Page 4 of Coral Memories

“I think she’s simply entertaining us.” Another thought occurred to Marina. “But given Bertrand’s diplomatic career—and her work that we’ve discovered—she might have been protecting us. Or others. You’ll have to ask her sometime.”

“What if I uncover something you don’t want to know about?”

“I doubt you’ll find anything nefarious in her past.”

Jack had been interested in writing a book about Ginger for a long time. Yet, when Marina had first learned about it before they married, she was furious. Now, she was glad Jack was making notes. As for Ginger’s biography, Marina still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.

Marina sensed that Ginger had secrets, even if she never said that. When her grandmother wanted to avoid questions, she could have an airy, glib manner. If people didn’t know Ginger like she and her sisters did, they wouldn’t think anything of it.

Marina had interviewed enough people when reporting the news in San Francisco to learn body language and detect when a subject wasn’t telling the entire truth.

Yet, her grandmother was an expert at concealment; she’d give her that. Marina probably would have missed the clues if she hadn’t been a professional.

Jack tapped a search tab on his screen. “Did Ginger ever mention crediting her accomplishments to others?”

“That might have happened, especially when she was working with men.” Marina thumped his shoulder.

“Hey, I always give credit.”

“I know you do. I’m talking about back then. The norms were different.”

Marina and Kai had recently discovered praise for their grandmother’s work as a cryptologist in old articles online. They’d been surprised, because they knew her as a statistician and math teacher. They thought she loved puzzles, ciphers, and codes simply as hobbies.

That was the way her interest began, Marina suspected. However, it went far beyond that.

Jack leaned in for a kiss, and she relished the touch of his lips.

He groaned with pleasure. “Why don’t you call in sick to the cafe? With the kids out of the house…”

She smiled against his lips. “Hold that thought until later.” A private party had booked her Coral Cafe for an early brunch before the lunch run. She pushed herself from his lap and sashayed out.

Jack chuckled and whistled after her.

Their new marriage was off to a good start. She adored Jack’s son Leo, who would be in middle school next year. Her daughter Heather was living with Ginger in the home she’d had for decades, right next to the cafe. Marina liked being close enough to her grandmother to check on her.

Still, Ginger was nearly as active as she’d always been, even in her eighties. She hiked, practiced yoga, and danced likesomeone half her age. As for her intellectual stamina, she grew more astute and formidable with age.

Hours later,after the brunch party and a busy lunch run, the crowd at the Coral Cafe had thinned. Only a handful of guests still lingered at tables.

Marina turned to her sous chef. “Cruise, would you take over from here, please.”

The young man with the tattoos and bleached hair wound into a man-bun nodded. “Got it, Chef. Any news on that other food truck?”

“I haven’t heard from the loan officer yet. Shouldn’t be much longer, though. I’ll return later to help with that catering job.”

“You don’t have to,” Cruise said, grinning. “We’ve got this.”

She nodded her approval. “Glad to hear it. Please call me when Kai arrives.” They were planning a video shoot today.

“Sure thing. I’ll clean up the place.”

Cruise oversaw the team she’d trained on the Coral Cafe food truck, which had grown to produce significant revenue. Besides its daytime route, the truck was also booked nearly every weekend for parties and beach weddings.

Marina’s catering business had grown, too. She could breathe easier now that her business had earned plenty of repeat customers and a reputation for excellence. She no longer had to worry about meeting payroll every month. Another food truck would build her business in beach communities south of Summer Beach.

She would have plenty of time to work on that later. For now, the conversations she’d had with Ginger and Jack lingered in her mind.

Her grandmother had casually asked if Jack was busy. Yet, Ginger seldom made small talk without aim.

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