Page 5 of Return to Lovett Cove
In fairness, no one was probably as much of a talker as Petunia.
“I do hope you’ll stay awhile,” Petunia said when she picked up Jasmine’s empty plate a few minutes later.
“Actually, I was thinking about selling the inn.”
Petunia collapsed into the seat across from Jasmine. The plate rattled on the table. “Oh, no! You can’t sell the inn. Your mother just bought it. She had grand plans for it. It used to be a boarding house many, many years ago. Such history and elegance. Once you see it, you’ll change your mind.”
“I did see it. It’s a mess. The renovation will cost a fortune.”
“It can’t be that bad. Your mother stayed out there and said it was a charming place that only required a few touchups.”
Touchups. Right. “Either way, I can’t stay. I’m up for a promotion at work, and I need to get back.”
Petunia clasped her hands in front of her and leaned against the table. “A promotion! Sounds exciting.”
Jasmine warmed to Petunia’s enthusiasm about her job. She wished her mother had been excited when Jasmine told her. But all Lily could say was that she wished Jasmine wouldn’t be all about her work. From the woman who taught her daughters to work, work, work, because a woman couldn’t count on anyone but herself.
Especially not a man.
It was one of the reasons Jasmine didn’t visit her mother in Lovett Cove before she died. Jasmine believed her mother was finally having a midlife crisis in her late fifties and would eventually give up the inn and come back to Philadelphia and reality.
“It is exciting. I’ll be a vice president in the most prestigious marketing firm in Philadelphia.”
“Penny does marketing. She’s also the town’s newspaper editor. We all kind of have two or three occupations because we’re a small town. It works.”
“Sounds quaint.”
“Oh, it is. I do hope you stay a few days, just to see what it’s like. Everyone’s real nice, too.”
Jasmine pulled out her phone and texted R. Scott that she was in town. “I’m actually trying to find the real estate agent my mother was working with.” Jasmine’s phone dinged with a text message.
How about I meet you at the coffee shop on Main? You can’t miss it.
I’m already here,Jasmine texted back.
Perfect. Be there in a few.
Jasmine set her phone down on the table. “I’m meeting the agent here.”
Petunia stood. “Then I’ll get out of your hair. I hope you enjoyed the biscuits.”
“Yes, they were amazing. The honey, too.”
“We get the honey fresh here from our beekeeper. Would you like another biscuit? On the house.”
Jasmine fingered her pants, which were already snug. “I don’t think so. I’m trying to drop a few pounds.”
Petunia dramatically leaned to the side searching for those pounds. “A few pounds? From where? Honey, you look beautiful!”
Not according to her last boyfriend. Well, not really a boyfriend because she was too busy to be in a relationship. But he admitted he’d be more attracted to her if she were five pounds lighter.
Five pounds.
At thirty-five, Jasmine couldn’t blame him. She was competing with all the stick-figured twenty-one-year olds.
Petunia harrumphed. “Real men love curves, sweetheart.” She shook her hips. “My Harold can’t keep his hands off these.”
“Where’s Harold?” Candace asked. She buffed a nearby table.
