Free Kingdom by the Sea (Romantic Suspense) by Jill Winters Page A

circumstances. 
    “Nah,
that's okay!” Vickie said with a wave of her hand.  “Messes don't bother me. 
How's tonight?” 
    “No...thanks,
but I really can't.”
    “But,
like I said, I'll bring the food,” she insisted. 
    Either
Vickie really couldn't catch a hint or she was desperate for a new friend. 
Affecting regret, Nicole shook her head and said, “I wish I could.  But I'm
still going through my aunt's things and I just have a lot going on right now. 
Can I give you a call?”
    “Okay...I
don't want to push or anything...” Vickie began, her voice leveling a bit. 
“Sorry,” Vickie said, then thrummed another lilting laugh.  “Just call it
'Homecoming Queen Syndrome.'  Some habits die hard, I guess.  I still have the
need to be the social butterfly.”
    “No
problem…um, I’ll call you.”  Nicole was beginning to feel like a guy at the end
of a date.  How long would Vickie drag this out?
    “Sure
thing,” she said, acquiescing and backing up a step.  Her bright smile
re-appeared, though it had a slightly brittle quality now.  “Cape Town Inn,
don't forget!”  Even if Nicole had wanted to forget, events would soon conspire
against her.

Chapter Thirteen
    With
a grunt, she gave another hard push.  But to no avail.  Nina’s hutch would not
budge.  Moments before, Nicole had been cataloging its contents when she'd
suddenly noticed a back panel was loose.  From here she could see that some
papers had fallen through the crack and were stuck between the hutch and the
wall. 
    Finally,
she gave up and let out a tired breath, just as there was a knock at the back
door. 
    “Hi
there,” Michael said when she opened the door.  “I wanted to return this to
you.”  Nicole took the empty tin from him. 
    “You
finished the brownies?”
    “Yup,
I ate all six.”
    “Nice,“
she smiled.  “Tell me it was all in one sitting and this will officially be a
bonding moment.”  She opened the door wider.  “Come in.”
    Once
Michael closed the door behind him, Nicole reached to turn the lock, which
brought her up close to him.  The moment was brief; she felt his body heat,
breathed a hint of his scent. 
    Quickly,
she stepped back. 
    “What
are you up to?” he asked casually.  “It smells good in here.”
    “I'm
making a pizza in the oven.  I was just—oh!  Actually it's perfect that you're
here!  You can help me with something.” 
    “Sure,”
he said in that easy way of his and followed her into the adjacent room, the
“coffee corner.”
    “I
need to move this thing,” she explained, pointing to the hutch that stood
against the red brick wall.
    “Okay. 
Where?”
    “Just
away from the wall, so I can reach behind it.  Some papers fell out of the
back.”
    With
what appeared to be no effort, he pulled the tall bulky cabinet forward several
inches.  “How’s that?”
    “Wow,”
she blurted.  “I'm impressed.”
    Michael
looked bemused.  “Over that?”
    “Well,
I just thought there would be lots of groaning and sweating,” she explained. 
“You know, like when I tried it.”
    He
laughed.  “Nicole, it wasn't that heavy.”
    “I
guess I'm weak—no, what I mean is: I have strong character, and that's where it
ends.  By the way, have you eaten?” she said suddenly.
    “No. 
But I wouldn't be opposed to it.”
    “Good,
the pizza will be ready soon.”  Meanwhile, she reached down for the papers
behind the hutch.  When she smoothed them out she saw that they were
handwritten, but it was not her aunt's penmanship.  I’m sorry for what’s
happened.  It can be fixed, if you trust me—
    Abruptly
she halted her reading and coasted her eyes to the bottom of the page.  It was
a letter to Nina from Abel Kelling.  It was private, she reasoned and folded up
the paper.  Once she slid it into a drawer of the hutch, she went to join
Michael in the kitchen.
    Soon
they were both seated before a so-called veggie lovers’ pizza. 
    “I
feel bad taking your