Return to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

opportunity of a
lifetime. You’ve been working toward this since the day you left home. No way
are you going to pass it up.”
    Sonnet felt her eyes misting up. “You’re the best, you know
that?”
    “I’ve always told you so.” Nina stood up and folded the
afghan.
    Sonnet studied her mother. “I thought pregnancy was supposed to
make you fat. You look tiny, Mom. Are you eating okay?”
    Nina fussed with the blanket, arranging it on the back of the
chaise. “I’ve been having morning sickness. Come on. Let’s go find Greg. He
promised to make his famous barbecued chicken tonight. You want to see if Zach
can come over?”
    Sonnet bit her lip. It was completely normal to invite Zach to
dinner. Absolutely, completely normal. Through the years, he’d been like a
family member. “Maybe another time,” she said.
    “Am I hearing you right? You haven’t been home since Daisy’s
wedding, and you’re not seeing Zach?”
    “Uh, not tonight, okay?”
    “Sure, suit yourself.” Nina winced a little as she started
toward the door.
    “Are you sure you’re all right?” Sonnet asked.
    “I’m fine.” Nina squeezed her hand.
    Yet as Sonnet followed her out of the room, she was struck by
the strangest notion that something was afoot. She’d been away far too long.

Chapter Six
    Zach paced the sidewalk in front of the bakery, trying
to stay cool as he waited for his upcoming meeting with a producer who called
himself C. Bomb. It was mystifying to Zach that the producer had come all the
way to Avalon to meet with him, and to explain what the top-secret subject of
the upcoming show was going to be.
    Meanwhile, he had another client who’d asked to see him. He
didn’t usually get nervous about meeting potential clients. Usually they were
the nervous ones, jittery brides wanting him to turn their special day into a
piece of beautiful cinema worthy of an Academy Award. And the funny thing was,
sometimes he did. Sometimes he captured a moment, elevated it to a lasting
moment. Other times, he was lucky to record a few decent sequences before the
event unraveled thanks to drunken groomsmen, warring relatives, or tearful
brides having a hissy fit.
    Today’s client wasn’t a bride. She was a married woman. Who
just happened to be the mother of Sonnet Romano. What Nina Romano Bellamy wanted
with Zach was not likely to be a gauzy wedding video.
    She showed up at the appointed time, a bit rushed and
breathless. Sonnet’s mother was attractive in a no-nonsense way, with
olive-toned skin, balanced features and brown eyes, dark hair. The similarities
between her and Sonnet were subtle but Zach could see the resemblance in the way
they carried themselves and a certain energy that emanated from within. Nina
looked a little frayed around the edges this morning, but she was the kind of
pretty that shone through regardless. Sonnet took after her in that way; Zach
couldn’t help making the observation.
    He couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t known Nina. After
his mom had left, he’d always been welcomed by her and the whole Romano clan,
for that matter. There had always been room for one more place at the table, or
in front of the TV for Friday night movie-and-popcorn. Later, when Zach’s dad
had been convicted, Nina had all but adopted him. Maybe that was why everything
was so weird with Sonnet. After Nina had been so nice to him, he should have
known better than to go banging her daughter in a boathouse.
    “Thanks for meeting me, Zach.” Nina smiled, her kind expression
only deepening his guilt.
    “Anytime. Is everything okay?”
    She headed for the bakery. “I’m going to grab something to
drink, and then we can walk. It’s too nice a day to stay inside.”
    “Sounds good.” He followed her inside and they got in line to
order.
    While they waited, at least five people said hello to her. Nina
had served two terms as mayor of Avalon. She’d taken it on the chin when Zach’s
father had defrauded the town, because