press on my side, but only if we do things properly. Tactfully.” Duncan paused and replayed his little fib to Sophie. “And with the truth…as much as possible.”

      “Uh-huh. Don’t go fretting over that tree-hugger study, either.” He shoved his hands into his overcoat pockets, as if he wished to instead stuff away his earlier aggravation toward the special interest group spokesperson. “Bernadette Felton’s always on the opposite side of the fence from me. I swear to God, if I opposed your proposal, she’d support it!”

      The mention of the S.O.L.E. activist and her bribery accusation brought a return of the sick pit in the hollow of his gut. “Any idea where those bribery rumors started?”

      The selectman’s face tightened. “No idea. One person speculates in this town and suddenly the theory spreads like wildfire. Like I said, don’t lose sleep over her.”

      “She’s not what I’m worried about. It’s…never mind. I want the local Gazette to have good things to say about my firm. An environmental study might be the thing.”

      “I guess.” Buzz pressed his lips tight.

      “What’s Sophie’s story?”

      “Hometown gal. Got divorced a while back.” Buzz cocked his head. “That should work in your favor.”

      Duncan ignored the implication. “She’d probably love to see my project fail.”

      Buzz’s throaty grunt showed agreement.

      “Anything else I should know about Sophie? I mean, if I’m to get her to come around to our side.”

      Buzz hesitated a second too long. “Nope. Do yourself a favor. Don’t try to figure her out. Or any other woman, for that matter.”

      Duncan forced a smile but only to hide an unexpected wave of sadness sweeping over him. If he’d been able to figure out his wife, maybe their marriage would’ve been happier. “The voice of experience, huh?”

      “Married almost forty-five years.” Buzz turned to walk toward his car and Duncan followed. Buzz chuckled. “I met my wife back in tenth grade, when the fellas bet me that if I asked a pretty senior named Marion Price to the prom, she’d say no.”

      The tender tone in Buzz’s voice surprised Duncan, who’d only seen the political side of him until now. “So she said yes and the rest was history?”

      “Nope. Lost the bet and had to shave my head. As the bristles grew in, they started to call me Buzz.” He shrugged. “Name stuck. After college, I tried again and this time got Marion.”

      Duncan chuckled. Buzz had just proven he didn’t give up easily, a quality Duncan respected in others.

      After several seconds of silence, Buzz looked at Duncan. “There’s another reporter at the paper. Cliff had assigned her this job. Not sure why Sophie showed up. Want me to talk to the editor?”

      “No.” He liked seeing Sophie again after so many years. She hadn’t remembered him, but he’d changed a great deal from the pre-pubescent boy who hung out at the tackle shop. “I can handle her.”

      Chapter 4

      Sophie tapped the keyboard of her office computer with tired fingers as she replied to an e-mail. The church bells at nearby St. Mary’s tolled, most likely the start of a funeral she’d seen on her way into the office, but the sound made her mind wander to the story her mother often shared of the magical moment she met Sophie’s dad.

      Mom had arrived on duty for her shift in the ER. She’d pushed aside a curtain to deal with her first patient, a tall blond man wearing a fishing vest with his ankle propped on a pillow. Sophie imagined her mother with creamy peach skin and thick dark hair twirled into a bun and tucked under a nursing cap, like her college graduation photo. A picture that showed the resemblance she bore to her mom. Mom’s eyes always glowed when she’d shared the next part. “The next second, I swear the church bells in town chimed. I’d met the one.”

      Sophie had always believed the bells were made up. After the encounter with Duncan Jamieson, she wasn’t so sure. The instant desire her mother described had only happened to Sophie once in her forty-four years: yesterday morning, when she stared at the blue sky and the handsome developer peered back. An insane admission since her non-libido-related thoughts screamed reminders about his lie. And she couldn’t forget the bribery rumors. Alone, the rumors meant nothing. Coupled with his reaction to Bernadette’s accusation, they were a lead.

      Sophie yawned and stopped typing to cover her mouth right as her desk phone rang.

      “Blue Moon Gazette. Sophie Shaw speaking.”

      “Hey, it’s Marcus. I tried to catch up with you at the hearing last night. Want some dirt?”

      “You were there?” Since she’d met Marcus six years earlier, his gig as the Hartford Courant’s suburb reporter only brought him to Northbridge when one of the governing boards took a vote on something big. “Why? This RGI zoning request is pretty much of local interest right now.”

      “My editor’s thoughts exactly. Then he got a call from the paper’s owner. Seems the head of RGI called him. They have mutual friends. Suddenly, I’m told I have to drive here and cast some positive light on the resort plans.”

      She snorted. “I’m not surprised, considering the bribery rumor. You’ve given me another reason to dig for more. That firm president can’t be trusted.”

      “Watch yourself. He’s not only connected, he’s sitting on some big bucks. So is his family.”

      “Interesting. Well, I just got this assignment. Gabby had to be removed because of a family problem.”

      “Yeah, I was surprised to see you there in reporter mode. I figured they wouldn’t want you to cover this one.”

      Marcus had offered a sympathetic ear during her recovery from the Ryan Malarkey incident, although somehow she suspected he’d never let his heart guide a story as she’d done. “What else did you find out about Jamieson?”

      “He grew up in Bronxville, right outside of Manhattan. Town’s so rich, the flowers smell like the inside of a bank vault. His father started a huge law firm in New York City, with offices overseas. My brother-in-law is a lawyer in Manhattan. I asked about the senior СКАЧАТЬ