Page 79 of Beach Vibes

Magnolia pulled a piece of paper out of her shorts front pocket and scanned it. She looked at Beth. “Have you been married before?”

“Yes. Once. We got a divorce a little over a year ago.”

“Do you have children?”

“No.”

Magnolia looked surprised. “Why not?”

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I wanted to have kids, but I don’t think the man I married did. We should have talked about it more before getting serious. That was a mistake. But I like children.”

Magnolia’s neutral expression didn’t change. “Do you consider yourself a fair person?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a job?”

Teddy glanced over, as if just realizing what was happening. He hurried in their direction and grabbed the paper from Magnolia.

“What are you doing?”

“Asking questions. Beth said I could. I checked with her first, Dad. I wasn’t rude.”

He pulled a chair close and sat down. “No grilling our guests.”

Magnolia raised her eyebrows. “You’re dating, and we have the right to know what kind of person she is. What if you fall in love? We’re a family, Dad. We have a dynamic, and you’re bringing in someone who could change that. It’s not right to tell us to simply accept that. This is important.”

Beth’s heart ached for the girl. She was so strong and yet so scared at the same time. As the oldest, she would be the one most likely to step into her mother’s role. Teddy had talked abouthow he had to consciously keep from letting her take over. As an oldest herself, Beth got the need to protect. It was biological.

“I’m okay with the questions,” she said gently. She smiled at Magnolia. “Yes, I do have a job. I own a sandwich shop called Surf Sandwiches.”

Magnolia’s expression relaxed a little. “For real? That’s you?”

“Well, me and about fifteen employees, but yes. The store was originally owned by my aunt and uncle. When Rick and I lost our mom, we went to live with them, and I started working in the store. Eventually I bought them out, and now I own the place.”

Magnolia stared at her. “Your mom died when you were little?”

For the first time since the questioning began, Beth felt she was on solid ground. “I was a couple of years older than you when it happened. She died in an accident, so it was a shock.”

Magnolia’s gaze lowered. “My mom died of an embolism. She was just gone.”

“That makes it so hard, because neither of us got to say goodbye.”

Teddy touched his daughter’s arm. “You okay?”

Magnolia nodded, then looked at Beth. “You understand. A lot of people don’t.” She drew in a breath. “And I’m really glad you have your own source of income.”

Teddy groaned. “Seriously, kid? You went there?”

“It’s stuff you gotta know, Dad. I did some reading online. You have assets, and sometimes people get into relationships because there’s money. I’m looking out for you.”

The moment of bonding seemed to be over, leaving Beth both impressed and a little terrified. Magnolia was way too mature for her age, but what a thoughtful and caring kid.

“I have a successful business, my own 401(k) and savings,” she said. “So no, I’m not here for the money. I just like your dad.”

The preteen relaxed a little. “Okay. That’s good. Thank you for answering my questions. You didn’t have to.”

Beth nodded. “I know this is difficult and strange. Like you said, there’s a family dynamic, and if your dad’s dating me, that could change. I’ve never dated anyone with kids before, so this is new for me, too. Maybe we could kind of help each other out.”

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