On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

gathered outside the office. Rumors were flying, all centering around a boat explosion.
    Drew's stomach turned. It was crazy to think the explosion had anything to do with Ria, but he had a really bad feeling in his gut.
    "Juan, I've changed my mind," he said. "I need to rent a boat."
    The other man looked reluctant. "Better to wait. We should stay out of the way."
    "I do search and rescue for the U.S. Coast Guard." He pulled out his wallet and all the cash he had. "I need a boat."
    Juan's greed won out. "I'll take you."
    It took several minutes for them to launch a boat and maneuver their way through the harbor, as more than a few people had had the same idea and desire to help. It seemed to take forever to get past the breakwater, the reef and then around the island hills.
    A good thirty minutes had passed by the time they reached the burning vessel, or what was left of it. It had been completely blown apart, with nothing but fiery debris floating in the water while divers began to search the ocean for survivors.
    Drew's chest was so tight he could barely get the words out. "It's not the boat Ria was on, is it?"
    Juan's somber gaze said it all. Drew stripped off his shirt.
    "What are you doing?" Juan asked.
    "I'm going to find her."
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Excerpt: When Wishes Collide
    Barbara Freethy

    © Copyright 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    Prologue

    July …

    Adrianna took off her white long-sleeved chef's coat and tossed it into the laundry basket in the break room of Vincenzo's Restaurant. She then released her long, brown hair from a constricting tie, feeling an immediate release of tension, as the waves cascaded down her shoulders. It had been a long, exhausting night in the kitchen, but it was the kind of exhaustion she loved. Becoming a chef had been her dream since she was a little girl, and at twenty-eight she was beginning to make a name for herself.
    Lindsay Rogers entered the room and gave her a tired smile. The tall, willowy blonde was one of the sous chefs and also a good friend, which sometimes surprised Adrianna, because they were as different in personality as they were in looks. Lindsay was outgoing, funny, and while she liked her job, Lindsay wasn't particularly ambitious. Adrianna had a quieter sense of humor and was far more focused and driven. But then she hadn't had time for a lot of fun in her life. Survival had been her single focus for as long as she could remember. One day, she wanted to get to that place where she could relax, take a breath, look around and see what she'd been missing. But that day wasn't today.
    "That last party took forever to leave," Lindsay said, as she removed her jacket. "Toast after toast until they were all drunk. Will had to call two cabs to get them out of here."
    She smiled. "They were having a good time. That's what it's all about." Nothing made her happier than watching people enjoy her food and enjoy themselves.
    "I guess." Lindsay rolled her head around on her shoulders.
    "We're lucky business has been so good," Adrianna added. "The winter was very slow."
    Throughout January and February, she'd been worried that the restaurant might have to close because the owner and executive chef, Giovanni Ricci, was having health problems. Fortunately, his nephew, Stephan, had stepped in and taken over, turning things around in just a few months. She missed Giovanni's tutelage in the kitchen, but because of his absence she'd also gained more responsibility. Her life always seemed to be a mix of good and bad.
    "The customers are coming because of you," Lindsay said as she stepped up to the mirror to apply some lip gloss. "Your reputation is growing. Stephan is about a day away from making you executive chef."
    "I'm not so sure about that. In sixty years, Vincenzo's has never had an executive chef who wasn't a Ricci."
    "That's true, but while Stephan is a competent chef, he's better in the front of the house. He loves to market and greet customers. You're the one who makes the magic in the kitchen, and Stephan is smart enough to know that. You're pretty much doing the job anyway," Lindsay added, as she turned around. "And you know Will is talking you up to Stephan every chance he gets."
    "He's been very supportive," she said. Will Grayson was the head bartender, and her boyfriend, although, it still felt a little strange to think of him in those terms. She and Will had been friends for four years until a coworker's wedding reception and a lot of champagne had