“Who’s up for some lunch?” Daniel asked.
Holly wiped at her eyes and nodded. “Yeah, lunch sounds good.”
“Are you crying?” Sabrina asked with a laugh. “Oh, Holly.” She hugged her friend. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll probably be crying during the actual ceremony, too.”
“I just can’t believe that Tim and I actually managed to pull it off to get you two together,” Holly said. “Maybe I should open a matchmaking business!”
Sabrina chuckled. “Maybe you should!”
Daniel laughed and started walking toward the exit. They really did have Tim and Holly to thank for all of this. If it hadn’t been for them, he would have never met Sabrina and would have never experienced what true love was. “All right, let’s go. There’s a great little shack near the beach. It looks like a dive, but Frank makes the best clam chowder and crab sandwiches within fifty miles.”
“Oh, you’ve taken me there before. Great place!” Tim agreed.
Daniel pushed open the heavy wooden door and squinted against the bright light of the midday sun. Behind him, the others exited, but before he could turn back to them and lead them in the direction of Frank’s Crab Shack, an auburn mane across the street caught his eye.
He whirled his head to take a closer look and froze.
Audrey!
Audrey was just now entering the general store across the street, the door closing behind her. She was here in the Hamptons! Hiding from him in plain sight! So he’d guessed right: Audrey was staying close so she could watch with glee as chaos, caused by her vicious lies, ensued. She was most likely staying with the Boyds. No wonder Linda Boyd had known about the newspaper article so quickly and alerted his mother, when he doubted that Linda even read the New York Times.
His heart thundered in his ears, and his hands turned to fists. He would wring Audrey’s pretty neck for the untruths she’d spread about Sabrina.
Daniel turned back to Sabrina and their friends. None of them seemed to have noticed Audrey enter the store. This was his chance, but he had to make it quick, before Audrey escaped him.
“Uh.” Daniel cleared his throat. “Why don’t you guys go on ahead and I’ll meet you there?”
Sabrina gave him a confused look. “Why? I thought it was your idea to go to Frank’s.”
He pasted a charming smile onto his face, while inside he was seething. “If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.” He winked playfully. Then he quickly added, “It won’t take long. I promise.”
Tim whistled, jabbing him in the side. “Sounds like Daniel wants to buy something special for you, Sabrina.”
Daniel instantly noticed the smile that pulled at Sabrina’s mouth. “Why didn’t you say so immediately?” Her eyes sparkled.
He pressed a brief kiss on her mouth. “Looks like I can’t keep any secrets from you.”
“Looks like it.” Sabrina winked and left with Tim and Holly.
Daniel waited and watched until Sabrina, Tim, and Holly were out of sight before he made his way across the street and entered the general store.
He surveyed the interior. A fair number of customers were shopping in the large store that carried everything from milk to greeting cards to glassware.
He spotted Audrey in the far corner looking at a display of fancy bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Quietly and swiftly, he approached her.
“Audrey,” he said, coming up behind her.
She gasped and spun around to face him. “Daniel,” she greeted him coolly, her eyes already darting past him as if looking for an escape route.
“We need to talk.”
Daniel glanced around. Too many customers were close by and would be able to overhear their conversation, and what he had to say to Audrey wasn’t meant for anybody else’s ears.
“In private,” he gritted out between clenched teeth, while his eyes searched for a place that would afford some modicum of privacy. A sign caught his attention.
Before she could protest, he grabbed Audrey’s wrist and dragged her to a door. Restrooms was printed on it. He pushed the door open, pulling a reluctant Audrey with him, then opened the door to the men’s room and pushed her inside.
“Get your fucking hands off of me!” she said, jerking her hand from his grasp.
Daniel locked the door. “I know it was you, Audrey.”
“What are you talking about?” Audrey braced her hands at her hips and glared at him defiantly.
“Damn it, Audrey! Don’t play stupid with me. It was you who went to the newspaper with that ridiculous story about Sabrina being a call girl. I know you were the reporter’s source.”
Holly wiped at her eyes and nodded. “Yeah, lunch sounds good.”
“Are you crying?” Sabrina asked with a laugh. “Oh, Holly.” She hugged her friend. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll probably be crying during the actual ceremony, too.”
“I just can’t believe that Tim and I actually managed to pull it off to get you two together,” Holly said. “Maybe I should open a matchmaking business!”
Sabrina chuckled. “Maybe you should!”
Daniel laughed and started walking toward the exit. They really did have Tim and Holly to thank for all of this. If it hadn’t been for them, he would have never met Sabrina and would have never experienced what true love was. “All right, let’s go. There’s a great little shack near the beach. It looks like a dive, but Frank makes the best clam chowder and crab sandwiches within fifty miles.”
“Oh, you’ve taken me there before. Great place!” Tim agreed.
Daniel pushed open the heavy wooden door and squinted against the bright light of the midday sun. Behind him, the others exited, but before he could turn back to them and lead them in the direction of Frank’s Crab Shack, an auburn mane across the street caught his eye.
He whirled his head to take a closer look and froze.
Audrey!
Audrey was just now entering the general store across the street, the door closing behind her. She was here in the Hamptons! Hiding from him in plain sight! So he’d guessed right: Audrey was staying close so she could watch with glee as chaos, caused by her vicious lies, ensued. She was most likely staying with the Boyds. No wonder Linda Boyd had known about the newspaper article so quickly and alerted his mother, when he doubted that Linda even read the New York Times.
His heart thundered in his ears, and his hands turned to fists. He would wring Audrey’s pretty neck for the untruths she’d spread about Sabrina.
Daniel turned back to Sabrina and their friends. None of them seemed to have noticed Audrey enter the store. This was his chance, but he had to make it quick, before Audrey escaped him.
“Uh.” Daniel cleared his throat. “Why don’t you guys go on ahead and I’ll meet you there?”
Sabrina gave him a confused look. “Why? I thought it was your idea to go to Frank’s.”
He pasted a charming smile onto his face, while inside he was seething. “If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.” He winked playfully. Then he quickly added, “It won’t take long. I promise.”
Tim whistled, jabbing him in the side. “Sounds like Daniel wants to buy something special for you, Sabrina.”
Daniel instantly noticed the smile that pulled at Sabrina’s mouth. “Why didn’t you say so immediately?” Her eyes sparkled.
He pressed a brief kiss on her mouth. “Looks like I can’t keep any secrets from you.”
“Looks like it.” Sabrina winked and left with Tim and Holly.
Daniel waited and watched until Sabrina, Tim, and Holly were out of sight before he made his way across the street and entered the general store.
He surveyed the interior. A fair number of customers were shopping in the large store that carried everything from milk to greeting cards to glassware.
He spotted Audrey in the far corner looking at a display of fancy bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Quietly and swiftly, he approached her.
“Audrey,” he said, coming up behind her.
She gasped and spun around to face him. “Daniel,” she greeted him coolly, her eyes already darting past him as if looking for an escape route.
“We need to talk.”
Daniel glanced around. Too many customers were close by and would be able to overhear their conversation, and what he had to say to Audrey wasn’t meant for anybody else’s ears.
“In private,” he gritted out between clenched teeth, while his eyes searched for a place that would afford some modicum of privacy. A sign caught his attention.
Before she could protest, he grabbed Audrey’s wrist and dragged her to a door. Restrooms was printed on it. He pushed the door open, pulling a reluctant Audrey with him, then opened the door to the men’s room and pushed her inside.
“Get your fucking hands off of me!” she said, jerking her hand from his grasp.
Daniel locked the door. “I know it was you, Audrey.”
“What are you talking about?” Audrey braced her hands at her hips and glared at him defiantly.
“Damn it, Audrey! Don’t play stupid with me. It was you who went to the newspaper with that ridiculous story about Sabrina being a call girl. I know you were the reporter’s source.”
