Free A Perfect Love by Lori Copeland Page A

wouldn’t head back to Heavenly Daze until six o’clock, well after dark.
    The women settled into their favorite booth and placed their order. The booth was next to the front window and offered a great view of Shore Road—not that anything much was happening in the quiet town.
    Cleta took out one of her library books and thumbed through it, eyes alight. “There’s nothing like a good read.”
    â€œAyuh,” Vernie agreed. “Nothing like it.”
    Barbara came out of the Snip and Clip, then hurried toward the ice-cream store where she’d promised to meet Russell. The store was closed, of course, but it offered a sheltering awning where she could stand without being blown away by the wind . . .
    Her heart thudded when she spotted her tall husband coming down the sidewalk. She tugged at the ends of her hair. What would he think?
    She smiled as their eyes met. His long legs covered the ground quickly, then he lifted her in his arms and twirled her on the sidewalk. Pulling away for a better look, he grinned. “I like it.”
    â€œYou do? Honest?”
    He pretended to rethink his opinion, looking her over closely. “No. I was wrong.”
    Her heart sank.
    â€œI really like it.”
    She threw her arms around him and hugged tightly. “Thank you.”
    â€œNo, thank you . I feel like I have a new wife.”
    â€œYou weren’t happy with the old one?”
    â€œI adored the old one. But even a beautiful boat can benefit from a sprucin’ up every now and then.”
    She was tempted to playfully slug him, then thought the better of it. They had other, more important things to consider.
    â€œCome on,” she said. “We have one more stop.”
    â€œNo, two,” he corrected.
    Her eyes widened. “Two?”
    â€œDon’t ask; it’s a surprise. Let’s do your stop first.”
    Cleta and Vernie cackled so loudly the waitress threatened to evict them. They’d been telling stories of days gone by and lost track of time. It was nearing five o’clock when they gathered their books and purses and asked for the check.
    Feeling better than she had in days, Cleta looked across the table at her old friend. “Veronica, you’re a nut.”
    â€œIt takes one to know one, girl.” They broke into snickers again.
    â€œLand, I’m so full of coffee I’ll slosh when I walk,” Vernie complained as she pushed herself out of the booth.
    That set Cleta off in another round of giggles. After paying their bill, they were about to step outside when Vernie grabbed Cleta by the arm and pulled her back into the restaurant.
    â€œWhat’s wrong? Need a bathroom?”
    â€œUnless my eyes deceive me, Barbara and Russell just walked into that house across the street.”
    â€œWhat?” Cleta shoved her aside. “You’re imagining things. Barbara is home, probably in bed.”
    â€œI don’t think so, Cleta.”
    The women stared at the house, their gazes focusing on a prominent FOR RENT sign hanging over the front porch.
    Cleta worried her lower lip. “Barbara wouldn’t look at a house without telling me first.”
    Vernie shook her head. “Maybe I’m wrong, but if that wasn’t Barbara and Russell, it was their clones.”
    The two women sank onto the bench in front of the restaurant and waited, their eyes trained on the large two-story house across the street. Cleta drank it in—why, that house would be a terror to heat, and it was so old the electricity probably wasn’t up to code. The front porch looked rickety from here, and those colors! How could a body sleep at night with such colors blaring through the walls?
    â€œBarbara wouldn’t do such a thing without telling me first,” she repeated. “We share everything.”
    â€œMaybe I made a mistake.” Vernie threw out a lifeline. “My eyes are getting bad, you know that. And it was dark. The sun