Page 52 of A Beach House Beginning

Maybe he would open his own shop somewhere, though probably not. He didn’t feel right about going into competition with Paco and Carlos, after they had been so good to him.

“Thank you,” Jenna said, handing him the receipt. “I’ll try to get this wrapped up and shipped today. It should go out tomorrow at the latest. That’s our guarantee. She should receive it within a week. Will that work?”

“It should. Her birthday isn’t for a few more weeks. Thank you for your help.”

“My pleasure.”

He needed to return to work but he was loath to leave her.

“Why don’t you let me take care of dinner for us and the girls tonight?” he said on impulse, gesturing to her hand. “It’s the least I can do, after all you’ve done to help me out with Brie this week.”

“It has really been no trouble,” she protested.

“You keep saying that, but surely it’s been alittletrouble. You’ve got a sore hand and don’t need to be rushing around tonight trying to fix dinner.”

She gave a quick laugh that sounded prettier than any of the wind chimes in this charming little store ever could.

“You seem to have this idea that my hand has been grievously wounded. It’s only a few stitches. I am really fine.”

“Okay, let’s take the hand completely out of it. For two weeks, you have stepped up to bail me out with my daughter. I would love the chance to repay you in some small way. Why don’t we celebrate the last day of the girls’ camp and my last day with Brielle full-time? We could explore one of the nearby state parks, if you have a favorite.”

“Have you visited Oswald West State Park? It’s just south of town. It has lots of tide pools and trails through the forest that look like something out ofLord of the Rings. Addie loves it. It also has a picnic area close to the beach.”

“I have not been there. That sounds perfect. The girls can show us everything they learned at camp and, bonus, Theo can get some exercise.”

“That is actually not a bad idea,” she said after a moment’s thought. “It sounds really fun.”

He felt a ridiculous sense of accomplishment. “Great. I’m done working today at four. I can pick up some picnic supplies. We can take my truck and load the back with whatever we might need.”

“That sounds great. I’m off by three, in time to get the girls.”

“Let’s plan to leave about five. That will give us several hours before dark to enjoy the scenery.”

“Perfect. We’ll be ready.”

He wanted to stay and talk to her more, but he had already taken too long and needed to return to the bike he was working on.

Besides that, the store had begun to fill with more customers, and he realized he had been completely monopolizing Jenna’s time for the past fifteen minutes.

“Thanks again for your help. I’ll see you this evening,” he said.

“Great.”

That buzz of anticipation carried him toward the door. Before he reached it, he spotted a few women with familiar features whom he knew he had seen around town before. He nodded to them but didn’t miss the way the mouth of one of the women tightened. If she had been wearing long skirts, he had a feeling she would have brushed them out of his way with a dramatic sweep.

He wouldn’t let it ruin his mood, he decided. Not when he had a fun evening ahead with Jenna and their respective daughters.

Chapter Twelve

As Wes made his way to the exit, Jenna released the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding and tried not to stare at his narrow hips or his broad shoulders in that snug T-shirt.

Seeing him in this setting, surrounded by lovely, fragile objects, only seemed to reinforce his contrasting masculinity.

She finished packaging up the lovely bowl for his sister, catching only bits and pieces of the conversation around her until she heard the word Brambleberry House.

Two women were looking at a collection of handmade jewelry close to the counter, local women she knew vaguely but who weren’t close acquaintances.

Donna Martin was a former teacher with a reputation at the elementary school for having been rigid and cold to her students during her time there. She had retired before Jenna took a job at the school, and Jenna knew there were few students or parents who were sorry when she left.

---