Free The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate Page A

on. Rebecca could smell a mixture of vanilla andraspberry. “Crazy thing to do, really. You could be a psycho killer for all I know.”
    Rebecca laughed. “My boyfriend said the same about you.”
    “Men and what they know wouldn’t fill a—” She stopped abruptly as if she realized she was talking too chummily with a total stranger. Or the potential enemy. With a gesture at the minibus, she added, “I’m picking everyone up. They’re either local enough or on the way down to Portland.”
    “You have the Strand eyes,” Rebecca blurted out, unable to take her eyes off Joy’s face. “Round and light brown, like our father’s.”
    The hint of anger returned. “Like your father’s,” Joy corrected. “Look, Rebecca, I’d appreciate if you didn’t say things like that, okay? I don’t know why I came after you. I really have no idea why, considering that I don’t want to talk about Daniel Strand. It just seemed wrong to be so rude, I guess. You traveled a long way.”
    “Well, I can understand your reaction. I mean, having a half sister you’ve never met show up on your doorstep …”
    The minitruce declared, Joy headed to the minibus, and Rebecca trailed along, carrying her bags. The little orange bus was exceptionally clean inside. There were three rows of three seats. And one bucket seat next to the driver’s seat. Rebecca opted for that.
    “You can put your stuff on the back row,” Joy said.
    Rebecca did, then sat down on the passenger seat. “Your son is beautiful. What’s his name?”
    Her features softened for just a moment. “Rex.”
    “Rex. I like it. He’s what, three?”
    “Three and a half.” Joy glanced at Rebecca’s ringless fingers. Joy wore a wedding band and a beautiful diamond engagement ring.
    “I don’t have kids. Yet. I live with someone, but we’re not married. I’m not even sure if we’re still a couple, actually,” she added, staring at her hands.
    “I know all about that,” Joy said as she backed out of the driveway.
    “Are you and your husband having—”
    Joy held up her right hand. “First rule of singles tours is that the host does not talk about her pathetic love life, separation, and possible impending divorce, even though her husband still lives in their house, albeit in the basement.”
    That sounded very hard. “Well, I’m not really on the singles tour,” Rebecca pointed out. And I want to know everything about you .
    “But we’ve just pulled up in front of Maggie’s house,” Joy said, “so from here on in, they lead the show with what’s talked about. We maintain a positive attitude, especially when it comes to discussing romantic relationships, okay?”
    “Got it,” Rebecca said with a smile. She looked out her window at the pretty blue Cape. Someone waved at Joy from the screen door. Maggie, presumably.
    “Victoria, the Love Bus is here!” the woman called behind her.
    The Love Bus. Cute , Rebecca thought. She remembered the testimonials from Joy’s website. It was funny to think of this little orange minibus bringing couples together.
    Joy got out and walked up the path as two thirtysomethingwomen came out with travel bags, which Joy took. She loaded them into the back, then the women got into the bus and sat in the front row.
    “Victoria and Maggie, this is Rebecca,” Joy said as she put on her seat belt.
    They said hi in unison and Rebecca quickly learned they were members of the Wiscasset Divorced Ladies Club, which was an official club started by the town recreation center. Members came and went depending on their mood and current romance situation. Right now, Maggie and Victoria and Ellie, who they were picking up next, were it.
    Victoria, the louder of the two, was thirty-four and divorced two years, the mother of a five- and a seven-year-old, who were with their “cheating louse of a father” this weekend. She was tall and stocky and plain, yet had the most gorgeous hair Rebecca had ever seen, even prettier than Joy’s. It