Free Where Your Heart Is (Lilac Bay Book 1) by Rachel Schurig

photos. Photos I can reproduce for the teachers’ lounge. Please, Libby.”
    I allowed their conversation to flow over me as I battled memories of a teenage David Jenkins. There was no way that Posey had any idea what she was talking about. David might have liked me for a while, but when it came right down to it, I wasn’t what he wanted.
    The girls were moving over to the line at the fryer, and I followed, not really paying attention, thinking instead about the last time David and I had spoken, when he’d made it perfectly clear that I had turned out to be a major disappointment to him. I glanced around the square, feeling suddenly angry. All of these people in their picture-perfect little town with their quaint little lives. I would never be a part of it, never really belong here. And that had been enough to make David wash his hands of me entirely.
    I caught sight of him across the square. He was standing at a table filled with baked goods, two older women talking to him, their hands waving around animatedly. They appeared to be plying him with extra slices of pie. I scowled. Of course. From Posey to Libby to those old ladies, everyone here clearly loved David Jenkins.
    He looked up as I passed, his eyes barely meeting mine before glancing back at the white-haired woman next to him, who was now pressing a kiss to the back of his hand.
    Well, there was one person on this island who wasn’t crazy about David. If I could get through the rest of my time here without having to talk to him again, I would consider it a success. And I was more than willing to do whatever it took to make sure I could avoid him.

Chapter 5
    I f Monday morning was any indication, my time on Lilac Bay was not going to go as well as I hoped.
    I had told Posey I would be at the café by eight so she could introduce me to the staff before heading off to school. I woke up late, groggy after another night of dreams involving falling and murky water. I might have been okay, even managing a quick shower, if it hadn’t been for the phone call.
    I had been careful about screening my calls since leaving Chicago, but I was in a hurry, and thinking it was probably Posey, I clicked on the answer icon without looking at the screen.
    “Iris?”
    I froze in the act of slipping into my wedge heels. Shit.
    “Uh, hi, Dad. How are you? I, uh, thought you were in Europe.”
    “ How am I ?” my father thundered. “How do you think? You haven’t been answering any of my emails or texts. And now I’m hearing from everyone in Chicago about some colossal screw up.” I winced. “But I haven’t heard a word from you about it. What in the hell is going on, Iris?”
    “Dad, I know we need to talk. But I’m running late and—”
    “Are you working?” he asked, sounding a touch less upset.
    “Uh…not really. I mean, kind of…”
    “Iris.” I had heard that warning note in his voice before. It was usually aimed at incompetent business associates, but it had been lobbed my way more than once over the years. A quick glance at the clock told me I was most definitely going to be late, but there was nothing to be done. I had no power to deflect my father, not right now. He had called me from Europe, for God’s sake. My father was the king of the text message or email and loathed talking on the phone. But apparently, my behavior had warranted an exception.
    “Give me one second, Dad.” I pulled the phone away from my ear and pressed the home screen so I could send a quick text to Posey explaining my lateness. Then I took a deep breath. “Sorry, Dad. Back now.”
    “Iris, what is going on?” He sounded entirely out of patience. “Where are you?”
    Oh God. I had been hoping that we could avoid the subject of my location until at least after I’d broken the news about work. “I’m actually visiting Mimi Rose.”
    “You’re on the island?”
    “Um, yeah. Just for a while.”
    “What about your job?”
    I swallowed several times, trying to build up the