Eclipse Bay

who are properly matched using modern psychological tests and personality inventories are far more likely to succeed at marriage than those who let their emotions—”
    “Enough, Lillian. I’ve heard your professional pitch before, remember?”
    “Sorry. You know me. I get a little carried away sometimes.” Lillian hesitated. “About Rafe Madison—”
    “What about him?”
    “Think he’s changed?”
    “How should I know?” Hannah rose, phone in hand, and went to the window. “Wonder if he achieved his big career objective?”
    “Didn’t know he had one.”
    “Oh, he had one, all right.” Hannah studied the view of the bridge-studded Willamette River. “His great ambition was to stay out of jail.”
    “Given the direction in which everyone seemed to think he was headed eight years ago, that would have been a major accomplishment.”
    “I’m sure we would have heard if he had gone to prison.” Hannah tightened her grip on the phone. “That kind of news would have been hot gossip in Eclipse Bay.”
    “Ah, but as far as we know, he hasn’t been back to Eclipse Bay very often since Kaitlin Sadler died. According to Mom and Dad, he makes a couple of short weekend visits to see his grandfather every few months and that’s it. How would anyone know if he’d done time?”
    “I think he was too smart to end up in prison,” Hannah said.
    “Smart does not always equate with common sense. We’re both in the marriage business. We see smart people do dumb things every day.”
    “True.”
    Lillian paused. “You’re still serious about your plans for Dreamscape?”
    “Very.”
    “I was afraid of that. My advice is don’t let Rafe know you’ve got your heart set on turning Dreamscape into an inn.”
    “Why not?”
    Lillian made an exasperated sound. “Use your head. If he figures out just how badly you want the place, he’ll hold out for a whopping price for his half.”
    “I’ll be careful how much I say. I’m a Harte, remember? I can be cool.”
    “Do that,” Lillian said dryly. “You know, something tells me that it’s a good thing that Mom and Dad went on that monthlong cruise. If they knew that you were getting ready to go toe-to-toe with Rafe Madison over Dreamscape, they’d descend on Eclipse Bay like avenging angels.”
    “Speaking of family interference, I’m counting on you to keep quiet about my decision to go to Eclipse Bay for a while. I want some time to work things out with Rafe. That won’t be possible if I’m inundated with helpful Hartes.”
    “I’ll keep quiet,” Lillian sighed. “I still can’t imagine what Aunt Isabel was thinking. Ever since Rafe used you as his alibi for the night Kaitlin Sadler died, she was obsessed with the notion that the two of you were the Romeo and Juliet of the Harte-Madison feud.”
    “Rafe didn’t use me as his alibi,” Hannah said. “I was his alibi.”
    “There’s a difference?”
    “Oh, yes,” Hannah said. “There’s a difference.”

chapter 2
    The weird part was that he had never intended to come back for more than an occasional overnight stay, just the obligatory duty visits to check up on Mitchell. Now he was determined to carve out his future here in Eclipse Bay.
    Go figure.
    Rafe propped one sneaker-clad foot on the bottom rail of the second-story veranda that wrapped around the big house. He braced his elbows on the top rail and watched the sporty little lipstick-red Honda turn into the long drive.
    He hadn’t had a lot of ambitions eight years ago. He’d only known that he had to stop screwing up. Something of a challenge, given where he was coming from. He’d achieved his primary objective, he thought, as he watched the rakish red car come closer. He’d managed to stay out of jail.
    He wondered if Hannah would be impressed.
    The crimson vehicle came to a halt next to his silver Porsche. An intense rush of anticipation swept through him. He watched the door on the driver’s side of the Honda open.
    The first thing he noticed when Hannah got out of the car was that her amber-brown hair was shorter. Eight years ago it had fallen well below her shoulders. Today it was cut in a sleek, sophisticated curve that angled along the line of her jaw.
    She didn’t look as if she had gained any weight in the intervening years, but there was something different about her figure. The black trousers and snug-fitting black top she wore revealed a fit, lithe body with a small waist, gently flared hips, and discreetly