Page 51 of Easton Island: A Wedding to Remember

“How adorable,” Quinn whispered. “Esther has a homeanda new friend.”

Morgan hugged her. “The best home possible. She won the puppy lottery.”

“I swear, these two are siblings.” Ariel pulled her phone from her pocket and snapped a picture. “There’s nothing like finding family.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Morgan said. “I know exactly how Chester and Esther feel.”

With the pups peacefully snoozing, the friends made the short trek to the main drag, cutting through an alley before reaching the harbor’s downtown district.

Despite the bar being busy for a Saturday night, they found an empty table near the back, giving them a semi unobstructed view of the stage.

Several islanders stopped to chat, some of them with Quinn, a few with Grace but the majority with Ariel, who owned Locke Village’s popular hotspot—her coffee shop.

“Ariel is popular,” Morgan teased.

“Hey, these folks are smart. They know where to find the best coffee on Easton Island,” she boasted.

A server arrived to take their drink order, returning moments before the band started. They played a mix of music from nineties pop to classic rock and even some newer country tunes.

During their break, Morgan excused herself to use the restroom, the closest one being near the dining room.

She took care of business and started to head back when she noticed a familiar figure seated at a table off to the side. It was Priscilla Finkpin. She appeared to be having a serious conversation with the man across from her.

Morgan could feel the tips of her ears burn. He fit the description Greg had given her of the Bay News reporter. She slipped in behind a beam, pulled her cell phone from her pocket and snapped a picture of them.

She returned to the table and tapped out a quick text to Greg, attaching the photo of Prissy and her dinner companion.Is this the reporter who stopped by Locke Pointe earlier today?

His reply was quick and to the point.Yeah. That’s the guy.

“Great.” Morgan blew air through thinned lips.

“Uh-oh.” Grace leaned in. “What’s wrong?”

“A Bay News reporter stopped by Locke Pointe earlier today, asking a bunch of questions about me and the Easton family. He mentioned something about Easton Harbor Art Gallery.”

“About the alleged fake artwork?” Quinn asked.

“That would be my guess,” Morgan grimaced. “The reporter is here having dinner with Priscilla Finkpin.”

Ariel’s eyes grew round as saucers. “She’s at it again.”

“Despite promising me she wouldn’t write a hit piece about Ryze’s claim,” Morgan sighed.

Quinn hopped off her barstool. “Do you want me to march over to their table and ask them what the heck they’re doing?”

“It won’t do any good. If anything, it will only make matters worse. I was naïve in believing Priscilla when she gave me her word. I had hoped…”

“She no longer had an axe to grind with the Easton family.” Grace finished her sentence.

“Yep. I guess I was asking for too much,” Morgan said. “It looks like the Easton family will once again be back in the spotlight, and not in a good way.”

Chapter 21

“Nothing yet?” Quinn asked.

“Nope.” Morgan scrolled through the daily news. It had been three days since she’d spotted Priscilla Finkpin and the Bay News reporter eating dinner at the restaurant. Three days of waiting for the story about the “alleged” fake artwork being sold. Three days of wondering if protesters would be marching near the gallery again. And yet, it had been eerily quiet.

After seeing Priscilla and the news reporter together, Morgan’s first instinct was to confront her and ask her what she was doing, reminding the woman of her promise.

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